Event report: Business networks for a Climate Neutral Economy - Stimulating progressive business action with the Fit for 55 Package
1 March 2022 - All across Europe, business networks have been working actively to increase climate ambition recognising the economic, social and environmental benefits of the transition towards a climate neutral, resource efficient and sustainable Europe.
Some of these networks have decided to join forces to put the EU and Member States on track to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and ensure that the EU’s economic recovery is consistent with ambitious climate and sustainability objectives through direct business and policy action. Participating business networks include Aldersgate Group (UK), BCSD Portugal, CER Slovenia, Change for the Better (Czech Republic), CLG Europe, Climate Leadership Coalition (Finland), The Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (Netherlands), Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE) (France), The Haga Initiative (Sweden), Shift (Belgium), Skift Norway, the Spanish Green Growth Group, Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft – German CEO Alliance for Climate and Economy (Germany) and Sustainability Embassy Romania.
CLG Europe, together with some of these networks, organised an online roundtable on ‘Business networks for a Climate Neutral Economy - Stimulating progressive business action with the Fit for 55 package’ on 25 January. The aim of the event was to bring together business networks with policymakers to have a positive exchange on how businesses can support Europe’s transition towards climate neutrality, looking at commitments and best practices, and how the Fit for 55 Package can deliver the transition towards a climate neutral and prosperous EU, including by supporting businesses to develop and scale up these practices.
This roundtable made a clear case for accelerating the green transition in Europe, and reaffirmed the willingness and ability of progressive businesses to take a leading role in this transition. It highlighted the importance of policy to scale up business action and increased cooperation on climate issues across sectors and countries, and between policymakers and businesses. Speakers shared the common objective to deliver an ambitious, effective, coherent and socially just Fit for 55 Package that promotes urgent and transformative change, and reflected on the role of carbon pricing a clean and smart energy system to achieve this objective.