The appeal: “Europe and the US united in the fight against climate change”

We welcome the biden-Harris administration’s commitment to revive the fight against climate change and the return of the United States to the Paris climate agreement. On both sides of the Atlantic we now have the same goal: to achieve zero emissions by 2050.

An alliance between the United States and Europe is essential to tackle the problem of climate change and make a just and sustainable transition possible. Together, we account for 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and 40 percent of world GDP. We represent a market of 800 million people. The United States is one of Europe’s largest trading partners. By acting together, we can make a difference. The global transition we need will never happen unless we go the right way.

Six months after the European elections in May 2019, Europe has put on the table the largest transition plan on a continental scale, the European Green Deal. Some thought that the covid crisis would change this ambition, and instead the European Union has chosen to accelerate on the path of the green transition. We are implementing a recovery plan that will both save and transform our economy to align it with the trajectory of the Paris Agreement, mobilizing EUR 250 billion to fight climate change in just three years. It is the largest shock therapy in the form of green investments ever decided in Europe! We also agreed that not even one euro should be invested in activities that are harmful to the environment. We are proud of this extraordinary success and expect the United States to follow a similar path with their Build Back Better plan.

The European Union is at the forefront of the world in terms of climate ambition. We have already committed to a new climate goal for 2030 and agreed on the development of a new taxonomy for green investments. One of the flagships of this ambition is the European climate law, which gives the force of law to our climate goals. With this provision, we are working on a clear path for the coming decades.

Over the next 18 months, we will embark on a systemic transformation that will begin to profoundly change the way we produce, consume, travel, eat or even simply trade with the rest of the world. The purpose of this unprecedented change is to get all our policies to work in the direction of climate action.

On this journey, our industries will need to become greener and invest more in low-carbon technologies through a higher carbon price. By engaging in these reforms, we will need to ensure a level playing field with those competitors who are not as committed to climate as we do. This is the meaning of the border emission adjustment mechanism that we will put on the plate in June.

The United States and the European Union will face different challenges in the transition towards the goal of carbon neutrality. While the European Union has to import energy for half of its needs, the United States has begun to export more energy than it imports. Beyond these differences, we have a common agenda and we must undertake common reforms. We also share the same concern: the transition must be just and equitable to avoid penalizing our citizens, our workers and our industries. This is why we need to strengthen cooperation between us and work together to make our energy systems cleaner, take additional measures to green our financial systems, introduce zero-emission vehicles and accelerate the renovation of buildings.

This decade will be crucial for the fight against climate change! The climate crisis has no political colors, no borders, and no vaccine will protect us from its impact. We, European politicians, CEOs, trade associations, trade unions and research institutes, urge the United States to translate its ambitions into reality by adopting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030 ( compared to 2005 levels).

We can build on our long common history and this new shared vision to create a global movement and accompany the transformation of our societies towards a new model of prosperity. With zero-emission economies and preserved biodiversity, we have the potential to create jobs and improve the quality of life of our citizens. We have the opportunity to build a new transatlantic cooperation with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality at the center.

We therefore call on the United States to be as bold and ambitious as we have been with the European Green Deal and we will strive to cooperate better so that we can move forward along this path. It is a unique opportunity, we must not miss it!

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Signatories:

Pascal Canfin, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament;

Jon Abrahamsson Ring, CEO of Inter Ikea Group;

Nikos Avlonas, presidente del Centre for Sustainability and Excellence;

Bertrand Badré, CEO of Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital, former CEO of the World Bank;

Jean-Louis Bal, presidente del Ser (Syndicate of renewable energies);

Julie Beaufils, general secretary of EuropeOn (European Association of Electrician Installers);

Christophe Beck, CEO of Ecolab;

Marc Berg, CEO of the Free Now Group;

Stéphane Bijoux, European parliamentarian of the Renew Europe group;

Dr. ing. Leonhard Birnbaum, managing director of E.On;

Gilles Boyer, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Matt Brittin, president of Emea Business & Operations Google;

Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group (Ikea);

Sylvie Brunet, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Thomas Buberl, managing director of Axa;

Christopher Burghardt, president of ChargeUp Europe;

Delara Burkhardt, MEP from the Socialists and Democrats Group;

Bertrand Camus, managing director of Suez;

Catherine Chabaud, MEP from the Renew Europe Group;

Mohammed Chahim, European liar of the Socialists and Democrats group;

Olivier Chastel, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the Lego Group;

Armond Cohen, executive director of the Clean Air Task Force;

Omar Cordes, CEO of Ownership Capital;

Paul-Adrien Cormerais, CEO of Pony;

Pierre-André de Chalendar, CEO of Saint Gobain;

