Six months out from the COP26 summit, edie hosted an exclusive virtual roundtable discussion with a select group of sustainability leaders, exploring how businesses can accelerate the net-zero carbon transition in the run-up to the crucial climate.
European industry is becoming increasingly vocal regarding the challenges it faces in decarbonising production while remaining competitive, a view supported by a recent think-tank report.
“The European Union needs to urgently create the conditions necessary to accelerate the industrial transformation if it wants to become carbon-neutral by 2050,” said Patrick Graichen, executive director of Agora Energiewende, a German think-tank.
“It has only one investment cycle left to do so,” he added, also pointing out that carbon emissions in the industrial sector merely decreased by 5% between 2010 and 2018.
“It’s about where the future of the competitiveness of the EU economy and many prosperous businesses lies,” said Eliot Whittington, director of CLG Europe at an event last week (11 May) where political leaders came together with members of the industry and think tanks to discuss how to scale up demand for climate neutral basic materials and products.
UK green groups form new business alliance to spur corporate race to net-zero
A cohort of UK corporate green groups have formally banded together to launch the UK Business Group Alliance for Net Zero (BGA), in a bid to raise climate action in the build-up to COP26 and to ensure the nation meets its net-zero target for 2050.
The BGA is encouraging corporates to sign up to the Race to Zero campaign
The BGA has formally launched today (29 April) and consists of the CISL’s Corporate Leaders Group, the Aldersgate Group, Business in the Community, the CBI, CDP, the International Investors Group on Climate Change, the UK Business Council for Sustainable Development and the UK Green Building Council.