Cundall has signed two letters to the Prime Minister demanding a green recovery plan post Covid-19. Over 300 businesses have signed, urging the UK government to call for a “fairer, greener and more resilient global economy” as stated by Boris Johnson at the Financing for Development event which took place on 28 May.
Cundall was a signatory for a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Tuesday 9 June 2020, calling on his government to use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to frame Covid-19 recovery plans.
Coordinated by the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) and the United Nations Global Compact Network UK (GCN UK), the letter references the statement made by the Prime Minister at the Financing for Development event on 28 May where he called for a "fairer, greener and more resilient global economy" after Covid-19. He said that we must “work together to get shared goals back on track including [...] the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The letter supports this and states, “we do not need to reinvent frameworks or agreements, we can instead use the global goals as the basis for a socially just and green recovery in the UK and abroad.”
Early evidence from the Business and Sustainable Development Commission showed that if implemented, the SDGs create at least US$12tn in business opportunities in just 60 market hotspots and estimates this could be two to three times bigger across the whole economy.
Please click here to read the letter.
Simon Wyatt, Sustainability Partner, commented, “Achieving Net Zero Carbon must be at the heart of our response to this crisis and recovery. As the built environment is responsible for up to 40% of global carbon emissions, it is imperative that we develop scalable solutions to meet this challenge.”
In the second letter, which was published on 1 June, Cundall joined 200 other businesses to urge the UK government to deliver a clean, inclusive and resilient recovery plan. In the open letter to the UK Prime Minister, businesses, investors and business networks stated: “With the UK facing major economic and social concerns including the risk of high unemployment and rising regional inequality, we believe that an ambitious low carbon growth and environmental improvement agenda can do a lot to address these concerns, as well as make the UK economy better prepared to deal with future shocks such as those related to climate change.”
Tomás Neeson, Managing Partner, commented, “Sustainability, health and wellbeing are at the core of everything we do at Cundall, and the current health crisis has only made it clearer that we need to focus on the health of the planet and work together to create a greener future. Our involvement in both of these letters shows our commitment and dedication to making sure that sustainability stays on top of the agenda for our recovery from Covid-19.”
You can read the letter in full by clicking here.
Simon Wyatt, recently wrote, Covid and the climate crisis, which talks about the short and long term impacts the health crisis posed by Covid-19 may have on the drive towards net zero carbon.
Cundall will also take part in an online workshop organised by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) on health and wellbeing in our homes and workplaces post Covid-19, which is due to take place on the 30 June. Click here for further information and to register.
