More than 200 leading businesses urge UK Government to deliver clean, inclusive and resilient recovery plan
1 June 2020 – More than 200 leading UK businesses, investors and business networks, including Lloyds Bank, Asda, Siemens, Aviva, Sky, Mitsubishi and Signify are calling on the Government to deliver a Covid-19 recovery plan that builds back a more inclusive, stronger and more resilient UK economy.
In an open letter, CEOs from across the economy have offered support to the Government in tackling the present health crisis, and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide clear vision for recovery efforts that align with the UK's wider social, environmental and climate goals.
Read the letter in full
The letter, signed by 213 businesses, investors and business networks, states: ‘With the UK facing major economic and social concerns including the risk of high unemployment and rising regional inequality, we believe that an ambitious low carbon growth and environmental improvement agenda can do a lot to address these concerns, as well as make the UK economy better prepared to deal with future shocks such as those related to climate change.
‘[...] The current crisis, in moving us all away from business-as-usual, has already created shifts in how we operate, and we believe we must use the recovery to accelerate the transition to net zero. Efforts to rescue and repair the economy in response to the current crisis can and should be aligned with the UK's legislated target of net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.’
The signatories come from both multi-national and national businesses, across industry sectors, including energy, finance, consumer goods, retail, construction, water and communication.
The business and investment networks supporting this initiative include The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group (CLG), the Aldersgate Group, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Business in the Community (BITC), the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and the Climate Group.
Together they have called on the UK to deliver a clean, just recovery, that creates quality employment and builds a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient UK economy for the future with a plan that can:
- Drive investment in low carbon innovation, infrastructure and industries, as well as improved resilience to future environmental risks;
- Focus support on sectors and activities that can best support sustainable growth, increased job creation and accelerate both the recovery and the decarbonisation of the economy;
- Include within financial support packages measures to ensure receiving businesses are well managed and their strategies are science based and aligned with national climate goals.
The signatories acknowledge the climate leadership of the UK and call for continued ambition to drive action towards next year's COP26 summit and the G7, which will both be hosted in the UK.
António Horta-Osório, Group Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group said: "We have all experienced the devastating effect that Covid-19 has had on our families, communities and businesses. We must make this experience count by working together to tackle the impacts of climate change. Financial Services has an important role to play, working with others to finance the solutions that will accelerate progress. That’s why we’re supporting this call to put low carbon growth at the centre of the economic recovery. Working together we can build a cleaner, greener and more resilient economy for the whole of the UK."
Colin Matthews, Non-Executive Chairman, EDF Energy said: “There’ll be no healthy economy without a healthy population and a healthy planet. Investment to rebuild Britain after coronavirus should be aligned with industries and projects that support net zero. Prioritising investment in new low carbon infrastructure and energy projects will unlock high-quality jobs and investment in towns and regions that have been hardest hit by the crisis.”
Peter Simpson, CEO, Anglian Water Group said: "The need to rebuild our economy post-Covid-19 presents us not simply with an opportunity to create a fairer, more sustainable future, but a responsibility to do so. We stand ready to work with government to build back better."
Roger Burnley, President and CEO, Asda, said: “This crisis has upended the way we do business, even for those of us that have continued to trade, but in recovery there is always opportunity. Our new normal must be one that is more sustainable and more resilient to the challenges of climate change than before, and it is incumbent on all businesses and government to work together to make this happen.”
Dr Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors said: “We believe the UK government should help generate a sustainable recovery to accelerate delivery of the country’s net zero carbon commitments. Investors have an important role to play in financing a greener and more sustainable future. The UK government must ensure that the right incentives are in place so that finance flows to where it can be most effective for a sustainable economy.”
Heidi Mottram CBE, Chief Executive, Northumbrian Water Group said: "As a company committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2027, we are determined to take on the opportunity to build back better. Achieving this ambition is a challenge we are best placed to tackle if we work together, sharing experience and ideas, so that everyone benefits, and so does the environment. Our passion for the environment does not start and finish with our own operations – we can change the fundamentals of our economy for the better and we are determined to support that effort.”
