Letter from two big six energy companies and high street names including John Lewis and Tesco calls for strong deal at Paris climate summit

Eighty British companies, including two of the big six energy companies and high street names John Lewis and Tesco, have called on David Cameron to take stronger action on climate change both at home and abroad.

Such action could create jobs and boost the UK’s competitiveness, but failure to address climate change could put economic prosperity at risk, the signatories warn in a letter to the prime minister.

The intervention comes as nearly 200 countries are meeting in Bonn to thrash out a draft climate text ahead of a crunch summit in Paris later this year, and just two days after the G7 agreed to phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century.

The letter is also signed by Sky, Ikea, Coca-Cola, Kingfisher, Unilever and Thames Water, and asks Cameron to seek a “strong climate deal” in Paris that would avoid dangerous global warming.

The businesses, who say they want the UK economy to be energy efficient and low carbon, also call on the prime minister to make sure the the UK sets an ambitious carbon target at home for the early 2030s. Cameron had to personally intervene during the last parliament to agree the last carbon target, for 2023-2027, after George Osborne and other ministers had opposed it.

“We look forward to continuing to work with your government to deliver a cleaner, greener and more prosperous Britain,” says the letter, which was published in the FT on Wednesday.

David Nussbaum, WWF UK’s chief executive, said: “As we approach international climate talks, Britain should be a global champion for change, but a lack of consistent long-term policies sends a confusing message to business and undermines our attractiveness to investors. The prime minister should send a clear message that the only way forward is a green economy, and support forward-looking firms that want to build a clean economy.”

Today’s letter is the latest in a string of interventions by businesses over the UN climate talks, and follows a letter by big oil and gas companies including BP, Shell and Total last week calling for carbon pricing to help cut emissions.

The UK’s next carbon target, known as the fifth carbon budget, will cover the period 2028-2032, and is the next step forward in the UK’s legally-set target of cutting emissions 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels. The government’s climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, are expected to publish their recommendations for the target by the end of 2015.

The full list of signatories

Abundance

ACE

ADBA

ADE

Akzo Nobel

Aldersgate Group

Alpro

Aquamarine Power

Arup

Aviva

Baxi

Ben & Jerry’s

Bouygues

British Land

BT

BuroHappold

CISCO

Coca Cola GB

Coca Cola Enterprises

Daikin

Delta Energy & Environment

Diageo

Dong Energy

Eama

Ecuity

Eon

First Utility

Good Energy

Hammerson

IKEA

Infinergy

Infinis

Innocent

Instagroup

Interface

John Lewis Partnership

Johnson and Starley

Johnson Matthey

KeepMoat

Kensa Group

Kingfisher

Kinnarps

KiwiPower

Knauf Insulation

Mainstream Renewable Power

Mark Group

Marks & Spencer

MARS

Mitsubishi Electric

National Grid

NIA

Ovo

REA

RELX Group

REG

Renewable UK

RES

Rockwool

Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group

Scottish Renewables

SEA

Sky

Sodexo

Solstice

SSE

Saint-Gobain

STA

Tesco

Thames Water

Trillion Fund

Triodos Bank

UK Power Reserve

UKGBC

Unilever

Vattenfall

Viridian Solar

Wessex Water

Willmott Dixon

Worcester Bosch

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff