We Mean Business Coalition, together with our extended network of partners, catalyzes business and policy action to halve emissions by 2030 and accelerate an inclusive transition to a net zero economy.
The Coalition is a group of seven nonprofit organizations: BSR, CDP, Ceres, CLG Europe, Climate Group, The B Team and WBCSD. Together we catalyze business leadership and drive policy ambition to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.
I Mean Business
We collaborate with a core group of seven business-focused climate nonprofit organizations to accelerate the transition to a just and climate resilient net-zero economy. These founding partners help to deliver key initiatives and activities that are central to the success of the overall Coalition's bold objectives. Beyond this core group, we also collaborate with a wider network of organizations that help to realize our shared vision at speed and scale.
The Board is made up of the leaders of our coalition partners: BSR, CDP, Ceres, CLG Europe, Climate Group, The B Team, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It is co-chaired by leaders from global businesses at the forefront of corporate climate action.
MarÃa Mendiluce is the CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and brings 25 years of experience working in business, international organizations, academia and governments in sustainable development, energy and climate action.
BSRÂ is a sustainable business network and consultancy focused on creating a world in which all people can thrive on a healthy planet. With offices in Asia, Europe, and North America, BSRÂ provides its 300+ member companies with insight, advice, and collaborative initiatives to help them see a changing world more clearly, create long-term value, and scale impact.
Now is the time for all countries to commit to the 1.5ÂC trajectory, translate global goals to policies and deliver climate action in this critical decade. Accelerating action towards the 1.5ÂC objective of the Paris Agreement will help drive sustainable economic growth, build resilience and solidarity, and create new jobs as part of a just and inclusive transition. To achieve this, governments must work with business to drive systems transformation across Finance, Energy, Transport, Industry, the Built Environment, Land Use and Nature.
To finance the transition and encourage environmentally-aligned investment, markets need full information on climate risks and opportunities, clear pricing signals and policies, and public climate finance support. Public and private money must be spent to help countries accelerate towards a green and net zero economy to stimulate net-zero products, services and business models.
Adopt coherent policies across transport, energy and the built environment, and Work with business to accelerate investment in and deployment of infrastructure for reliable and seamless electric vehicle (EV) charging that is accessible to all.
Develop national and sub-national decarbonization and resilience roadmaps aiming to address whole lifecycle emissions and promote multi-stakeholder collaboration with cities, regions, businesses and civil society actors to accelerate action.
Businesses around the world are calling for governments to set bold, ambitious climate targets and enact stronger, clear policies to achieve them. These targets and policies give businesses the clarity and confidence they need to invest in and build the technologies, markets, and business models of the zero-carbon future.
In the US, over 75 U.S. businesses met with a bipartisan group of U.S. federal lawmakers to call on Congress to pass meaningful climate legislation, including a price on carbon (May 2019).
In the European Union, CEOs from more than 50 businesses, investors and business networks called on the EU to endorse a long-term decarbonisation strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 (May 2019).
The Ambition Loop
The Ambition Loop report by United Nations Global Compact, the We Mean Business coalition and World Resources Institute showcases specific examples where strong national policy measures built upon business leadership are spurring additional investments and climate action. Where policies are clear and strong, businesses are stepping up to do more and the pace of change is accelerating.
WMB Policy Z-Card: COP25
Leaders at the 25th UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) must urgently set clear policies and targets to help companies deliver the zero-carbon transition at the pace required. Read our infographic summary of what business is calling for at COP25.
As business leaders, we care deeply about the future of the U.S. and the health of its people and economy. Collectively, our businesses employ over 7 million American workers across all 50 states, representing over $4 trillion in annual revenue, and for those of us who are investors, we represent more than $1 trillion in assets under management. We join the majority of Americans in thanking you for re-entering the U.S into the Paris Agreement and for making climate action a vital pillar of your presidency. To restore the standing of the U.S. as a global leader, we need to address the climate crisis at the pace and scale it demands. Specifically, the U.S. must adopt an emissions reduction target that will place the country on a credible pathway to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
It is crucial that governments take the action necessary to keep global temperature rise to 1.5ÂC. Over 200 business leaders and major civil society voices reaffirm their own commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5ÂC and call on governments to urgently pursue delivery.
As business and civil society leaders, and representatives of science and communities around the world, we are committed to doing everything in our power to limit global warming to 1.5ÂC and avoid dangerous tipping points. Every fraction of a degree of global heating matters.
778 businesses representing US$2.7 trillion in annual revenue and employing 10 million people have called on G20 leaders, urging them to take action to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5ÂC. Read the full letter here and see the list of company signatories below.
At the same time, there are great opportunities to be harnessed through a carefully managed transition. Our businesses recognize the benefits of climate action. The right policy decisions taken today can drive further investments and spur business decisions in favour of climate solutions across G20 countries. We can build stronger, just, and more resilient economies: bringing prosperity and creating decent jobs while protecting health and the planet.
Many of our businesses have operations spanning multiple G20 countries. A harmonized policy environment across the G20 will enable us to collectively decarbonize our value chains, products and services, while supporting our shared climate and sustainable development goals. Governments can stimulate greater investments and reduce the risk of stranded assets through communicating clear and credible plans, setting consistent policies and implementing support measures for 1.5ÂC-aligned sustainable development across all sectors of the economy.
For further analysis of the European data, offering insights and business quotes on the EU, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK, the European Corporate Leaders Group (CLG Europe) has developed a separate briefing paper to accompany the report. It can be read and downloaded .
European Corporate Leaders Group (CLG Europe) CLG Europe is an influential and diverse group of European businesses driving leadership on measures to deliver climate neutrality, members include Unilever, Microsoft, Coca-Cola European Partners, Inga Group IKEA, Salesforce, EDF, DSM, ACCIONA, Iberdrola, Ferrovial, Interface, ROCKWOOL, Signify, Sky, Stora Enso and affiliates include, Eneco, Lloyds Banking Group, Anglian Water, Heathrow, HYBRIT, Thames Water and Tesco. CLG Europe is a founder member of the We Mean Business coalition.
The recent shifts in public opinion underline the growing need for businesses and policy makers to embrace the transition towards the zero-carbon economies of the future. The economies of tomorrow need the business and government leaders of today to demonstrate bold climate ambition and accelerate action.
Powerful advances are being made. New renewable electricity from unsubsidized wind and solar is now cheaper than coal in most countries. As costs fall and performance is enhanced, electric vehicle sales are rising at an exponential rate in many geographies. And businesses are innovating and implementing solutions at growing scale.
Policy makers can increasingly harness the momentum of business action on climate, as a key driver of emission reductions at the national level and a means to accelerate progress towards the zero-carbon economy.
When policymakers and businesses enable each other to go further and faster, the resulting ambition loops unlock maximum potential for impact and innovation. Now is the moment for policymakers to step up and work together with business to secure a zero-carbon future.
As the transition gathers pace, business and governments must ensure that no-one is left behind. This radical transformation must be managed to ensure that communities are thriving and economies are building resilience to the unavoidable impacts of climate change that have already begun. Those who most vulnerable must be treated with dignity and provided with opportunities and jobs in the new economy.
Amazon and the We Mean Business coalition are partnering to encourage companies to adopt more ambitious carbon emission reduction goals in several ways: accelerate their goals to meet The Climate Pledge; mobilize supply chains, including small- and medium-sized businesses, to take measurable action on climate change; and determine accountable means for companies to integrate nature-based solutions in their climate strategies.
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