LEGO Group CEO joins businesses in calling on policymakers to accelerate government policies on climate action

Billund, November 5, 2022: Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen has joined leaders in the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders in calling for action to harmonise reporting standards and enable a net-zero future.

The LEGO Group is committed to playing its part in building a better planet for our children to inherit. In December 2020, the company was the first large toy company to set a science-based target, committing to reduce its absolute carbon emissions by 37 percent by 2032 compared to 2019.

Lowering its carbon emissions and meeting its science-based target requires the LEGO Group to focus on many different parts of the business. That is why the company is investing in activities that lower emissions it is directly and indirectly responsible for. This means investing in renewable energy like solar panels in and around LEGO® sites globally, just like the company is engaging its suppliers using the CDP framework to get them to commit to significant carbon reductions in their operations.

To accelerate climate action by governments, the LEGO Group acknowledges the need for strong collaboration across the private and public sector. The Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders are calling for governments to supercharge momentum towards a net-zero future by:
• Setting bold commitments and following through on commitments.
• Driving down the green premium of low-carbon technologies for hard-to-abate sectors.
• Investing in mitigation, adaption and a just transition.
• Internationally harmonising reporting and disclosure standards.

With economic uncertainties, war in Ukraine and the aftermath of COVID-19 still prevalent in many places, we can easily lose sight of the long-term future of our planet.

At the LEGO Group, we believe that the power of collaboration is bigger than ever before. As we move forward with clear actions towards a more sustainable future, we remain committed to work with world leaders, our peers in the private sector, and others to accelerate efforts on climate action.

Read more about the LEGO Groups actions on climate action: Climate action in action - Environment - Sustainability - LEGO.com

Get the latest updates on our environmental activities: Environment - Reporting - Sustainability - LEGO.com

Open Letter:

More than 100 CEO Climate Leaders share an open letter for world leaders at COP27

This letter is being released ahead of COP27 by the World Economic Forum on behalf of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders.

More than 100 CEOs of large multinational organizations, all members of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, have strong convictions that our ambitious climate targets can be realized only with the support of governments.

We recognize the positive progress to date. Emissions under current policies are projected to reach 58 GtCO2e in 2030, 2 GtCO2e lower than what it was in 2019, but still 25 GtCO2e higher than what is essential to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This gap is equivalent to the annual emissions of 5.4 billion cars. Unfortunately, assuming full implementation of unconditional NDCs still results in a 23 GtCO2e gap (2019 and 2022 UNEP Emissions Gap Report). Governments must raise their ambitions and enact policy changes to close this gap, otherwise we face a significant threat to the existence of human life and nature.

This letter outlines the actions we believe governments and businesses need to take to unlock the potential of the private sector and to move towards a path that limits global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

We're in this together to solve the climate crisis.

We, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, are ready to work side-by-side with governments to deliver bold climate action. We encourage all business leaders to set science-based targets to halve global emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 at the latest.

The global impact on food and energy prices, notably due to the war in Ukraine, continues to hurt households, businesses and economies worldwide. The crisis is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of the current energy and food systems, which are still dominated by fossil fuels. Leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) have the chance to make this a historic turning point towards cleaner, more affordable and secure energy and food systems. We, therefore, welcome Egypt’s hosting of COP27 this year and Africa’s leadership on climate action, adaptation, resilience and a just transition.

Accelerating the transition to net zero requires significant collaboration and shared responsibility between the private and public sectors. We believe that business commitments to climate action backed by private sector actions and investments can reinforce the mandate for governments to raise their own ambitions and enable faster progress. Government targets, supporting policies and transition plans can provide clarity, predictability and the competitive landscape to encourage more businesses to take action and to make transition-aligned investments.

As members of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, we have committed to reducing emissions by more than 1 gigatons annually by 2030 and have, on average, reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22% from 2019-2020 levels, outpacing major nations. Such as Brazil (13% 2019-2020 reduction), USA (11% 2019-2020 reduction), Europe and India (both 8% 19-20 reduction), all taken from the Carbon Monitor Programme, Nature.com analysis.

We call on our peers in the private sector to join us in:
Setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement, with a clear roadmap that takes sector-specific pathways into account.

