December 2012 – Europe’s policy leaders at all levels of the political ladder – from the EU institutions to the member states – are confronted daily with short-term economic challenges. As a result, sustainability and climate issues are often set aside, and leadership is waning.
In this piece, former Director of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s EU office, Sandrine Dixson-Declève outlines the current status of sustainability issues among the corridors of power in the EU, including the regional challenge of Central & Eastern European integration. With many political leaders preoccupied by the Eurozone crisis, she argues that now is the time for business to take a lead role, deploying its influence to create the space for policymakers to act.