Joao Pola, UKI CEO at Signify said: “The only sustainable recovery is a green recovery which centre-stages climate action. This will result in positive job creation whilst reducing the risk and impact of the potentially much bigger climate crisis. Let’s take our responsibility and accelerate climate action now.”
Keith Anderson, CEO, ScottishPower said: “Economic and environmental objectives are aligned today as never before, highlighting the urgent need for a green recovery to the current crisis. The UK Government’s recovery plan should recognise this and put us on track to deliver the 2050 climate target. As the first integrated energy company in the UK to generate 100% renewable electricity we are ready to accelerate our investment in powering a clean recovery that helps create jobs, support communities and tackle the climate crisis.”
John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid said: “We’ve estimated that the energy sector alone will need hundreds of thousands of new recruits as we work towards Net Zero and believe that an economic recovery with climate action at its heart will be key to unlocking these opportunities.”
Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC UK, said: "The health of people, our planet and the economy go hand in hand. Rather than competing priorities, they can and should be treated together. We have a unique opportunity to integrate climate action into recovery plans to create lasting change."
Simon Litherland, CEO, Britvic plc said: “We are living through challenging times and I am constantly amazed and humbled by the strength and humanity people are showing every day, especially our front-line workers in the NHS, our care homes, and in vital industries. As we plan our recovery, we have the opportunity to work together to drive lasting change. The empathy and resilience the whole country has shown in recent months can be channelled into creating a healthier planet for all. At Britvic, we want to be part of that change for good, and we will do all we can to work with government and industry to drive it forward.”
Liz Barber, CEO, Yorkshire Water said: “A sustainable economy and environment is critical to the short- and long-term wellbeing of every community. It doesn’t have to be a hard choice; I see lots of opportunities which would rebuild the economy at the same time as helping the vulnerable, securing the stable climate and protecting the natural environment. The plan for the City of Hull by the Living With Water partnership is a great example. Working together we can grow our resilience for the long term and ‘build back better'."
Bevis Watts, CEO, Triodos Bank UK said: “We now have a window of opportunity, as we seek to overcome the challenges of the coronavirus crisis. Government support for a recovery should seek to increase resilience across all areas of society and focus on shaping a more inclusive and low carbon economy. The pandemic has further highlighted a range of social inequalities and environmental issues that we must address. We need collaborative action to develop an economy linked to societal health and environmental limits, and require our financial sector to support that.”
Anne Marie Verstraeten, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas said: “Our actions today will shape progress on climate change in decades to come. We must remain focussed on creating a greener, fairer and more resilient economy. As a sustainable bank, committed to accompanying our clients as they transition towards a low-carbon economy, we are proud to stand with other UK leaders supporting today’s call to action."
Thierry Garnier, CEO, Kingfisher plc said: “UK companies stand ready to help the government realise its 2050 zero carbon target. A key part of this requires the UK to deliver zero-carbon homes at scale. Around 80% of the UK’s housing stock for 2050 is already built, however the quality of many of our older, poorly insulated housing remains a major issue. This has a negative impact on peoples’ lives and incurs additional costs on our public services, especially health. At a time when our homes, our communities and our welfare have never been more important, we strongly support investing in better housing for all, especially in areas such as insulation and low carbon heating. This will help our climate change goals and support our economic recovery by creating new job opportunities nationwide.”
Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens UK said: “Siemens has always been at the forefront of decarbonisation technologies, I firmly believe that achieving a green economic recovery, supported by both policy and public investment, will lead to job creation across the UK and long-term economic success. Now is the time for us all to take the leap from this uncertainty and create a well-balanced, sustainable economy that will flourish.”
