The call for the European Commission to actively stimulate demand for sustainable products has now been signed by a hundred people. On 13 June, the Norwegian company Yara joined the so-called Call for Demand Creation to Drive Industry Investments, which was launched at the end of 2023 by, among others, VNO-NCW, the VNCI and the NVDE.
Broad support from Europe
The call has now received support from a broad spectrum of companies, governments and civil society organisations from various EU countries. In addition to producers of sustainable raw materials, industrial companies, retail chains, energy companies, start-ups and NGOs are also participating.
According to the initiators, stimulating demand is crucial for the success of the industrial transition. Without a solid sales market for products such as circular plastic, biobased materials or green steel, investments in sustainable production will have difficulty getting off the ground.
In line with European plans
The call follows recent proposals from the European Commission. In February, European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra introduced the Clean Industrial Deal, in which expanding the sales market for sustainable products is an important pillar. With this, Europe wants to strengthen its strategic autonomy and improve the competitive position of sustainable industries.
Policy proposals in development
In the coming months, the signatories will work on policy instruments that better align supply and demand. Examples include European procurement policy, uniform sustainability standards and product labelling. The aim is to make sustainable products more attractive to companies and consumers, and thus accelerate the industrial transition.
With one hundred signatories, an important milestone has been reached. The initiators continue to call on other parties to join, so that the call sounds even stronger towards the new European Commission later this year.
More information or interested in participating? See the Call for Demand Creation to Drive Industry Investments website.
