Ecoda & Mazars Report: Sustainability, at the heart of business

Mazars, the international audit and advisory firm, and ecoDa, the European Confederation of Directors’ Associations, held a series of roundtables in late 2019 and early 2020 across a range of key European capital markets. They brought leading directors and investors together to discuss how they can have effective dialogue, based on a mutual commitment to promoting sustainable success for the benefit of their stakeholders and wider society.

The roundtables were organized in co-operation with EFAMA, the representative body of the European investment management industry in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.

„Meeting our needs today without compromising future generations’ ability to meet theirs is what sustainability is really about. As the COVID-19 crisis continues around the world, many firms are trying to stay relevant in difficult times and challenging markets and they have come to realize that is no longer enough to only focus on the economical side of their business. The environmental and social issues of a company are beginning to climb to the top of the list for decision makers and we believe that these changes are necessary to achieve the ultimate goal; being truly sustainable.”, mentioned Razvan Butucaru, Partner, Financial Services & Advisory Leader.

This publication draws on the discussion at the various roundtables to highlight the progress made by the European business community on the adoption of a sustainable approach to business and the current challenges faced and, having regard to these, maps out a direction for reform.