Two of Europe’s largest industrial players, TotalEnergies and Siemens, have urged European governments to abolish one of the European Union’s flagship corporate sustainability laws, arguing that it hampers competitiveness.
In a joint letter dated October 6, TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné and Siemens AG CEO Roland Busch wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on behalf of 46 European companies, calling for the repeal of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The letter stated that abolishing the rules would send a “clear and symbolic signal” that European governments and the European Commission are serious about restoring the region’s competitiveness. Siemens added that strengthening Europe’s global standing required reducing “excessive regulation” across sectors, noting that eliminating such rules would be a step toward cutting bureaucracy.
A spokesperson for TotalEnergies confirmed that the appeal reflected the companies’ top five priorities to enhance Europe’s economic performance. The letter also urged the EU not to proceed with next year’s planned cuts to free pollution permits, and to reform competition laws to allow more cross-border mergers assessed on a global, rather than purely European, basis.
The CSDDD, adopted in 2024, requires companies to identify and remedy human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains or face fines of up to 5% of global turnover. The law has been one of the most contentious elements of the EU’s Green Deal, facing resistance from major economies such as Germany and France, as well as multinationals including ExxonMobil.
While Brussels is currently negotiating revisions to simplify and narrow the scope of the directive, Siemens and TotalEnergies’ demand for its full abolition marks a significant escalation in corporate pushback against Europe’s green regulatory framework.