Deane Flint, Branch President, Mitsubishi Electric Europe said: "Uncertain times often result in dynamic change for the betterment of society; and despite the evident challenges that 2020 and the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 will bring to the Global economy, we at Mitsubishi Electric believe that an increased focus on innovative technology is now more important than ever. We remain committed to not only producing products and services that work towards the Government’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but through the impact of the present crisis on the UK we predict an accelerated alignment between the ‘new normal’ and a shift to greener technology, the long term opportunities of which are limitless."
Keith Skeoch, CEO, Standard Life Aberdeen plc said: "We must strive to re-build in a way that benefits all in society, now and for future generations – creating economic growth that supports jobs and a cleaner recovery. As investors that consider ESG factors, we see it as vital in creating a resilient economy, managing long-term risks and creating real opportunities."
David Hynam, CEO, Bupa Global & UK: “At Bupa we’re committed to supporting a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery effort for the UK. We will continue to prioritise creating high quality opportunities that are open to people from all backgrounds. We’ll also continue our efforts to achieve net zero emissions.”
Leendert Den Hollander, Vice President and General Manager, Great Britain, Coca-Cola European Partners said: “Our commitment to putting sustainability at the heart of our business is more important than ever. The work we are doing to reduce carbon and help our climate is critical as society seeks a sustainable recovery from the impact of the Coronavirus. The long-term role we’ve established in our communities means we will work side by side with NGOs, customers and community partners to rebuild as restrictions ease. I am proud of the progress we have made in the areas of water, carbon and packaging, but we know there is much more to do. We will continue to listen to our stakeholders, collaborate with our partners and invest in innovation, driving towards a better future for our business, for people and for the planet.”
Chris Ireland, CEO, JLL, a member of the UKGBC, said: "We have ourselves made an ambitious commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2030 and the COVID crisis has only deepened our conviction to accelerate net zero delivery. Now more than ever, we need strong leadership and swift action from Government to ensure we are rebuilding UK’s economy in a sustainable, fair and inclusive way. The transition to net zero presents the biggest opportunity to drive sustainable growth while building long-term resilience."
David Partridge, Senior Partner of Argent and Chairman of Argent Related, and Chair of the Board of Trustees at UKGBC said: “The threat of a global pandemic has demonstrated the measures Governments, businesses and individuals will put in place to protect lives. As we slowly emerge from this crisis, it’s critical that we again all work together to ensure that we commit to a sustainable and resilient recovery plan which addresses the ever-present and equally urgent matter of climate change.”
Meryam Omi, Head of Sustainability and Responsible Investment Strategy, Legal & General Investment Management said: “The UK Government is understandably focusing on the present crisis, however, they must heed the dangers of reacting too late to threats and remember one of the gravest in the world - the climate emergency. With implications for decades, what decisions policymakers take now will decide the success of the UK’s ambitious net zero target. Now is not the time to shy away from bold policy steps. Developing and implementing an ambitious ‘green’ recovery package, with clear pathways for companies to build aligned strategies and for investors to direct capital into ‘green’ projects at scale is now matter of necessity, not choice."
Andy Wales, Chief Digital Impact and Sustainability Officer at BT said: “At BT, we have long recognised the importance of setting ambitious carbon reduction targets, and we’re using our influence, technology and reach to inspire and enable others to do the same and help tackle the climate emergency. Government, businesses and policymakers must put action on climate at the heart of their efforts to revive the economy - working together to create a more sustainable, resilient, low carbon economy.”
Eliot Whittington, Director, The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group - coordinating organisation for the letter to the Prime Minister - said: “The UK needs a strong, sustainable economy able to withstand future shocks, and the Prime Minister’s plans to support a recovery after the Coronavirus pandemic must be cost-effective and focussed on building back better. The evidence is clear that a clean, resilient recovery is best for jobs, business, society and our environment.”
In May last year, over 120 leading UK businesses, investors and business networks, called on the UK Government to put climate neutrality by 2050 into legislation. Click here to read their open letter, addressed to former Prime Minister Theresa May.
