ECOnGOOD, previously known as Economy for the Common Good, joined hundreds of organisations and individuals in a collective signature of an open letter advocating for Sustainable Resource Management legislation within the European Union (EU). The open letter, addressed to critical decision-makers within the EU, mirrors a mutual commitment from NGOs, academics, trade unions, industries, and think tanks to confront the prevalent environmental crises. The letter specifically underscores the EU’s disproportionate impact on climate, nature, and people due to its extensive resource consumption. It accentuates the pressing need for legislation to mitigate this impact, especially considering that the EU utilizes between 70% and 97% of the ‘safe operating space’ available for worldwide resource use impacts.
The proposed legislative framework encompasses an EU Directive to establish binding targets for reducing the material footprint, in line with optimal research on sustainable consumption levels. Moreover, it advocates for strategies to curtail high-consumption sectors such as transport, construction, and digital industries. The Directive proposes measures like redistributive taxes and social programs to ensure social justice and respect for people’s rights that, should these measures be implemented, would bring common benefits:
- Addressing the ecological crises
- Transitioning to a true circular economy
- Achieving strategic autonomy
- Fostering global peace & security
- Delivering resource justice
- Respecting human & workers’ rights
- Towards societal wellbeing & equity
By signing this letter, ECOnGOOD joins a collective voice that acknowledges the existing political will within the European Commission, the European Parliament, and among EU Member States to tackle these crucial issues. The letter serves as a call to action for a swift and well-prepared transition towards a fair, autonomous, resilient, and sustainable EU economy within planetary boundaries.
For a comprehensive understanding of the collective appeal, the full letter can be accessed here.