The European Commission President delivers her first state of the union address, covering a number of issues, in particular a number of ESG matters.
By Paul A. Davies and Michael D. Green
On 16 September 2020, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered her first state of the union address since taking over the presidency of the European Commission (EC) in December 2019. The speech covered numerous topics and presented specific proposals addressing some of the most pressing issues the EU faces today, including ESG topics such as climate change, sustainable finance, and social matters. Throughout the address, the EC President called for change by design, not by destruction.