Signatories
Ron Cowley, CEO, Active Building Centre
- Amanda Stevenson, Director, Adapt Sustainability Consulting Ltd
- Alan Lusty, CEO, adi Group
- David Barwell, Chief Executive, UK & Ireland, AECOM
- Oliver Mendelsohn, CEO, Akustak® (Cusp London Ltd)
- Alistair McAuley, Managing Director UK & Ireland, AkzoNobel
- Nick Molho, Executive Director, Aldersgate Group
- Martin Clark, CEO, Allia Impact
- Naomi Pendleton, Groups Sustainability Director, AM FRESH Group
- Peter Simpson, Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group, and Co-Chair, The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group
- Stuart McLachlan, CEO, Anthesis Group
- Jack Harvie-Clark, Director, Apex Acoustics Ltd
- David Partridge, Senior Partner, Argent LLP, and Chair of the Board of Trustees, UKGBC
- Dominic Kirby, Managing Director, ArgoGlobal
- Nigel Tonks, Director, Arup
- Roger Burnley, President and CEO, ASDA
- Jason Sibthorpe, President (UK), Avison Young
- Colm Holmes, Global CEO, General Insurance, Aviva
- Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors
- Tony Bartlett, Head of Business Finance & Pensions, Avon Pension Fund
- James Wimpenny, Chief Executive, BAM Construct UK Ltd.
- Adrian Savory, CEO, BAM Nuttall
- Jon Eaglesham, Managing Director, Barr Gazetas
- David Thomas, CEO, Barratt Developments PLC
- Jack Bowles, Chief Executive, BAT
- Peter Fisher, Director, Bennetts Associates
- Steve Burr, Director, Black Architecture
- Tim Robinson, Managing Director, Blue Tile Property Consultants Ltd
- Kristi Mitchem, CEO, BMO Global Asset Management
- Anne Marie Verstraeten, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas
- Rob Bradley, CEO, Bouygues UK
- Peter Mather, Group Regional President, Europe, and Head of Country, UK, BP plc
- Philip Law, Director General, British Plastics Federation
- Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation
- Simon Litherland, CEO, Britvic plc
- Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive, Bruntwood
- Morten Nilsson, CEO, BT Pension Scheme Management Limited
- Andy Wales, Chief Digital Impact and Sustainability Officer, BT plc
- TJ Doubleday, CFO, Burger King UK
- David Hynam, CEO, Bupa Global & UK
- Neil Squibbs, CEO, Buro Happold
- Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Executive, Business in the Community
- Paul Margetts, Chairman of the Country Board, Capgemini UK plc
- Jon Lewis, CEO, Capita plc
- Peter Hugh Smith, Chief Executive, CCLA
- Paul Simpson, CEO, CDP
- Sergio Menendez, President, CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA)
- David Palmer, CEO, Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church
- Richard Hookway, Chief Executive, Centrica Business
- Gareth Mostyn, Chief Executive, Church Commissioners for England
- John Ball, Chief Executive, Church of England Pensions Board
- Leendert Den Hollander, Vice President and General Manager, Great Britain, Coca-Cola European Partners
- Tim Attwood, Managing Director, Conisbee
- Dougie Sutherland, CEO, Cory Riverside Energy
- Alex Vaughan, CEO, Costain Group PLC
- Peter Flavel, CEO, Coutts
- Steve Foots, Group Chief Executive, Croda International Plc
- Phil Oram, Regional Director UK and Ireland, Crown Workspace Ltd
- Tomas Neeson, Managing Partner, Cundall
- Simon Norie, Managing Director, Custerian
- James Pearson, Managing Director, Danone UK & Ireland
- David Morley, Founding Partner, David Morley Architects
- Liam Cowell, UK Managing Partner, DLA Piper UK
- Rachel Hill, CEO, Dragon Capital Markets (Europe) Limited
- Michael Lewis, CEO, E.ON UK
- Gordon Power, CEO & Chief Investment Officer, Earth Capital Limited
- Stuart Lemmon, CEO, EcoAct
- Paul Ellis, Chief Executive, Ecology Building Society
- Peter Madden, Director, Ecovivid
- Sue Round, CEO, EdenTree Investment Management Ltd
- Colin Matthews, Non-Executive Chairman, EDF Energy, and Co-Chair, The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group
- Peter Emery, CEO, Electricity North West
- Adrian Curry, Managing Director, Encirc Ltd
- Nicola Lovett, CEO, ENGIE
- Aidan Bell, MD, EnviroBuild
- Emma Howard Boyd, Chair, Environment Agency