Collaborating within and across sectors and value chains to drive transparency, advocacy and action in alliances and initiatives while working with major industry and trade associations to advance alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Contributing to the development of internationally harmonized reporting standards.

In this context and with leaders meeting at COP27 and the G20, we call on governments to:
Set bold ambitions and follow through on commitments

Deliver on the promise in the Glasgow Climate Pact and commit to ambitious and Paris Agreement-aligned nationally determined contributions and translate them into plans and policies that at least halve global carbon emissions by 2030 and contribute to global net zero by 2050.

Accelerate the transition

Drive down the green premium of low-carbon technologies for hard-to-abate sectors by unlocking blended finance (concessionary lending, guarantee´s mechanisms and others), scaling innovative sustainable finance mechanisms, integrating climate and sustainability criteria in public procurement and promoting the alignment of international standards for transformational technologies.

The focus is on action. Recognizing that many solutions already exist, there is an urgent need to:

Break down barriers by simplifying regulations, speeding up permitting processes and creating the enabling policy frameworks to accelerate scaling and deploying these solutions. Essential to progress is increased R&D expenditure and the inclusion of digital and physical infrastructure to ensure supply meets demand.

Provide incentives, including policies for emerging renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies on both the supply and the demand side, while also supporting hard-to-abate sectors through additional funding for innovation and the scaling up of new solutions, including circularity, carbon removal and natural climate solutions.

Put a price on carbon and phase out fossil fuel subsidies in a way that is both just and results in their eventual elimination. Combined, this will improve the competitiveness of sustainable low-carbon technologies.

Invest in reskilling and upskilling of those in the workforce that are impacted by the transition and enable more people to participate in the green economy.

Invest in mitigation, adaptation and a just transition

Ensure that developed countries meet and exceed their $100 billion commitment and that these funds go directly to supporting developing countries’ efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This is fundamental to establishing and maintaining confidence between countries to tackle the climate crisis together.

The impacts of climate change are already being felt, from more frequent heatwaves and wildfires to more severe tropical cyclones and floods. These changes disproportionately impact developing countries and threaten current and future economic development, human health and welfare. For new climate adaptation infrastructure projects, governments should strive for a conditionality of sustainability (e.g. building materials and techniques). Investing in water, healthy food systems and resilient supply chains while increasing local production in the Global South using regenerative agriculture and other sustainable farming and food production practices is integral to climate adaptation and resilience.

This must be done while protecting biodiversity and ecosystems and ensuring a fair and inclusive transition for all. This transition needs a radical rethinking of how we do business and a prolonged focus throughout the private and public sectors aligned with bold policy actions to decarbonize the economy.

Internationally harmonize reporting and disclosure standards

With the current divergence of standards underway, we call on the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), the European Commission, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and all other regulating bodies to align their collective efforts to arrive at globally-aligned standards to accurately measure and compare progress against ambitious targets. The standards must be interoperable, decision-useful and implementable to ensure they create trust and lasting change. Finally, market-based instruments (including carbon markets, power purchase agreements, etc.) have an essential role to play in reducing carbon emissions globally but need greater alignment and clear standards and frameworks.

This is the decade of action, so we must work side-by-side with governments to scale up public-private efforts in the drive to net zero. Alliance members will be in Egypt during COP27 to discuss with world leaders, government officials and civil society representatives how, together, we can take positive action to tackle the climate crisis.