Pascal Demurger, CEO of Maif;

Massimo di Tria, investment director of the Cattolica Insurance Company;

Sandrine Dixson-Declève, co-president of the Club di Roma;

Philippe Donnet, managing director of Assicurazioni Generali;

Pascal Durand, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Bas Eickhout, MEP from the Greens / Ale group;

Fabienne Keller, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Laurence Farreng, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of NextChem and CEO of the Maire Tecnimont Group;

Antoine Frerot, CEO of Veolia;

Ignacio S. Galán, president and CEO of Iberdola SA;

Michel Giannuzzi, president and managing director of Verallia;

Jean-Pierre Grimaud, managing director of Ofi Am;

Catherine Guillouard, CEO of the RATP;

Lars Hanseid, president of Emea, 3M Company;

Bjørn Kjærand Haugland, Administrative Delegate of the Shift Business Climate Leaders;

Gerbrand Haverkamp, ​​executive director of the World Benchmarking Alliance;

Valérie Hayer, MEP from the Renew Europe Group;

Helena Helmersson, managing director of the H&M Group;

Martin Hojsik, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Peter Hug, direttore generale di eu.bac (European Building Automation and Controls Manufacturers Association);

Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive of Polestar;

Alan Jope, chief executive officer of Unilever;

John Keppler, CEO of Enviva;

Christoph Klein, managing partner of Esg Portfolio Management;

Michaela Koller, general manager of Insurance Europe;

Nikos Koumettis, president of Coca-Cola for Europe;

Gregory Labrousse, managing director of namR;

Pascal Lamy, coordinator of the Delors Institutes (Paris, Berlin, Brussels);

Christian Levin, president and managing director of Scania CV AB;

Jean Bernard Lévy, president and CEO of Edf;

Peter Liese, MEP from the EPP group;

Javi López, MEP from the Socialists and Democrats Gauthier Louette group, president and CEO of Spie;

César Luena, MEP from the Socialists and Democrats Group;

Thierry Mallet, president of the UTP, managing director of the Transdev Group;

Andrea Mariani, director of the Pegaso Fund;

Karen Melchior, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Silvia Melegari, general secretary of the CEI-Bois;

Dirk Meuleman, CEO of Phenix Capital;

Iskra Mihaylova, European parliamentarian and vice-president of the Renew Europe group;

Jan Monster, president and CEO of Lkab (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag);

Manfred Mühlberger, president of Ecopreneur.eu;

Frédéric Nadal, managing director of Mv Credit;

Sabine Nallinger, general manager of Foundation 2 ° – German companies for climate protection;

Jutta Paulus, European parliamentarian from the Greens / Ale group;

Diego Pavia, managing director of Eit InnoEnergy;

Yves Perrier, managing director of Amundi;

Morten Helveg Petersen, European parliamentarian of the group Renew Europe / Radikale Venstre;

Bertrand Piccard, president of the Solar Impulse Foundation;

Tonino Picula, European parliamentarian of the Socialists and Democrats group, rapporteur of the European Parliament for the United States;

Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP from the EPP group;

Paul Polman, president of Imagine; Henri Poupart-Lafarge, managing director of Alstom;

Luc Prayssac, CEO of Rair (Network of Directors for Responsible Investment);

Jürgen Reinert, managing director of Sma Solar Technology AG;

Thomas Reynaert, CEO of Airlines for Europe A4E;

Éric Rondolat, CEO of Signify;

Giuseppe Santoro, president of Inarcassa;

Günther Schiendl, member of the executive committee of the Vbv Pensionskasse;

Annamaria Seganti, board member of the Cassa Forense;

Jean-Dominique Senard, chairman of the Renault board of directors;

Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel;

Markus Steilemann, CEO of Covestro;

Ana Struna Bregar, managing director of Cer – Sustainable Business Network Slovenia;

Irène Tolleret, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Enrique Tombas Navarro, CEO of Suma Capital Sgeic SA;

Nils Torvalds, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Costas Travasaros, president of Solar Heat Europe / Estif;

Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, MEP from the Renew Europe group;

Pierre Valentin, managing director of Ecofi Investissements;

Maarten van Dijk, chief executive of SkyNrg;

Peter Vanacker, president and chief executive officer of Neste Corp .;

Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, MEP from the Renew Europe Group, Vice-President of the International Trade Commission;

Víctor Viñuales, executive director of Ecodes;

Michael Villa, executive director of smartEn;

Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation;

Andrea Voigt, general manager of the Epee;

Pernille Weiss, MEP from the EPP group;

Eliot Whittington, director of the Corporate Leaders Groups;

Philippe Zaouati, managing director of Mirova.

(Translation by Fabio Galimberti)