- Robert Gould, Chair, Environment Agency Pensions Committee, Environment Agency Pension Fund
- Richard Speak, Co-Founder, Environmental Finance
- Bill Clark, Owner and Director, EnviroSteel Limited
- David Palmer, CEO, Epworth Investment Management Ltd
- Chris Bennett, Managing Director, EVORA Global
- Chris Taylor, CEO Hermes Real Estate & Head of Private Markets, Federated Hermes
- Elliot Lipton, Managing Director, First Base
- Chris Turpin, MD EMEA, First State Investments
- Ian Wright CBE, Chief Executive, Food and Drink Federation
- Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner, FORE Partnership
- Nick James, Founder, Futureground
- Joost Bergsma, CEO, Glennmont Partners
- Helen Gordon, Chief Executive, Grainger plc
- Councillor Brenda Warrington, Chair, Greater Manchester Pension Fund Management
- Roger Whiteside, CEO, Greggs plc
- Kirsten Lees, Managing Partner, Grimshaw
- James Raynor, Chief Executive, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland
- Ben Spencer, Managing Director, GS8
- Robert Spittle, Director, Guest Motors Limited
- Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO, Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited
- Luke Bullen, CEO, UK & Ireland, Gympass
- John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow Airport
- Les Montgomery, Chief Executive, Highland Spring Group
- Jon Lovell, Co-Founder, Hillbreak
- Lisa Young-Harry, CEO, HSBC Bank Pension Trust (UK) Ltd
- Nicolas Moreau, CEO, HSBC Global Asset Management
- Ian Stuart, CEO, HSBC UK
- Steve Sharratt, Group CEO, IBMS Group Limited
- Richard Walker, Managing Director, Iceland Foods
- Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland
- Paul Vanston, CEO, Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment - INCPEN
- Martin Baxter, Chief Policy Advisor, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)
- Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change
- Nigel Stansfield, President EAAA, Interface
- Andrew Tucker, CEO, Irwin Mitchell
- Chris Ireland, UK CEO, JLL UK
- Robert MacLeod, CEO, Johnson Matthey
- Paul Dipino, Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Homes
- Dean Gilfillan, General Manager, JTI UK
- Thierry Garnier, CEO, Kingfisher plc
- Ralph Mannion, Managing Director - Great Britain & Ireland, Kingspan Insulation Ltd GB & I
- Mark Neill, Managing Director, Landmarc Support Services Ltd
- Meryam Omi, Head of Sustainable and Responsible Investing, Legal & General Investment Management
- Neil Martin, CEO, Lendlease Europe
- Mike Watson, CEO, LGPS Central Limited
- António Horta-Osório, Group Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group
- Chris Rule, CEO, Local Pensions Partnership Investments Limited
- Robert Branagh, CEO, London Pensions Fund Authority
- Roy Bedlow, Chief Executive, Low Carbon
- Simon Crowe, Managing Director, Low Carbon Alliance
- Ken Shuttleworth, CEO & Founder, Make Architects
- Phil Armitage, Director, Max Fordham LLP
- Robert Lambe, Managing Director, Melius Homes Limited
- Chris Smith, Managing Director, Michelin Tyre PLC
- Deane Flint, Branch President, MEU-UK & IRE, Mitsubishi Electric
- Chris Dijk, CEO, Modomo Ltd
- Robert Little, Partner, MSS Group
- Callum Tuckett, COO, Multiplex Europe
- Paul Bresnan, Managing Director, MWH Treatment Ltd
- John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid
- Joe Garner, Chief Executive, Nationwide Building Society
- Tony Juniper, Chair, Natural England
- Kinvara Carey, General Manager, Natural Source Waters Association
- Sam Laidlaw, Executive Chairman, Neptune Energy
- Julia Szajdzicka, Managing Director, Northern Design Electronics T/A ND Metering Solutions
- David Murphy, Chief Executive and Secretary, Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee
- Heidi Mottram CBE, Chief Executive, Northumbrian Water Group
- David Fairbrother, Managing Director, NSR Management Ltd
- Robert Cullum, Managing Director, Pacific Produce
- Gary Tipper, Managing Partner, Palatine Private Equity
- James Perry, Executive Director, Panahpur
- John Fallon, Chief Executive, Pearson plc
- Neil Lees, Managing Director, Peel L&P
