We Mean Business Coalition’s Post

Everything, everywhere, all at once! Faced with issues like climate change, many people feel that the sometimes trivial things they are asked to do, like turning off light bulbs, do not match the godlike global catastrophic scale of the problems. This can leave people feeling discouraged, like their actions are hollow and insignificant. As a successful sustainability consultant, I have witnessed many ordinary people delivering extraordinary projects, not because they were doing what was easiest, but because they believed in what they were doing. I call this Heroic Sustainability. Sustainability has transformed the basis of how business is done in many organisations and projects around the world. A fundamental principal of heroic sustainability is to look at your legacy. How can your work, projects, and your organisation leave the world a better place through difficult but important activities. The many sustainability approaches and sustainable technologies that have been developed in since the 1970's have given us new tools and insights into humanity's relationship with nature, and insights into how we can undertake economic activity in a way that is life enhancing: this means products and services that support biodiversity, reduce impacts on water and the atmosphere, and which are socially and environmentally responsible. We now know we have the power to transform our world. Whether this is for a lean green future, or for a boiled climate nightmare scenario is up to our willingness to make difficult decisions. We will not save the world by turning off light bulbs - we need the transformational sustainable technology we have developed over the last two decades. The solutions have arrived, and now that we have proved the technology works, and that the business case is clear, what is next? Usefully the UN Secretary General António Guterres has an answer: "our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once" Is it time to define, document or refine your organisation's zero emissions transition plan? Get in touch @ https://buff.ly/3Ecinv3 Read the UN call to heroic action in detail here: Secretary-General Calls on States to Tackle Climate Change ‘Time Bomb’ through New Solidarity Pact, Acceleration Agenda, at Launch of Intergovernmental Panel Report | UN Press #GBCA #GSAP #GreenStar #Precincts #ZeroEmissions #Transition #GreenStarCommunities #CommunitiesV2 #Electrification #GreenCities

Everything, everywhere, all at once! Faced with overwhelming issues like climate change, many people feel that the sometimes trivial things they are asked to do, like turning off light bulbs, do not match the godlike global catastrophic scale of the problems. This can leave people feeling discouraged, like their actions are hollow and insignificant. As a successful sustainability consultant, I have witnessed many ordinary people delivering extraordinary projects, not because they were doing what was easiest, but because they believed in what they were doing. I call this Heroic Sustainability. Sustainability has transformed the basis of how business is done in many organisations and projects around the world. A fundamental principal of heroic sustainability is to look at your legacy. How can your work, projects, and your organisation leave the world a better place through difficult but important activities. The many sustainability approaches and sustainable technologies that have been developed in since the 1970's have given us new tools and insights into humanity's relationship with nature, and insights into how we can undertake economic activity in a way that is life enhancing: this means products and services that support biodiversity, reduce impacts on water and the atmosphere, and which are socially and environmentally responsible. We now know we have the power to transform our world. Whether this is for a lean green future, or for a boiled climate nightmare scenario is up to our willingness to make difficult decisions. We will not save the world by turning off light bulbs - we need the transformational sustainable technology we have developed over the last two decades. The solutions have arrived, and now that we have proved the technology works, and that the business case is clear, what is next? Usefully the UN Secretary General António Guterres has an answer: "our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once" Is it time to define, document or upgrade your organisation's zero emissions transition plan? Get in touch. Read the UN call to heroic action in detail here: Secretary-General Calls on States to Tackle Climate Change ‘Time Bomb’ through New Solidarity Pact, Acceleration Agenda, at Launch of Intergovernmental Panel Report | UN Press #GBCA #GSAP #GreenStar #Precincts #ZeroEmissions #Transition #GreenStarCommunities #CommunitiesV2 #Electrification #GreenCities

As we head into COP 28, my colleague Suvranil and I write about GDI's work in the climate space, doubling down on adaptation efforts especially in Asia and Africa, and more. Suvranil Majumdar