Signatories

Søren Skou, Chief Executive Officer, A.P. Møller-Maersk
Björn Rosengren, President and Chief Executive Officer, ABB
Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer, Accenture
Oliver Bäte, Chief Executive Officer, Allianz
Hakan Bulgurlu, Chief Executive Officer, Arcelik
Alan Belfield, Chair, Arup Group
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca Plc
Peter Herweck, Chief Executive Officer, AVEVA Group Plc
Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer, AXA
Manny Maceda, Worldwide Managing Partner, Bain & Company
Ana Botín, Group Executive Chairman, Banco Santander
Werner Baumann, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer AG
Carlos Torres Vila, Chair, BBVA
Peter T. Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg LP
Rich Lesser, Global Chair, Boston Consulting Group; Chief Advisor, Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders
Christoph Schweizer, Chief Executive Officer, Boston Consulting Group
Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer, Capgemini
Cees 't Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Carlsberg Group
Zoran Bogdanovic, Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola HBC AG
Kim Fausing, President and Chief Executive Officer, Danfoss A/S
Michael Dell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dell Technologies
Punit Renjen, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Global
Christian Sewing, Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Bank AG
Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Post DHL Group
Christophe Beck, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Ecolab
Coen van Oostrom, Chief Executive Officer, Edge
Francesco Starace, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Enel
Catherine MacGregor, Chief Executive Officer, ENGIE
Zhang Lei, Chief Executive Officer, Envision Group
Christian Sinding, CEO and Managing Partner, EQT
Börje Ekholm, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ericsson
Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO, EY
Revathi Advaithi, Chief Executive Officer, Flex
Stefan Klebert, Chief Executive Officer, GEA Group
Poul Due Jensen, Chief Executive Officer, Grundfos
Helena Helmersson, Chief Executive Officer, H&M Group
Dolf van den Brink, Chief Executive Officer, HEINEKEN NV
Carsten Knobel, Chief Executive Officer, Henkel
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein Inc.
Antonio Neri, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Jan Jenisch, Chief Executive Officer, Holcim
Enrique Lores, President and Chief Executive Officer, HP Inc.
Ignacio Galán, Executive Chairman, Iberdrola
Pablo Isla, Executive Chairman, Inditex
Aloke Lohia, Group Chief Executive Officer, Indorama Ventures
Salil S. Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys Limited
Steven van Rijswijk, Chief Executive Officer, ING
Jesper Brodin, Chief Executive Officer, Ingka Group I IKEA; Co-Chair, Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders
Christian Ulbrich, Global Chief Executive Officer and President, JLL
George Oliver, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Controls
Alex Liu, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board, Kearney
Bill Thomas, Global Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, KPMG
Tex Gunning, Chief Executive Officer, LeasePlan
Niels B. Christiansen, Chief Executive Officer & President, LEGO Group
Hak Cheol Shin, Chief Executive Officer, LG Chem Ltd
H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein, Chairman, LGT
Dr. Anish Shah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra Group
Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding
Jonas Prising, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ManpowerGroup
Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft
James Harris, Executive Chair, Mott MacDonald
Mark Schneider, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé
Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newmont
David Knibbe, Chief Executive Officer, NN Group
Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novo Nordisk
Ester Baiget, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novozymes
Philippe Knoche, Chief Executive Officer, Orano
Mads Nipper, Group President and CEO, Ørsted
Nikesh Arora, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks
Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO, ReNew Energy Global Plc.
Torben Möger Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, PensionDanmark
Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo
Robert E. Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC
Stefan Schaible, Global Managing Partner, Roland Berger
Dimitri de Vreeze, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Managing Board Member, Royal DSM
Feike Sybesma, Honorary Chairman, Royal DSM; Founder and Co-Chair, Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders
Marc Benioff, Chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Salesforce
Roy Jakobs, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Philips
Christian Levin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Scania CV AB
Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Schneider Electric
Christian Klein, Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Executive Board, SAP SE
Roland Busch, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens AG
Eric Rondolat, Chief Executive Officer, Signify
Ilham Kadri, Chief Executive Officer, Solvay
Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sony Group Corporation
Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank
Takeshi Niinami, Chief Executive Officer, Suntory Holdings
Walter Schalka, Chief Executive Officer, Suzano S.A.
Christian Mumenthaler, Group Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd; Co-Chair, Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders
Erik Fyrwald, Chief Executive Officer, Syngenta Group
Kevin Hourican, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sysco
David S. Regnery, Chief Executive Officer, Trane Technologies
Alan Jope, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
Henrik Andersen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Vestas Wind Systems
Martin Lundstedt, President and Chief Executive Officer, Volvo Group
Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Wipro Limited
Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer, Yara International ASA
Wolf-Henning Scheider, Chairman of the Board of Management and Chief Executive Officer, ZF Group
Mario Greco, Group Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Insurance Group
Noel Quinn, Group Chief Executive, HSBC