The European Green Deal, launched in 2019 by the European Commission, acts as the primary vehicle to ensure a climate-neutral future for Europe. Through its many legislative packages, it aims to improve European competitiveness whilst decarbonising the region’s industries. 

Achieving this transformative agenda cannot be done by policymakers alone and requires strong collaboration between representatives from governments, business and expert communities.

The CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal serves as a high-level platform for business to step up their work on climate positive action and demonstrate their commitment to the European Green Deal agenda. 

The CEO Action Group in a Snapshot

Over 50 companies | 16 countries | 12 industries | +1.2 million employees (in 2022)

Action Pillars

The CEO Action Group’s work is grouped in the following three pillars:

1. 
   Insights to Action: The community contributes to raising awareness by promoting examples of how the private sector works to achieve the goals of the European Green Deal. 


2. 
   Policy Dialogue: Community members engage in regular policy dialogue, both virtually and in-person, with key public figures across Europe to enhance the implementation of new policy proposals. 


3. 
   Driving Joint Action: Community members collaborate on developing cross-sectoral action jointly with the World Economic Forum's expert teams and input from relevant policymakers.

Workstreams for 2024

As the European Green Deal’s legislative packages move from ambition to implementation, and to support business action, the CEO Action Group’s work concentrates on the following thematic areas:

1. 
   Unlocking financing for the European Green Deal: Through policy dialogue with key decision-makers, community members work to support the design and development of a financial system that effectively allocates capital and investment in support of the European Green Deal targets.


2. 
   Innovating for the European Green Deal: For the necessary time and monetary investments to be made to encourage green innovation, regulatory certainty and shortened permitting timelines are needed. Community members work together to develop a path towards an innovation ecosystem that encourages European green industry to thrive.


3. 
   Creating jobs and skills for the European Green Deal: The private sector plays a key role in meeting upcoming labour needs by sending clear demand signals for green skills. Community members work to support the necessary eco-innovation and diffusion of green technologies in ways that bring the public along with them.

For further information about this initiative, please contact Marushia Gislén, Community Lead, Europe and Eurasia (marushia.gislen@weforum.org).