Bertrand van Ee, CEO of DHV Group is one of the signatories of the letter in support of moves by the climate change ministers for the UK, France and Germany to shift the EU to a higher greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.
In a letter published simultaneously in The Financial Times, Le Monde and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 27 business leaders of the European Union’s largest companies argue that:
"By moving to a higher target, the EU will have a direct impact on the carbon price through to 2020 and deliver the economic signals that companies need if they are to continue investing billions of Euros in low carbon products, services, technologies and infrastructure. European leadership will also help rebuild the international momentum towards an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change."
Bertrand van EE, CEO of DHV Group said:
"The DHV Group provides services for the sustainable development of our living environment. Sustainable business is a driver for economic growth. The faster we move as a continent, the better."
The letter is in response to an article published in the same newspapers in which the three climate change ministers set out the economic benefits for increasing Europe’s climate change targets for 2020 from 20% to 30%.
The letter is an initiative of The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL) which works with business, government and civil society to help leaders address critical global challenges.
More information is in their press release 'Major European companies come out in support of higher climate change targets'.