On the 25th of June the Dutch House of Representatives will discuss the Green Deal, the plan by the European Commission to realize the transitions in the fields of energy, biodiversity and circular economy. In the statement Dutch businesses endorse sustainability in COVID-19 recovery, Dutch business pledge support for the European Green Deal, which they believe can lead to a stronger and better recovery for our economy and society. Together with the European and Dutch government, the business community wants to invest in a cleaner and more inclusive economy and asks the Dutch government to collaborate with the Member States to firmly embed the EU Green Deal in the COVID-19 recovery packages. They note that, it is important to continue to align the Dutch climate goals with the European climate goals for 2030 and 2050. Additionally, the Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises should be facilitated optimally, allowing them to make their contributions.

Background
On Friday, June 19, the statement Dutch businesses endorse sustainability in COVID-19 recovery was presented by Jan Peter Balkenende, chairman of the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC) to Minister Kaag. The statement was initiated by the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition and made in collaboration with VNO-NCW, Global Compact Netherlands, MVO Nederland and the “Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken” (Dutch Banking Association). (Statement.)

“During these times, it is essential to link the recovery to the Green Deal in Europe and the Climate Agreement in the Netherlands,” says Jan Peter Balkenende. "The United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an excellent guideline for recovery investment choices."

The DSGC website has over 50 quotes from CEOs, such as Thierry Vanlancker (AkzoNobel), Pieter Elbers (KLM) and Peer Swinkels (Royal Swinkels Family Brewers), explaining why this statement is important to them. (Quotes.)

Find the complete list of signatories here. 

Sign the statement (Dutch businesses only)
Endorsing the statement is possible for Dutch businesses until the 5th of September 2020. If you want to support the Green Recovery Statement, we ask you to send the information below to GreenRecovery@dsgc.nl.

1.    Full name of the company signing this statement. Please provide the full name of your company as it should be reflected on the signatory list. If applicable, please be explicit if, for example, only the Dutch branch of your company is signing the statement.

2.    The company’s logo. Preferably in .EPS or .AI file format. When using other file formats, provide the logo in a minimum file size of 400kb (JPEG).

3.    Point of contact. Please indicate to whom the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition office could reach out to in case of any questions. 

In case of any questions, please email to GreenRecovery@dsgc.nl.