"EU MUST MAKE BUSINESS LEGALLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS", 12 April 2023

The climate crisis is the biggest crisis facing us today. The role of business in worsening this crisis is undeniable. There is an EU law on the table that could make companies tackle their greenhouse gas emissions, but the proposal is too weak to work in practice...

The failure of voluntary commitments and these legal trends show that the more reliable route to reducing emissions from business is to make companies legally accountable for their climate plans and impacts.

At the EU level, a law is being negotiated that could hold companies accountable for human rights abuses and environmental damage in their global value chains. Making sure it makes companies accountable for their climate impacts and for reducing their emissions is essential if we have any hope of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. But right now, the proposal for a law fails to enforce any meaningful climate obligations on companies.

We the undersigned activists and groups dedicated to fighting climate change, demand a strong EU law that is fit to tackle the climate crisis and deliver climate justice. A law that makes companies legally accountable for their:

CLIMATE IMPACTS

• All companies must be obligated to do due diligence and address their climate impacts...
• All companies must be accountable and liable for their impacts...

CLIMATE PLANS

All companies must have a credible plan to align with the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. A plan that:

• Includes targets...
• Covers the entire value chain as well as scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions...
• Does not rely on offsetting...
• Includes concrete action...