A coalition of 57 major European businesses and organisations has written to the European Council to support stronger 2030 climate goals and resource efficiency.
Companies including Tesco, Unilever, IKEA, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Kingfisher, Shell and GSK all signed the letter before European Council meetings to be held later this month to discuss policy ahead of the Paris CoP 2015 where a global agreement on climate change may be agreed.
The letter said: “Our 57 companies, funds and associations represent more than 4.5 million employees worldwide. We each acknowledge responsibility for a sustainable economic future for Europe.
“Timely decisions about the cornerstones of EU’s energy and climate policies beyond 2020 will substantially support confidence for the important investments. We would like to contribute towards a modern, resource-efficient and low carbon growth as a central driver for Europe’s economic recovery and competitiveness agenda, energy security aims, and delivering sustainable growth and job creation for decades to come.
“We remain increasingly concerned at the costs, risks and impacts associated with delayed action on climate change on our markets, supply chains, resource costs and upon society as a whole.
“We therefore urge you to agree at the European Council on 23 and 24 October 2014, a robust 2030 energy and climate policy framework and energy security strategy that is fully in line with Europe’s long-term climate objectives and that can deliver a global climate change agreement at the 2015 Paris CoP. Planning security is vital for sustainable investments. We further call for an early structural reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.”
