Released ahead of 12 December 2020
Dear Business Leader,
We are approaching the 5th anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in our societies, it offers an opportunity for a more sustainable recovery. We must ensure a systemic transformation that turns the emissions curve around permanently and contributes to the creation of a just, fair, and carbon-neutral future.
Businesses have a key role to play in building back better. With this letter, we are encouraging all company owners and leaders to prioritize climate action in order to achieve the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature rise to below 1.5°C.
We are asking your company to:
Adopt a multi-stakeholder approach. Besides focusing on profits, aim to create long-term value by investing in people and the environment.
Set ambitious environmental goals. Deliver net zero greenhouse gas emissions and involve suppliers and customers in reversing biodiversity loss far earlier than 2050.
Put climate change on the Board of Directors’ agenda. Integrate climate factors into governance, control, and compensation structures.
Disclose material sustainability information. Consistently ensure the transparency of your company’s environmental and social impacts.
Climate action reaps multiple benefits. Consumers prefer buying products and services from companies whose values they share, and a successful company in turn attracts the best talent. Companies that lead on climate are also likely to be more resilient in the face of future shocks. This potential for higher growth and profit will then be reflected positively in terms of valuation and the cost of capital.
Businesses, investors, and governments must cooperate to speed up the transition to a green economy. We hope to see bold actions before COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021.
Climate Reality Europe is offering to support business leaders in raising awareness of the climate crisis within their organizations. Please get in touch and ask a Climate Reality Leader to give a multimedia presentation to your organization about the impacts of climate change.
Let’s make the Paris Agreement a reality!
For further information, please contact:
Zsolt Bauer, Branch Manager, zsolt.bauer.eu@climatereality.com
About Climate Reality Europe
Founded and chaired by former US vice president and Nobel laureate Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is dedicated to catalyzing a global solution to the climate crisis by supporting urgent action at every level of society. The European branch works independently, engaging with and supporting the initiatives of over 2,700 volunteers in the region to increase awareness by means of presentations, personal outreach, dynamic digital initiatives, and inspirational events.
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