Four in five Belgians want European law to force companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent survey conducted by the polling company YouGov.
1,000 Belgians were surveyed at the behest of Belgian environmental NGO 11.11.11, as well as a host of other civil society groups, in an attempt to gauge the popular opinion on the environmental impact of companies. Along with sanctions at an EU level, the survey found that most Belgians want companies to play a more active role in cutting their emissions.
73% of respondents want firms to reduce their carbon emissions despite the ongoing energy crisis. Moreover, 61% want legislation put in place to make it easier for victims of natural disasters caused by climate change to take legal action against polluting companies.
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Close to two-thirds of Belgians (64% of those surveyed) also want banks to be held accountable for the environmental damage and human rights violations caused by the companies in which they invest or lend money to.
For 11.11.11, the results are a sign of growing support among Belgians for the implementation of a “duty of care” law, which forces companies to respect human and labour rights, as well as international environmental standards. The European Parliament is now set to vote on such a law that would be applied to the continent’s larger companies on 24 and 25 April.
