An informal alliance has been launched in the European Parliament on the back of calls from 12 EU environment ministers who have signed an appeal for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “green recovery alliance” was launched on Monday (14 April) at the initiative of Pascal Canfin, a French centrist MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s committee on environment and public health.

In addition to the 79 MEPs from across the political spectrum, the alliance also brings together civil society groups, including 37 CEOs, 28 business associations, the European trade union confederation, 7 NGOs and 6 think tanks, according to Euractiv.com.

It comes days after EU environment ministers launched an appeal for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan.

Big names from the private sector who signed the appeal include the CEO’s of Ikea, H&M, Unilever, Danone, E.ON and others.

Signatories say they are committed to support post-pandemic “stimulus transformation plans” that put the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss at the centre of Europe’s economic policy.