Letter to CEOs everywhere

 

15 June 2020

To CEOs everywhere,

This year, the first in the ‘decade of action’ to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, should have seen strides towards  a new deal for nature and people that protects the natural resources we all depend on.   The international policy forums on nature and climate have been postponed to next year, but the issues they will focus on remain critically important today.

Currently, over  half the world's  GDP, $44 trillion of economic value, is exposed  to risks from  nature loss. Before Coronavirus, the need to create more resilient economies and societies was clear, now it is inescapable.  Healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses rely on nature. 

The natural  resources  and ecosystems that power  your  businesses and  underpin  the  economies  and communities you are part of  are under huge strain.  The global pandemic has forced all of us to rethink the world we want to live in. Many of you have already shared and supported ideas for how we rebuild our economy and society. We now also need to emphasize that  nature  is the  beating heart  of a ‘green recovery’  and  the  foundation  to  ‘build back better’.   

Many companies are already making nature a priority through the way they sustainably use natural resources across their supply chains, create clean jobs, and produce greener products. Now, those leadership efforts need to be scaled up through further voluntary action complemented by ambitious, transformative government policy. This is in line with what  scientists  tell  us is needed to mitigate climate change and  for  the world  to  thrive within nature’s limits.  

As political leaders plan the path out of this crisis, they must hear from business leaders that a healthy natural world remains a critical priority. We look to you, the leaders of companies, to add your voice to those speaking up for nature  and people.  

Nature  is everyone's business. Add your voice to ours and support Business for Nature’s call on governments to adopt policies now to reverse nature loss in this decade.    

Yours sincerely, 

Diane Holdorf, Managing Director, Food & Nature, World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) 

Majda Dabaghi, Director, Inclusive & Green Growth, International Chamber of Commerce 

Dr. María Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business 

Eva Zabey, Executive Director, Business for Nature 

Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition 

Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF 

Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Acting Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 

Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy 

Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry 

Claire Tutenuit, Director, Entreprises pour l’Environnement – act4nature international 

Ms. Lila Karbassi, Chief of Programmes, United Nations Global Compact  

Naoko Ishili, CEO and Chairperson, The Global Environment Facility (GEF) 

Jessica Fries, Executive Chairman, Accounting for Sustainability 

Pascal Bunk, Deputy Chairman, ‘Biodiversity in Good Company' Initiative

Mardi McBrien, Managing Director, Climate Disclosure Standards Board

Dr. Sally Uren, OBE, Chief Executive, Forum for the Future

Sandra Brandt, Director, International Platform for Insetting (IPI) 

Rolf Hogan, Executive Director, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)

Adrian Greet, Director General, SAI Platform 

Ana Gargollo, AMEBIN Secretariat, Alianza Mexicana de Biodiversidad y Negocios (AMEBIN) 

Andrew Petersen, CEO, BCSD Australia

João Wengorovius Meneses, Secretary-General, BCSD Portugal 

Mikko Routti, Chief Executive, CR Network FIBS

Marzena Strzelczak, President of the Board, Responsible Business Forum in Poland

Germán Granda, Director General, Forética 

Maria van der Heijden, Director General, MVO 

Olmar Albers, CEO, öbu  

Ioannis Paniaras, President, SEV-BCSD Greece 

Marie Delvaulx, Director, The Shift 

Margaret O'Gorman, President, Wildlife HC 

Erin Billman, Executive Director, Science Based Targets Network

Paul Simpson, CEO, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)