🌍 Climate Week NYC 2023 🌎 The UN Climate Change High-Level Champions concluded Climate Week NYC 2023, highlighting progress in adaptation and decarbonization. Yet, the call for urgent action on just finance and nature-based solutions echoes loudly. 📅 This annual event, held from September 17-24, united global leaders, businesses, and civil society. Discussions covered critical themes, emphasizing the importance of climate financing for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. 🌱 Notable highlights included advancing the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, launching the Insurance Adaptation Acceleration Initiative, and Delhi's commitment to the Race to Resilience. The Mangrove Breakthrough gained support from the UAE and Salesforce, highlighting nature's role in climate efforts. 💼 Finance and technology played key roles. Talks on "Regional Platforms for Climate Projects" stressed concessional finance for developing countries. Banks' role in a net-zero future was underlined. 🌿 Protecting nature is crucial. Nature-based solutions can address a significant part of our mitigation needs. Collaboration among governments, investors, businesses, and Indigenous Peoples is key. 💡 A $10 trillion opportunity in nature-positive business models was identified. Urgent regulatory strengthening and enhanced public finance actions are required. 🌐 Meaningful inclusion is central. Indigenous values, gender inclusivity, and youth involvement are priorities. 🔜 The High-Level Champions will continue their work at UN Regional Climate Weeks, building momentum for COP28 in Dubai. The FAST Infra Label is set to be a critical framework for promoting sustainable infrastructure and financing solutions in the fight against climate change. Read more: fastinfralabel.org Pinsent Masons Global Infrastructure Hub ACCIONA Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) AECOM FinDev Canada Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation Bloomberg Marie Lam - Frendo Hayden Morgan FIEMA Louis Downing Edith Guedella Bustamante Andy Deacon Robert Spencer Lori Kerr Niko Gachechyladze #ClimateAction #ClimateWeekNYC #Sustainability #COP28 #NatureBasedSolutions

Coinciding with the UN General Assembly, Climate Week NYC 2023 was held between 17-24 Sep. What began as a humble event in 2009 has blossomed into a global summit, bringing together leaders, activists, and experts from across the world. This shows the progress made in placing climate change at the forefront of global agendas. Since its inception, Climate Week has been meant to foreshadow COP a few months later, which this year will be held in Dubai. As CEO Helen Clarkson of Climate Group and host of Climate Week NYC put it during the Opening Ceremony, "The responsibility rests squarely with all of us – there's safety and power in numbers. It’s no longer a few visionaries – it's all of us, and We Can. We Will." This is a shared responsibility for our planet's well-being. Despite some big wins, we’re still not reducing emissions fast enough. One of the standout topics was the intersection of climate and health. Highlighting how climate change is already affecting our health, from extreme weather events to disruptions in food systems. Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, co-founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, emphasized, "Avoiding climate catastrophe is the work of our lifetimes." We must prioritize the health of our planet to safeguard our own. The week also saw major announcements from over 250 companies and non-profit organizations calling for tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unveiled new voluntary principles for financial institutions and investors to achieve their net zero goals. Crucially, these nine principles call for the private sector to go beyond setting goals by adopting transition plans — detailed sets of actions, measurements, and methods for achieving those goals. Many investors and companies already published transition plans, but this announcement by the world's largest economy will likely help accelerate their adoption. Yet, decarbonizing the economy while addressing energy deficits, especially in developing nations, remains a complex issue. It requires innovative financing mechanisms, reforms in international institutions, and a commitment to equity in climate finance. Despite the challenges, I remain optimistic. In the words of Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC "It’s a simple message, it’s about action, it’s about doing. We know what needs to be done." This clarity of purpose is what will propel us forward. #ClimateWeekNYC #ClimateAction #Sustainability #GlobalCollaboration Source:https: //https://lnkd.in/gAej6kAS

The Good Board and London Climate Action Week As an international executive search and leadership firm and B Corp committed to being a carbon neutral business, we believe every organisation and leader has the potential to be both commercially successful and a force for good in the world. We have been following this years’ London Climate Action Week which has focussed on the road to COP30, financing the global climate transition, delivering Net Zero, and mobilising social action. Key messages from this week’s festival have shown positive momentum, with this article really standing out to us “A New Phase for Climate Action” https://lnkd.in/eiNKShpj “Only 10 years ago there was no universal goal for emissions reductions, or a temperature rise limit. No country had committed to achieving net-zero emissions, energy investment was dominated by fossil fuels and electric vehicles were a niche sector. Now more than 90% of the global economy is covered by a net-zero goal and countries are aligning around the 1.5°C temperature goal. Companies are competing for green investment and the energy transition is well underway. “This year investment in clean energy surpassed fossil fuels and is growing 30% every year.” During a time when the public narrative can be so divisive, it is especially important to recognise and celebrate progress – while still acknowledging the scale of the challenge. One of the key themes from this week which has resonated most strongly at The Good Board is collaboration. Collaboration between leaders and businesses working together across sectors and systems to create positive change and to be a force for good in the world. #LCAW2024  

