Friday 15 February 2019

Businesses call for action on UK’s sustainable goals

Businesses have joined up to call for action on the UK’s Sustainable Development Goals and to accelerate growth of sustainable finance across the country.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) hosted a roundtable with business, government and non-profit representatives to discuss how these missions can be acheived.

Businesses said if they are to adapt to climate change and help work towards wider green goals, their ongoing competitiveness must be ensured.

They suggested if this is to be acheived without forcing companies to move abroad, sustainable finance must be improved, to allow businesses to invest in innovative technologies and research.

The roundtable concluded this is necessary to help them decarbonise and increase their productivity.

The gathered representatives called on the government to find innovative solutions to allow firms across all sectors of the economy to transition to sustainable business models and said a clear, unified strategy must be established, involving the departments for development, trade, business and environment.

They also urged for the UK's Sustainable Development Goals to be clearly defined, with a plan outlined for how they can be acheived and a strategy drawn up for how businesses and government can work together to boost green finance.