Coalitions are an important driver to enable progress in the field of environmental progression

I am very pleased to succeed Jean-Dominique Senard as chairman of “Entreprises pour l'Environnement” (EpE). Mr Senard made a strong commitment during his term of office to encourage the contribution of the 40 or so large French and international companies, from all sectors of the economy, that make up this association.

The EpE is indeed a unique place, a genuine space for reflection, consultation and action for companies that consider the environment above all an opportunity for progress. 

Two structural initiatives have recently been carried out by EpE that illustrate this ambitious vision, and the role that French companies can and will play in environmental matters: act4nature on biodiversity and ZEN 2050 on carbon neutrality.

Launched in July 2018 to commemorate EpE's 25th anniversary, act4natureaims to create a genuine shared international momentum, through the involvement of CEOs from all sectors, to protect, enhance and restore biodiversity. A total of 65 companies participated and unveiled about ten collective commitments, as well as further individual, quantified and time-positioned commitments.

EpE's second recent initiative provides us with some keys to another emergency: climate change. A few days ago, a feasibility study called ZEN (Zéro Emission Nette / Zero Net Emissions) 2050 was published. This study is the result of a collective effort by 27 large French companies, which, along with stakeholders and experts, identified key areas to act on the initiative launched by the French Government in 2017: achieve carbon neutrality in France by 2050. The conclusion of this study is that yes, it is possible to achieve this carbon neutrality in France, and there are several ways to do so.

As I am going to hold this post for three years, these collective initiatives reassure me of this conviction formed over time: on this environmental issue, as on other global issues, we will only achieve our objective through coalitions- companies, public authorities, associations, citizens - where everyone is driven by the same desire to act positively for the common good.

Within these coalitions, as we well know, companies in particular are expected to play a role. Throughout the 20thcentury, they helped to improve people's living conditions. In the 21st century, they have a duty to combine service to their customers with resolute action for the environment. Through the solutions they provide, and the financing and investments that they provide, companies can provide approaches that transform our economy into one that is sustainable and inclusive, that reviews and updates our models of production and consumption, and, ultimately, our ways of living in a broader sense: Mobility, habitat, food, etc. 

At EpE, companies work together and share best practices to continuously and increasingly integrate the environment into their strategic decisions, as well as their day-to-day management. They now cover many parts of our economy, although I believe that sectors such as IT and food processing deserve greater representation. In addition, our partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) contributes both to bringing our discussions and actions to the international stage, and to provide us reinforcement through the work of its 200 international companies. 

There are major meetings for EpE in the coming months: COP 25 in Chile at the end of the year, the World Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be held in France, in Marseille, in June 2020, and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in China in November 2020.

In light of this agenda and in the face of urgency, coalitions of companies, which are committed and capable of creating solutions for the environment, are going to be needed more than ever. As President of EpE and drawing on my experience, I will be keen to help provide the impetus needed to build a low-carbon economy that is concerned with the sustainable management of natural resources.