A New Deal for Europe - Towards a Sustainable Future in the world

Thrilled to voice the CEOs Call to Action at the Brussels SDG Summit organised by CSR Europe. On that special occasion, 100 CEOs joined me committing for a more responsible future. Together, we raised voice to enhance dialogue and strengthen interaction with Politics, Civil Society and Business & Industry peers.

But we are never enough, strength is in numbers. I would like to share with you the few words I addressed on the SDGs podium and I look forward to having you on board!

Endorsing this CEOs Call to action is possible until the end of September.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

It’s an honor for me to speak on behalf of the nearly one hundred business leaders - from all over Europe - who have endorsed the Call for Action that CSR Europe is launching here today.

Collaboration that will lead to urgent action to tackle global warming; accelerate inclusive growth; and create sustainable prosperity. Not by doing “business as usual”, but by using the SDGs as our roadmap, a tool in achieving a New Deal for Europe.

Let me set the scene and start with 1987. Sustainable Development was defined for the very first time: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Twenty-two years later, we didn’t get very far in living up to the definition of the Brundtland Commission. Testament to this is how the climate strike of Swedish school girl Greta Thunberg turned global, also reaching the streets of Brussels.

1/ Climate change is one of the many pressing challenges humanity is facing, next to water and food scarcity.

Let me share with you a personal story. The other day, I was explaining my 13-year old son, the challenges our ecosystem is facing.

If everyone on the planet consumed as much as the average person in the Western Hemisphere, two to four Earths would be needed to sustain them. In the Eastern Hemisphere’s developed economies, they are using two planets today. Their path to become the number one economy in the world, will make them use more planets. But as all of you know, we have only one planet.

2/ We are experiencing rising social inequality and declining trust in mainstream politics, traditional authority figures and in institutions.

The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that people have increased expectations for companies and their leaders. 73 percent believe a company can take actions that both increase profits and improve economic and social conditions in the community where it operates.

If we zoom in on Europe

The perceived negativity in the European Union should concern all of us who believe in a democratic Europe. Many Europeans have started doubting the benefits of the EU. The anxiety of the Euro sceptics has fed concerns over migration, fueling populism and isolationism. There is less and less appetite for new ambitious EU projects. If we continue down this road, Europe won’t have a prosperous future.

Transitioning to a New Deal for Europe

What people too often seem to forget is that the EU has brought us amazing benefits. It is the largest economy in the world. European economic and political integration has delivered peace and with it, decades of increased prosperity, reduced poverty, new technologies, lower costs of living and new jobs. A Europe where the rule of law, cooperation between enterprises, civil societies and governments, are our greatest asset. An inclusive Europe that leaves no-one behind.

However, for Europe to survive and thrive we need to re-imagine ourselves, we need to continue to be innovative and even more we need to be disruptive without harming our precious planet.

No state, no individual group of any kind, can act alone to solve these enormous challenges. Strength is in numbers! Collective, collaborative action is the only way to build a responsible future.

This is why it’s time for a New Deal in Europe. A shared sustainable vision for our future. As business leaders we are ready to strengthen our dialogue. We need thousands to join us in this cause.

Towards the SDGs as a business opportunity

As you are all here aware of, there are significant opportunities in the UN’s Seventeen SDGs. The private sector has a fundamental role in advancing these global goals through innovation and investments.

A survey from the WBCSD last year showed that out of two hundred fifty companies worldwide, forty one percent said they had actually taken measures to integrate the SDGs into their strategic thinking. But this is NOT enough.

We business leaders need our call for action for the SDGs to become part of our corporate strategy. We business leaders shall take the SDGs as a compass, to join forces with other companies, civil society and policymakers to fight climate change; accelerate inclusive growth; and create sustainable prosperity.

Urgent action is required; we can no longer permit economic growth to come at the expense of the planet. Solvay has decoupled business growth from emissions. By 2025, we aim to reduce emissions by one million tons, regardless of our revenue prospects. It’s an approach we hope will inspire many to follow.

Create sustainable prosperity

Businesses must create sustainable prosperity to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. By doing more with less and supported by strong policies and regulatory frameworks, WE must develop more responsible growth models, a circular economy, effective waste management and efficiency in energy.

As the world is moving towards sustainable mobility, we at Solvay innovate and mobilize resources with our ingenuity to serve this opportunity. A positive European example for sustainable prosperity is the European Battery Alliance, a consortium of companies including Solvay. Our collaborative work, if successful, will contribute to the Paris climate goals and fulfil rising demand for batteries.

This is just one example of the crucial role companies play in society. We innovate, we bring solutions and we create employment. For us, it’s a conviction: along with financial performance, we must create concrete social and environmental value for humanity.

Accelerate inclusive growth is quality education. This is the name of the game. A great example, close to my heart, is the European CSR to promote STEM for young professional women. Access to quality and inclusive education, regardless of background, improves quality of life and prosperity. It equips people with tools to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, including eradicating poverty and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Solvay through its societal actions is supporting education of youth, with STEM scholarships for young girls and women.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, I’ve referred to the SDGs several times today. The SDGs are becoming a universal language and a fundamental framework for action and collaboration. Remember what Kofi Annan said “The earth is not ours, it is a treasure we hold in trust for our children and grand-children”

Each of us, here, carries our own responsibility and has unique contributions to make. Bring your energy. Share your expertise.

Join us, the hundred business leaders who committed to Europe’s sustainable future. And I would like to leave you with the following: We are the very last generation that has the luxury to make a choice.

Let us make the choice for our children.

Thank YOU.

Ilham Kadri