I had the pleasure on behalf of the Bezos Earth Fund to collaborate with a group of thought leaders during the course of 2023 to identify key barriers to implementing climate solutions with speed and scale. These deliberations were part of the 17 Rooms Initiative. At this pivotal moment of COP28 UAE just commencing - we pulled our thoughts together in the below published column (see link below). Our main takeaway is : The main challenge for addressing climate change a decade ago was how to develop low-cost, low-carbon solutions such as wind or solar power. Since that hurdle has been cleared, we now need to focus on social dimensions to deploying solutions quickly and at large-scale.

$31 trillion aligned to quest to net zero The coalition “Mission 2025” launched today, which includes mayors, governors, CEOs, investors, and residents, has launched a campaign urging governments to align their national climate plans with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C. This initiative is timed less than a year before the critical February 2025 deadline when countries must submit enhanced climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions) for 2025-2035 to the United Nations. The campaign emphasizes the urgency and the need for ambitious and immediate action to meet global climate targets. Mission 2025’s statement, endorsed by C40 Cities, has been co-signed by leading organizations and companies such as IKEA, Unilever and The B Team among others. These organizations highlight the significant progress already being made towards a 1.5°C-aligned economy, with new data showing that over two-thirds of the world's largest companies' revenues (amounting to US$31 trillion) are now aligned with net zero targets. This represents a 45% increase in just two years. Additionally, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development) reports that 55 companies with combined revenues of over US$4.4 trillion have published transition plans consistent with science-based pathways. Mission 2025 also responds to analyses by the Energy Transitions Commission, which show that the rapidly falling costs of clean technologies and the feasibility of other solutions mean countries can almost triple their ambition and put the world on a 2°C pathway. This is based on the progress made since the last climate plans were submitted in 2021. Christiana Figueres, Co-Founder of Global Optimism, and Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, both stress that the coalition’s ambitious stance should give governments the confidence to align their 2025 climate plans with the Paris Agreement, leveraging local and regional efforts to create a just and prosperous future. The launch of Mission 2025 is a timely indication by the industry as it underscores the increasing feasibility and urgency of achieving climate targets through technological advancements and existing momentum. With the February 2025 deadline approaching, the coalition's call to action highlights the critical need for enhanced commitments and collaborative efforts across all sectors. This unified stance from major economic leaders sends a powerful message that rapid and ambitious climate action is not only necessary but also achievable and beneficial, paving the way for a sustainable and equitable global economy. #economy #co2 #emissions #decarbonisation #co2emissions #sustainability #esg We Mean Business Coalition

Corporate Climate Stocktake 2023: Private Sector Progress, Barriers, and Opportunities for Net Zero We Mean Business Coalition UNFCCC UN United Nations #climateaction #energytransition #privatesector #ESG #ESGNews

Fantastic coverage of our University of Cambridge COP28 event with Sir David King from the Cambridge Independent. 📰 This quote from Sir David really encapsulates the mindset shift we are trying to achieve at COP28, and with international climate advocacy in general: “As we increase consumerism in our own society, no longer faced with human wellbeing, it becomes just consumerism almost for its own sake – we are destroying the planet because we’re using all of its resources in that way. We have to have an economic system that advances beyond this and acknowledges the importance of something called the public good... [the public good] goes into our ecosystems, biodiversity – it goes into everything that acknowledges that we’re a part of nature, and we’re destroying ourselves as we destroy nature." 🌲 https://lnkd.in/eNiCYb7t #CISL #COP28 #climatechange #climateaction Maeve Campbell Beverley Cornaby Aoife Blanchard Isabelle Cross Adele Williams Maisie Ormrod Eliot Whittington