Sector News

Bayer, Henkel, DSM, and Symrise are among 155 major global companies from across 34 sectors that have signed a joint statement to world leaders, calling on governments and policy-makers to align their efforts to recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with an ambition to reach net-zero emissions well before 2050.

“As countries work on economic aid and recovery packages in response to COVID-19, and as they prepare to submit enhanced national climate plans under the Paris Agreement, we are calling on governments to reimagine a better future grounded in bold climate action,” the companies say in the statement.

All the companies are members of the Science Based Targets initiative, a global partnership with the vision that by 2020 “science-based target setting will become standard business practice and corporations will play a major role in driving down global greenhouse gas emissions.”

They say that to realize their ambitions, they will continue to implement ambitious science-based targets to set the world on a 1.5°C trajectory, invest in recovery and resilience for a systemic socio-economic transformation, and advocate for enabling policies aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory and zero-carbon economy.

“If we work together, these efforts will help reduce vulnerability to future shocks and disasters, and build community resilience. A systemic shift to a zero-carbon and resilient economy is within our reach—our only future depends on making this vision a reality,” the companies say.

By: Sotirios Frantzanas

Source: Chemical Week