Nine in ten European business leaders believe that the transition to a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable economy strengthens the European Union’s long-term competitiveness, according to a GlobeScan survey commissioned by WWF.
The study “Beyond Uncertainty”, conducted with senior business leaders, emerges in a context of growing discussion about the simplification of European legislation and its impact on companies’ competitiveness. According to the results, 91% of respondents associate the ecological transition with long-term gains in competitiveness.
At the same time, 55% say that the EU’s recent simplification efforts have had a negative or neutral impact on their companies. Only 29% of the business leaders surveyed identified positive impacts from the recent initiatives aimed at simplifying legislation.
Among the negative or neutral effects cited, the most mentioned was the increase in uncertainty about the future direction of European policies, mentioned by 57% of respondents. The study also identifies as consequences the possibility that investments undertaken to meet legal requirements could become unnecessary and a weakening of economic incentives for sustainability.
When asked about the measures the EU should prioritize to strengthen competitiveness, 43% pointed to the existence of predictable and coherent policies and legislation. Public investment and incentives followed, with 31%, and the provision of clean energy at affordable prices, with 29%.
The survey also identifies several factors associated by business leaders with the continuation of the ecological transition, including reducing exposure to climate-related risks and to nature loss, greater energy and resource security, and more stable and predictable costs.
The data are released at a time when the European Commission has been moving forward with measures to simplify environmental rules and reduce administrative burdens. Brussels says that these initiatives aim to make the legislation clearer and easier to apply, while maintaining environmental protection objectives.
The European Commission estimates, on the other hand, that the full non-implementation of EU environmental legislation represents economic costs of about 180 billion euros per year, associated, among other factors, with pollution, ecosystem degradation, and waste.
For WWF Portugal, the survey results counter the idea that weakening environmental rules would be a condition for increasing European competitiveness.
“Deregulation will not save Europe from the climate crisis and businesses have already realized this,” says Sofia Almeida, Policy Officer at WWF Portugal, adding that, from the organization’s perspective, “weaken sustainability policies will only make Europe less competitive.”
Ester Asin, Director of WWF’s European Policy Office, also considers that the results show that business leaders do not see sustainability and competitiveness as incompatible goals. According to her, companies seek ambitious and stable European rules that allow them to invest and innovate with greater predictability.
