THE BUSINESS BRIEF

The We Mean Business coalition outlines eight key policy asks for the COP21 Paris Agreement to ensure the transition to a low carbon economy is "inevitable, irreversible and irresistible." The brief argues that a clear, ambitious legal framework is essential to provide the policy certainty businesses and investors need to allocate capital toward decarbonization. Key recommendations include a long-term goal of net zero emissions well before the end of the century, five-year cycles for strengthening national commitments, the adoption of meaningful carbon pricing, and the scaling of climate finance beyond the USD$100 billion annual pledge. The document also emphasizes the need for transparency, high-ambition national commitments, political parity between mitigation and adaptation, and enhanced private sector engagement in pre-2020 ambition through Workstream 2.

• The coalition calls for a long-term mitigation goal to reach net zero global greenhouse gas emissions well before the end of the century to hold warming below 2°C, supported by national decarbonization strategies to 2050.
• To maintain pace with private sector innovation, governments should return to negotiations every five years to strengthen emissions reduction commitments, starting in 2020.
• The document advocates for the express support of carbon pricing via taxes or markets to provide a financial signal for low carbon innovation and to ensure environmental integrity through standardized accounting rules.
• While calling for the fulfillment of the Copenhagen pledge to mobilize USD$100 billion per year by 2020, the brief notes that the low carbon economy requires trillions of dollars in investment, necessitating policy environments that drive private climate finance.
• A robust transparency system with shared accounting and reporting rules is requested to hold governments accountable and help businesses identify regulatory risks and opportunities.
• The brief argues that national commitments for 2025 or 2030 should be set at the highest possible level of ambition to ensure a level playing field for business competitiveness worldwide.
• Adaptation must be treated with the same political urgency as mitigation, with national adaptation plans developed in consultation with the private sector to leverage finance and build resilience.
• The coalition seeks to increase pre-2020 ambition through Workstream 2 of the Durban Platform, proposing the appointment of two high-level champions to facilitate the launch of new voluntary initiatives and coalitions.

APA

We Mean Business Coalition (n.d.). THE BUSINESS BRIEF. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Business-Brief.pdf

Chicago

We Mean Business Coalition. THE BUSINESS BRIEF. n.d. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Business-Brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=We Mean Business Coalition |title=THE BUSINESS BRIEF |url=https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Business-Brief.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wemeanbusinesscoalitionndbusiness, author = {{We Mean Business Coalition}}, title = {{THE BUSINESS BRIEF}}, institution = {We Mean Business Coalition}, url = {https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Business-Brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }