background image

Open Letter: Lead or lose, A call to secure Europe’s Future through Sustainability

author imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor imageauthor image

By illuminem , Andrea Gori, Quentin Bordet, Ellie Su, Vilhelmiina Vulli, Alexis Normand, Angelo Bonelli, Renat Heuberger, Elena Morettini, Nicola Armaroli

· 5 min read

Illuminem Voices
Public Governance · Carbon Market · Nature · Environmental Sustainability · Social Responsibility · Corporate Sustainability · Corporate Governance · Carbon Regulations

Dear President von der Leyen, 
Dear Commissioners Maroš Šefčovič, Wopke Hoekstra,
Dear Representatives Pascal Canfin and Bas Eickhout (chairing the ENVI Committee),
Dear Members of the European Parliament and,
Dear Heads of State, Parliamentarians, Policy Leaders across Europe,

We are writing to you at a critical moment for Europe and for the planet. 

Over the past decade, Europe has shown the world what climate leadership looks like, through vision and bold legislation. Today, under short term pressures the importance of leadership is greater than ever, yet it is at risk of being lost.

This moment demands clarity and determination. A strong climate agenda is the foundation for resilience, innovation and long-term prosperity. We must seize this opportunity to create green jobs and businesses, deliver energy security, and rebuild trust with the next generation.

We would therefore urge you to reaffirm and accelerate Europe’s commitment to climate action across five essential areas:

1. Ambitious climate targets

• Uphold Europe's commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
• Enact legally binding interim climate goals every five years until 2050

2. Prioritising renewable energy

• End all direct and indirect support for fossil energy by 2035 — including fuel subsidies and infrastructure funds for new LNG and natural gas projects
• Achieve 45% renewable energy by 2030

3. Protecting biodiversity and nature

• Lead global efforts to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030
• Mandate at least a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030

4. Green public procurement

• Require that at least 50% of all Europe’s public procurements are explicitly sustainable by 2030, including health care, education, and public administration
• Standardise and simplify Europe-wide sustainability criteria for public tenders

5. Strengthening corporate sustainability disclosure

• Maintain the core ambition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) despite recent delays and adjustments
• Introduce auditing and enforcement mechanisms for corporate climate commitments

Many corporations are stepping up, but a sustained collective effort unambiguously supported by Europe is essential.

At a time of financial uncertainty and systemic risk, Europe cannot afford to lose its world’s strategic leadership on climate change. “Our Europe must lead by example” and secure long-term prosperity with sustainability. 

We ask you to choose courage over caution.

With respect and urgency,

• Adrian Wons, CEO & Founder, Senken, Germany
• Adrien de Malherbe, CEO, allcolibri, France
• Afonso Firmo, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, NetNada, AUS
• Alain Romero, Founder, Forests To Fortune, USA
• Alexis Normand, CEO & Co-Founder, Greenly, France
• Andrea Gori, CEO, illuminem, Italy
• Angelo Bonelli, Spokesperson, Green Europe and Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Italy
• Anne Currie, Author of Building Green Software, UK
• Archana Pai, Founder, Costmos, India
• Armando Mattei, CEO & Co-Founder, PlanBee, Italy
• Benjamin Rombaut, CEO & Co-Founder, Sand to Green, France
• Charles Lechoux, CEO & Co-Founder, Carbonds, France
• Elena Morettini, Global Head of Sustainable Business, Globant, USA
• Federico Garcea, Co-Founder, Treedom, Italy
• Fred Fournier, CEO & Co-Founder, Open Forest Protocol, Switzerland
• Gabriele Rorandelli, CEO & Co-Founder, Zerow, Italy
• Giovanni Facchinetti, Managing Partner & Founder, Positive Organization, Switzerland
• Gustave Loriot-Boserup, Founder, Compass Insights, UK
• Jeronimo Souza, Co-Founder and CPO, Sofa Activist, UK
• Joseph Hargreaves, Co-Founder, Thallo, UK
• Magnus Drewelies, CEO & Founder, Ceezer, Germany
• Maksim Karpukhin, CEO, Croproads, Georgia
• Monica Sanders, CEO & Co-Founder, The Undivided Project, USA
• Natalia Dorfman, CEO & Co-Founder, Kita, UK
• Neirin Jones, CEO & Co-Founder, GreenForest Solutions, Germany
• Nicola Armaroli, Research Director, Italy’s National Research Council (CNR), Italy
• Renat Heuberger, Ex-CEO & Co-Founder, Southpole, Switzerland
• Robert Serec, CEO & Founder, White Hydrogen, Slovenia
• Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalezi, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Notpla, UK
• Silvio de Girolamo, Founder, SDG for  Future Company, Italy
• Sylvain Franc de Ferrière, CEO and Co-Founder, Hero Labs, Netherlands
• Tessa Clarke, CEO & Co-Founder, Olio, UK
• Thomas Christian Melskens, Founder, Yellow3, USA
• Ulrike Pfreundt and Josephine Graf, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, rrreefs, Switzerland

Sign this open letter and join our growing global call for climate leadership.

From London to Ljubljana, from Rome to Munich, a growing coalition of sustainability leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, public leaders and citizens from across wider Europe and beyond is uniting behind a powerful message: Europe must not falter in its climate leadership.

At illuminem, one of Europe’s most-read sustainability information and data platforms, we are proud to host this historic open letter. Our message is clear: sustainability is not a burden, but a strategic path forward. Amid escalating geopolitical, social, environmental, and economic risks, bold climate policy is the essential path to resilience and prosperity.

No matter who you are or where you come from, we invite you to sign this open letter and share it with your network to amplify our call. Together, we will personally deliver it to European institutions, Heads of State, and national parliaments.

If you have any questions or feedback, we warmly welcome you to get in touch.
Stay informed with illuminem’s acclaimed newsletters, or access sustainability data on Data Hub™.

Did you enjoy this illuminem voice? Support us by sharing this article!
author photo

About the authors

illuminem's editorial team, delivering the most effective, updated, and comprehensive access to sustainability information. Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, Youtube & Twitter. Track and compare the sustainability performance of thousands of companies on illuminem’s Data Hub™.

​

author photo

Andrea Gori is an entrepreneur & global expert in sustainability, green tech and energy transition. He is the founder & "Chief Earth Officer" (CEO) of illuminem, and prof. of Greentech at HEC Paris (see full program). Previously, he served as BCG's Global Green Champion, delivering projects on sustainable investments around the world. He has been awarded one of Italy's Leading Innovators of 2023 and Angel List’s Top Startups in Europe. His latest TEDx, on the 'ESG revolution', is recognized as "the most-watched talk in Italian on sustainability".

author photo

Quentin Bordet is the Chief Solutions Officer at illuminem, where he leads strategic growth initiatives. Previously, Quentin spent a decade at BCG, leading climate-related strategic advisory projects and founding the GoGreen initiative, aimed at accelerating the firm's internal sustainability efforts. He also managed high-profile programs such as OP2B, fostering systemic change in agriculture to protect biodiversity, and co-founded Les Collectifs, an organization dedicated to driving environmental and social impact. His expertise spans sustainability strategy, cultural transformation, and business development, with extensive experience leading large-scale projects across various industries.

author photo

Ellie Su is the Chief Operating Officer at illuminem. Previously, she was EMEA Go-to-Market Lead at Google, where she played a key role in scaling Google's latest product offerings, and Senior Strategy Manager at Expedia. With a background as a former consultant at BCG Chicago and a leader in strategy and product analytics, Ellie has been instrumental in developing CSR strategies and launching innovative products and analytics methodologies. She is committed to setting up long term initiatives and operating structures across teams to enable illuminem to scale.

author photo

Vilhelmiina Vulli is the Head of Media at illuminem. She devises comprehensive communication strategies, managing content creation, and nurturing the vibrant community of illuminem Voices, which stands as the world's largest and premier expert network in sustainability. Originally from Finland, she has over a decade of experience in marketing, media and analytics. Vilhelmiina blends her expertise to communicate with purpose and drive positive change. Her approach underscores her commitment to fostering a sustainable future through strategic communication and community engagement.

author photo

Alexis Normand is CEO and Co-Founder of Greenly. A graduate of HEC and Sciences-Po, Alexis began his career in public policy consulting before spending six years at Withings, where he led operations in Boston and established the company’s health department. After Withings was acquired by Nokia, he joined the startup Embleema through Techstars, refining his entrepreneurial skills. Returning to France, Alexis channeled his experience into addressing the climate crisis at a critical moment.

author photo

Angelo Bonelli is the Spokesperson of Green Europe since July 2021 and a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, representing Imola since October 2022. He previously served in the Chamber from 2006 to 2008 for Lazio 1. Bonelli has held significant roles such as President of the Green Party and Regional Assessor for Environment in Lazio. He was a Regional Councillor in Lazio and a candidate for Mayor of Taranto in 2012. Bonelli has been active in Italian politics since 1990.

author photo

Renat Heuberger is the CEO and Co-Founder of Terra Impact Ventures and Co-Founder and Senior Adviser at South Pole. He has been engaged as a social entrepreneur in the fields of sustainability, climate change and renewable energies since 1999. Before founding South Pole, Renat co-founded and acted as the CEO of the myclimate foundation. He currently also acts as CEO of Terra Impact Ventures. He also contributes his expertise to the development of illuminem’s Data Hub™, helping shape its insights on sustainability.

author photo

Elena Morettini is the Global Head of sustainable business of Globant, a native digital multinational company, and Co-Founder of BecauseEnergyMatters. She has previously held key managerial positions in renowned international companies such as Shell, Repsol YPF, Badley Ashton, and Fugro GeoConsulting. Elena founded the first Diversity and Inclusion Committee for Oil and Gas in the Latin America region.

author photo

Nicola Armaroli is Research Director at the Italian National Research Council and Member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. He studies the conversion of light into electricity and fuels and the transition of the global energy system. Nicola has travelled as a visiting lecturer worldwide and published hundreds of scientific articles.

Other illuminem Voices

source image

illuminem briefings

article image
 

Ethical Governance · Social Responsibility

At war with Israel, Iran urges new diplomacy in Geneva and the U.N. Security Council

source image

illuminem briefings

article image
 

Public Governance · Social Responsibility

Israel and Iran launch strikes a week into their war as new diplomatic effort takes shape

source image

Paul van Zyl

article image
 

Wellbeing · Public Governance

Public health was born here — are we forgetting its lesson?

Related Posts

source image

NPR

article image
 

Public Governance · Social Responsibility

At war with Israel, Iran urges new diplomacy in Geneva and the U.N. Security Council

source image

NPR

article image
 

Public Governance · Social Responsibility

European officials hold talks with Iran in Geneva, seeking a diplomatic solution

source image

Politico

article image
 

Public Governance · Greenwashing

Commission to kill EU anti-greenwashing rules

Newsletters

You cannot miss it!

Weekly. Free. Your Top 10 Sustainability & Energy Posts.

You can unsubscribe at any time (read our privacy policy)