The European Commission has called for more companies across the EU to join its sustainability pledge as part of the bloc's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Under the initiative, non-food businesses and retailers of various sizes and across different sectors of the economy make "specific, public and verifiable" commitments to reduce their overall environmental footprint, produce more sustainable products and redouble their efforts to raise consumer awareness of the impact of consumer choices.
The pledge is a voluntary commitment made by businesses that otherwise goes beyond what is required by EU law, and to date 11 companies have signed on: H&M Group, Philips, L’Oréal, Engie, the LEGO Group, Renewd, CECONOMY, Erste Group, Decathlon, Colruyt Group and Vėjo projektai.
The inaugural pledges joined the initiative last year and will now publish their progress to meeting their commitments on an annual basis.
The Commission said the companies are spearheading recognised practices in the sector and building consumer confidence in sustainability claims and information, and that the initiative is a unique opportunity for companies to publicise the changes they have made to make their business activity more sustainable.
In Association with
European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said: "I look forward to welcoming many more companies of various sizes and industries into this initiative, so we can boost further sustainable consumption in the EU.
"We are aiming to have all companies on board in the green transition. By joining the pledge, companies are sending a strong message to consumers that they are deeply committed to supporting the sustainable transition and are leading the way in their sector.”
An event will be held with Commissioner Reynders by the end of this year to celebrate and showcase the new pledges made by companies across the EU in 2022.
Bram Wingens, CEO of Dutch green device maker and pledge company Renewd, said: "We feel proud to be a part of this initiative and to commit ourselves to our pledge alongside these large companies.
"Together, we aim to contribute to a more sustainable future, and our everyday processes and products are a perfect example of this. Our dream of reducing e-waste, lowering the carbon footprint, and reducing the use of precious metals and valuable drinking water in Europe has never been so tangible as it is today.”
According to EU data, 65% of consumers in Ireland considered the environmental impact of their purchase at least once in 2020, and 25% of consumers considered the environmental impact of most or all of their purchases.
The initiative, delivered as part of the EU's New Consumer Agenda, aims to empower consumers to make informed decisions by making the environmental claims of businesses "transparent, comparable and verifiable across the EU".
