FinFacts Ireland: Business leaders in Western Europe say priority should be given to environmental protection

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Business leaders in Western Europe say priority should be given to environmental protection

Environmental protection should be a greater priority for political leaders than economic growth, according to a survey of company directors in Western Europe. Meanwhile, leaders of top US companies will urge President Bush today to take action on climate change.The survey of the 1,450 business leaders published today in the UPS Europe Business Monitor, shows that 45 percent said protecting the natural world should be top of a list of objectives for global leaders, while 40 percent identified sustaining growth as one of the three most-important objectives. Environmental concerns prompted 32 percent to reduce energy use at home and 10 percent are using renewable energy at home, according to the annual survey.

Fifty-nine percent of interviewees said Europe should stake its future on renewable energy such as wind or solar power, rather than locally produced fossil fuels or Russian natural-gas.