And if you were World Environment Minister, what would you do?

This 5 June is World Environment Day. Conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and organised for the past 50 years, it is the world’s biggest platform for raising public awareness of the environment.
To celebrate the Day, we asked a range of personalities what they would do if they had the power to be “Global Environment Leader or Minister” but could only take one action.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at European Commission
If I had to pick one action I would say to restore nature. Because if we manage to do that we instantly address so many challenges all at once: we get healthier ecosystems both on land and in our oceans, healthier forests, cleaner water and richer soils. If we manage to restore nature just as we all committed at COP15 in Montreal this past December, we will definitely stand a good chance to beat the climate crisis and bolster our economies. Both now and in the future. So I’ll say this would be the investment and action I’d go for!

Jean-Marc Nollet, Co-president of the Ecolo political party in Belgium
Quite simply: I will enforce the limits of the planet.

Piotr Barczak, Circular Economy Program Manager at African Circular Economy Network Foundation
I’d oblige all banks, public and private, to support only sustainable, circular activities and to stop lending money to those clients whose business models are based on fossil-fuels, degradation, extraction, and cause societal inequalities.

Hani Tohme, Middle East Managing Director – Roland Berger
In essence, the authentic economic value of natural capital is not recognized. The feasibility of decisions is generally determined by their economic viability, and sustainability is often an afterthought. Additionally, externalities are not accurately factored into the cost, thus masking the true expense of conducting business. As the world’s environmental leader, the single most significant action I would implement would be to enforce legislation mandating the integration of natural capital into the profit and loss statements of all corporations globally. This measure would incorporate the true economic value of environmental resources into decision-making processes and create an immediate economic incentive for sustainability. Companies would be compelled to decrease their environmental impact to optimize costs and maximize profit, thus holding them directly accountable for decisions affecting the environment. This approach could dramatically reshape the business landscape, potentially turning currently profitable businesses unprofitable if they are heavy polluters and incentivizing the pursuit of more sustainable practices.

Greg De Temmerman, Head of Science at Quadrature Climate Foundation. Associate Researcher at Mines Paris Tech/IHEIE. 
I would put a CO2 emissions limit on all thermal power stations, excluding any plant not equipped with CO2 capture.

Valérie Paumier, Founder Adviser chez RESILIENCE MONTAGNE
Since GDP growth creates an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as the destruction and depletion of resources,
Since GDP growth ultimately indicates the speed of the collapse towards which we are heading,
Since the disappearance of bees contributes to GDP through the use of pesticides and the resulting increase in agricultural yields,
Since tapping into springs and streams to produce artificial snow and urbanizing mountains creates wealth, just like cutting down a forest and thus causing the extinction of all the animal species within it, I propose and advocate for decoupling economic prosperity from resource consumption.

Stéphanie Fellen, Founding Partner Smart2Circle (and our carbon footprint advisor)
If I had to choose just one action, it would be a carbon tax on all goods.

Fabrice Bonnifet, Director of Sustainable Development & Quality, Safety and Environment – Bouygues Group
I would introduce multi-capital accounting.

Enzo Muttini, Co-founder of Mme & M. Recyclage – recycling expert
I would offer a cheap train pass that includes the TGV with lower-cost reservations.

Alexandre Florentin, Paris Adviser | Energy and climate expert
I would ban all endocrine disruptors and other reprotoxins.

What would we do at Ecosteryl?
Obviously, we would like a world without waste. However, we have to admit that achieving zero waste in healthcare is quite challenging. Considering that our planet is suffocating under plastic and there is a significant amount of it in medical waste, particularly from single-use items, our proposal would be to make it mandatory to recycle all (plastic) waste. This approach will encourage reuse and stimulate innovation, similar to what we are promoting with the R-steryl, for instance.”