March 2, 2007—Business leaders across Europe think that protecting the environment should be the number one priority for global political leaders, placing this policy area ahead of sustaining economic growth or securing future energy supplies, according to the results of the 16th annual UPS Europe Business Monitor.
When asked which issues should be the highest on global political leaders’ list of priorities, 45% of Europe’s top business executives agreed on environmental protection, followed by 40% mentioning sustaining economic growth.
Addressing environmental concerns received overwhelming support from managers in France (64%), where the issue registered 19 points more than the European average. At the other end of the scale, respondents in the Netherlands (28%) are the least likely to prioritize environmental protection. Instead, with 48%, business leaders there prioritize sustaining economic growth, also top priority for business leaders in Spain (47%).
Europe’s business leaders dismiss fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy, with six in ten respondents (59%) stating that the continent should stake its future on sources such as wind, hydrogen, and solar power. Domestically generated nuclear power is seen as the next best solution, earning the support of a third (32%).
The sixteenth edition of the UPS Europe Business Monitor surveyed 1,450 business leaders from a representative sample of Europe’s top companies between September 14 and November 3, 2006. For complete results of the survey, visit the UPS EBM Web page.
