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The We Mean Business Coalition supports the European Commission's proposed Climate Law amendment, which sets a 90% emissions reduction target for 2040. The Coalition argues that this target provides necessary predictability for businesses and enhances competitiveness, while urging that the Clean Industrial Deal be linked to this goal. It further advocates for the 2040 target to inform a 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of at least 72.5% and suggests that high-quality international carbon credits used after 2036 could provide essential finance for developing countries.

The document advocates for the full implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), arguing that they are essential for the European Green Deal and sustainable finance. It warns that arbitrary reductions in reporting obligations would create legal uncertainty and undermine the ability of investors to allocate capital to the green transition. The authors emphasize that the standards already include significant flexibility through materiality assessments and phase-in periods, and they propose improving usability through practical guidance, capacity building for Member States, and the development of sector-specific standards.

A joint open letter from civil society organizations criticizes the Draghi report for neglecting the societal and environmental costs of the chemicals industry, misrepresenting EU regulatory processes like REACH, and overlooking the availability of safer alternatives to PFAS.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls for COP28 to establish clear fossil fuel phase-out deadlines, sector-specific targets, and more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The coalition emphasizes the need for increased finance for nature-based solutions, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and global financial system reforms to ensure a just transition.

The document argues that current GHG Protocol Scope 2 rules are insufficient for impactful decision-making due to a lack of temporal and geographic granularity. The signatories propose a three-part framework for modernization: updating the Location-Based Method with more granular data, improving the Market-Based Method through stricter time- and location-matching requirements to align with physical electricity deliverability, and introducing new, separate consequential impact disclosures to reflect the actual atmospheric emissions resulting from a buyer's actions.

The Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) provides feedback on a draft WTO statement for MC13, urging members to move from identifying actions to advancing concrete commitments. TESS recommends strengthening the document's environmental credibility, specifically by cautioning against the promotion of certain bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) and emphasizing the needs of developing countries and small island developing states (SIDS). The statement advocates for increased transparency in trade flows, enhanced capacity building for manufacturing sustainable substitutes, and closer alignment with the ongoing international plastics treaty process and the Basel Convention.

The letter details systemic labor abuses at Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. (PSSI), including the illegal employment of over 100 children in hazardous roles and a high rate of severe workplace injuries. It argues that Blackstone's financial management—extracting $430 million in dividends while increasing PSSI's debt by $530 million—contributes to these risks. The signatories demand a meeting to discuss risk management and the implementation of ten specific worker protections, including living wages and safe working conditions.

The We Mean Business Coalition welcomes the Glasgow Climate Pact as a vital framework for keeping global warming to 1.5°C, noting that it provides the certitude needed for business to scale up climate solutions. The coalition emphasizes the need to fast-track the implementation of national plans and pledges, specifically calling for the phase-out of coal-fired power by 2030 for advanced economies and 2040 for others, and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The statement highlights the importance of the Net-Zero Standard from the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), the creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) for global reporting, and the agreement on Article 6 rules for carbon markets to drive deep decarbonization.

The Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC), representing major UK seafood buyers, argues that the Fisheries Bill as drafted contains weaknesses that could undermine the sustainability of UK fisheries. The coalition calls for legal commitments to set fishing limits at or below maximum sustainable yield (MSY), the implementation of remote electronic monitoring (REM) across all vessel sizes, and a commitment to co-manage shared stocks based on scientific advice to avoid overfishing and illegal fishing.

A group of European NGOs expresses dismay at the lack of progress within ICAO regarding a global market-based measure (MBM) for aviation emissions. They call on the EU to demand an in-principle decision at the 38th Assembly to implement a global MBM by 2016 at the latest, warning that deferring the issue for another three years would be an "abrogation of ICAO responsibility." The NGOs advocate for a transparent process to define technical aspects and emission reduction unit quality, while supporting specific exemptions for developing countries and a geographical scope based on departing flights.

A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) argues that the current timeline for selecting permanent active observers for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is insufficient to ensure inclusivity and transparency. The groups cite a lack of disseminated requirements, incomplete accreditation, and uncertain financial support for Southern participants as primary barriers. They propose selecting temporary observers for the June 2013 board meeting in South Korea while calling for a formal, independent selection process—similar to that used by the Climate Investment Funds—to be established for permanent representatives.

Carbon Market Watch outlines its priorities for the high-level panel reviewing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), emphasizing the need for the panel to assess the mechanism's impact on mitigation and sustainable development, ensure environmental integrity among co-existing market mechanisms, and improve stakeholder involvement.

A joint NGO statement arguing that the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) must remove the overlap with free ETS allowances, expand its sectoral scope, provide special considerations for vulnerable nations, and redirect all revenues to international climate finance to avoid being a 'protectionist' measure.

TESS supports the WTO's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP) and its draft Ministerial Statement for MC13, emphasizing that trade policies are essential tools for addressing plastic pollution. TESS advocates for a post-MC13 workplan that includes 'deep-dive sessions' on challenges like single-use plastics and sachets, particularly focusing on the needs of developing countries, LDCs, and SIDS. The statement also highlights TESS's upcoming initiatives, including a panel at MC13 and a seminar with the World Customs Organization on Harmonized System (HS) amendments.

TESS supports the revised draft Ministerial Statement for the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), noting its evolution from identifying issues to agreeing on voluntary international cooperation. The statement emphasizes the need for trade-related capacity building for developing members, including LDCs, SVEs, and SIDS, and suggests that the DPP's work should complement the negotiations for a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution. TESS also promotes its own policy research on standards, single-use plastics, and waste management technologies to inform the dialogue.

The Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) provided a statement at the WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution (DPP) pre-plenary meeting on 13 June 2024. TESS advocates for narrowing the DPP's scope to achieve concrete, actionable outcomes, specifically focusing on harmonizing definitions of single-use plastics, reforming HS nomenclature for better visibility of problematic plastics, and promoting trade in environmentally sound waste management technologies.

Indonesian civil society organizations argue that the EUDR is an insufficient unilateral measure that fails to address the root causes of deforestation, lacks strong human rights protections, and risks marginalizing smallholders while ignoring the role of financial institutions.