- Jack Broadley, Founder and Owner, Pelorus Consulting
- Sunand Prasad, Principal, Penoyre & Prasad
- Andy Briggs, CEO, Phoenix Group Holdings Plc
- Richard Foley, Senior Partner, Pinsent Masons
- Kevin Ellis, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC UK
- Mathew Riley, Managing Director, Ramboll UK Limited
- Paul Stockton, CEO, Rathbone Brothers Plc
- Alison Rose, CEO, RBS Group
- Andrew Foulds, Managing Director, Redevco UK Limited
- Darryl Matthews, Managing Director, ROCKWOOL Ltd
- Barry O'Dwyer, Group CEO, Royal London Group
- Paul Smith, Executive Vice President & General Manager, UK&I, Salesforce
- Nathan Bostock, CEO, Santander UK plc
- Mike Hughes, President, UK and Ireland, Schneider Electric
- Antonio Lorenzo, CEO, Scottish Widows Group Limited
- Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, ScottishPower
- Liv Garfield, Chief Executive, Severn Trent Plc
- Brian Bickell, CEO, Shaftesbury plc
- Sinead Lynch, Chair, Shell UK Limited
- Alan Shingler, Partner & Chairman, Sheppard Robson LLP
- Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens GB&I
- Joao Pola, CEO, Signify UKI
- Nicola Stopps, CEO, Simply Sustainable Ltd
- Kent Jackson, Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Europe) LLP
- Jeremy Darroch, Group CEO, Sky Group
- Mark Smith, Chief Executive, Southern Co-op
- Claire Fenwick, Managing Director, Spatial Dimensions
- Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive, SSE
- Keith Skeoch, Chief Executive, Standard Life Aberdeen plc
- Diba Salam, Principal & Founder, StudioDS
- John Scanlon, CEO, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd
- Rosie Sweetman, Director, Sweetmans and Partners
- Tavaziva Madzinga, CEO UK&I, Swiss Re
- Mark Evans, CEO, Telefonica UK (O2)
- Jon Di-Stefano, CEO, Telford Homes
- Rebecca Pearce, Director, Territorio Ltd
- Dave Lewis, CEO, Tesco
- Alistair Allison, Managing Partner, TFT
- Ian Marchant, Interim Executive Chairman, Thames Water
- Helen Clarkson, CEO, The Climate Group
- Saker Nusseibeh, CEO, The International Business of Federated Hermes
- Eliot Whittington, Director, The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group
- Andrew Brown, Chair, The William Leech Foundation Limited
- Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway
- Bevis Watts, CEO, Triodos Bank UK
- Chris Twinn, Principal, Twinn Sustainability Innovation
- Julie Hirigoyen, CEO, UK Green Building Council
- Sebastian Munden, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Unilever UK & Ireland
- Brett Lankester, UK CEO, Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA
- Simon Pilcher, CEO, USS Investment Management
- Gavin Graveson, Executive Vice-President, Veolia UK and Ireland
- Dave Worthington, Managing Director, Verco
- Jakob Sigurdsson, CEO, Victrex plc
- Louise Kjellerup Roper, CEO, Volans
- Graham Edwards, CEO, Wales & West Utilities Limited
- Nick Taylor, Chief Executive, Waterman Group
- Simon Griffin, Dealer Principal, Watts Truck & Van Limited
- María Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business
- Mario Mazzocchi, Group CEO, Wesleyan
- Councillor Andrew Thornton, Chair, Investment Advisory Panel and Joint Advisory Group, West Yorkshire Pension Fund
- George Latham, Managing Partner, WHEB Asset Management
- Rick Willmott, Group Chief Executive, Willmott Dixon
- Andrew Bell, Chief Executive, Witan Investment Trust
- Paul Tremble, Chief Strategy Officer, WSP
- Liz Barber, CEO, Yorkshire Water
Coordinating business groups
The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) brings together executives from a cross-section of UK industry to accelerate progress towards a low carbon, sustainable economy. Through cross-fertilisation of ideas and influential conversations with policymakers and peers, the CLG advocates forward-looking solutions that build a resilient and prosperous future. The CLG is convened by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
