COVID-19. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Energy and cost-of-living crisis. Impacts of climate change. Upskilling imperative for a green and digital economy. Challenges to the social dimension of the EU’s sustainability agenda abound.
With the 2024 European elections on the horizon, new priorities for the 2024-2029 period are at stake, creating opportunities for policymakers to engage with companies as allies.
In this critical juncture, CSR Europe's Leadership Hubs are actively collaborating with the European Commission to align individual and collective efforts towards an inclusive European Green Deal. As a result of this engagement, the People, Materials, and Markets Leadership Hub have developed practical tools for businesses and recommendations for European policymakers to facilitate the seamless implementation of the sustainability agenda within the European industry.
PEOPLE LEADERSHIP HUB
MATERIALS LEADERSHIP HUB
MARKETS LEADERSHIP HUB
The People Leadership Hub
The European Business Roadmap for Just Transition
The Roadmap supports businesses in setting the strategic direction to embed Just Transition within their corporate purpose, strategy, and operations.
The European Business Toolbox for Just Transition
The Toolbox is designed to guide companies in the implementation of the European Business Roadmap for Just Transition by providing practical methodologies for:
Establishing a comprehensive stakeholder plan for Just Transition
Incorporating a Just Transition narrative into the company's strategy
Integrating a Just Transition strategy into the business model
The Just Transition Assessment
The Just Transition Assessment, developed in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, helps businesses in charting their path towards a Just Transition, providing tangible assistance in establishing a strategic direction for implementation. Address the different aspects of the Just Transition, including:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Human Rights
Training & Education
Product & Service Responsibility
The Materials Leadership Hub
Sustainable Raw Materials Sourcing: from Compliance to Impactful Engagement
In the position paper – written in collaboration with knowledge partner LSE IDEAS – CSR Europe’s Materials Leadership Hub members define the actions needed to strike a balance between:
Current and upcoming due diligence practices
Long-term & meaningful stakeholders’ engagement
Efforts to move beyond mere compliance to achieve positive social impacts
The position paper includes 10 policy recommendations for EU Leaders to advance the sustainable sourcing of raw materials.
The Markets Leadership Hub
Recommendations to make the European ESRS work for Business
Members of CSR Europe’s Markets Leadership Hub shared with Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, a set of key recommendations to make the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) work for business.
Financing an incLusive just transition
The Manifesto showcases policy recommendations from Business Leaders to European policymakers to work towards an enhanced coherence among sustainability-related European policies and a common operational understanding of Just Transition, clarifying the interlinkages between environmental and social sustainability ambitions in transition plans.
CSR Europe’s Previous Advocacy Efforts
Back in 2019, CSR Europe worked with the Commission’s Multi-Stakeholder Platform on the SDGs to equip the EU with a 2030 holistic and integrated sustainability strategy for Europe. The result of this engagement was the Reflection Paper “Towards a Sustainable Europe 2030”, which we followed up with the launch of the CEO's Call to Action for a New Deal, endorsed by over 380 CEOs in Europe. Some of those considerations went through the von der Leyen Commission (2019-2024), and the European Green Deal - the most expansive sustainability playing field created, involving governments, businesses, investors, and civil society.
What Comes Next?
The policy proposals outlined in the document will be presented to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and EU governments in the first quarter of 2024.
Figure 1: 2023 milestones of the CSR Europe’s Leadership Hubs
Want to Lean More and Engage?
RECOMMENDATIONS & TOOLS
The People Leadership Hub
The Materials Leadership Hub
The Markets Leadership Hub
UPCOMING EVENTS
RESOURCES