The Aldersgate Group is an alliance of leaders from business, politics and civil society that drives action for a sustainable economy. Our members include some of the largest businesses in the UK with a collective global turnover of nearly £600bn, leading NGOs, professional institutes, public sector bodies, trade associations and politicians from across the political spectrum. Our mission is to trigger the change in policy required to address environmental challenges effectively and secure economic benefits for the UK in doing so.
The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) is the European membership body for investor collaboration on climate change and the voice of investors taking action for a prosperous, low-carbon future. IIGCC has more than 230 members, mainly pension funds and asset managers, across 16 countries, with over €30 trillion in assets under management. Our mission is to mobilise capital for the low-carbon transition and to ensure resilience to the impacts of a changing climate by collaborating with business, policy makers and fellow investors. IIGCC works to support and help define the public policies, investment practices and corporate behaviours that address the long-term risks and opportunities associated with climate change. Members consider it a fiduciary duty to ensure stranded asset risk or other losses from climate change are minimised and that opportunities presented by the transition to a low-carbon economy – such as renewable energy, new technologies and energy efficiency – are maximised.
UKGBC is an industry-led network with a mission to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment. A charity with over 400 member organisations spanning the entire value chain, we represent the voice of the industry’s current and future leaders who are striving for transformational change. We inspire, challenge and empower our members, helping them to identify and adopt the most sustainable, viable solutions. We also engage our members in advocating a progressive message to government, informing and influencing policy.
CDP is a global non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Voted number one climate research provider by investors and working with institutional investors with assets of US$106 trillion, we leverage investor and buyer power to motivate companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Over 8,400 companies with over 50% of global market capitalization disclosed environmental data through CDP in 2019. This is in addition to the over 920 cities, states and regions who disclosed, making CDP’s platform one of the richest sources of information globally on how companies and governments are driving environmental change. CDP is a founding member of the We Mean Business Coalition.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the UK food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in the country. The UK food and drink industry accounts for 19% of the total manufacturing sector by turnover and employs over 430,000 people in the UK across 7,400 businesses. We are an incredibly diverse sector, speaking on behalf of global brands and thriving small businesses.
Business in the Community is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. We were created nearly 40 years ago by HRH The Prince of Wales to champion responsible business. We have over 700 members, many of which are the UK's largest employers and a significant number of the FTSE100. We inspire, engage and challenge members and we mobilise that collective strength as a force for good in society to:
- Develop a skilled and inclusive workforce for today and tomorrow;
- Build thriving communities where people want to live and work;
- Innovate to sustain and repair our planet.
The Climate Group’s mission is to accelerate climate action to achieve a world of no more than 1.5°C of global warming and greater prosperity for all. We do this by bringing together powerful networks of business and governments that shift global markets and policies. We focus on the greatest global opportunities for change, take innovation and solutions to scale, and build ambition and pace. We are an international non-profit organization, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition.