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The document highlights a gap between current emission trends and the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping temperature rise 'well under 2°C'. It estimates that five specific business initiatives—Science Based Targets, EP100, RE100, Zero Deforestation, and the Low Carbon Technology Partnership Initiative (LCTPi)—could reduce emissions by 4.2bn to 10bn tonnes by 2030 if membership targets are met and supported by government policy. To achieve this, the author calls for consistent carbon pricing, renewable energy support, and tax breaks for R&D and low-energy investments.

The We Mean Business coalition argues that corporate climate leadership must integrate three pillars: Ambition (setting science-based targets), Action (transforming core business strategies and value chains), and Advocacy (pushing for pro-climate government policies). The report emphasizes that to avoid the sharply growing costs of temperature rises above 1.5°C, global emissions must halve by 2030, and businesses must transition to net-zero by 2050 at the latest. It highlights the necessity of independent verification, executive accountability, and a 'just transition' that considers social equity and workforce reskilling. The framework also stresses the importance of consistency in lobbying, urging companies to ensure their trade associations do not undermine their public climate commitments.

The We Mean Business coalition argues that corporate climate leadership is essential for long-term business success and global economic resilience. It defines leadership as the combination of science-based ambition, transformative business action, and pro-change policy advocacy, emphasizing that current levels of corporate action are insufficient to ensure a sustainable future.

The document outlines a strategic approach for companies to align with a 1.5°C temperature limit through three main pillars: direct action (such as setting science-based targets and addressing Scope 3 emissions), advocacy (including influencing trade associations and policy), and accountability (via transparent reporting and stakeholder engagement).

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on COP26 governments to commit to a 1.5°C trajectory, finalize robust Article 6 market rules, and ensure the delivery of $100 billion in climate finance for developing countries. The coalition emphasizes the need for a transparent Global Stocktake that includes private sector data and a clear process for establishing a Global Goal for Adaptation to build resilience across global supply chains.

The document provides a comprehensive analysis of carbon pricing mechanisms, specifically carbon taxes and emissions trading systems (ETS), within the Brazilian context. It evaluates international experiences, such as the EU ETS, to demonstrate that while short-term costs increase, long-term benefits include fostered innovation and business growth. The report details various macroeconomic studies on Brazil, suggesting that the negative impacts of emission restrictions can be minimized through revenue recycling and technological progress. It emphasizes the importance of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) and recommends that the Brazilian government establish a transparent climate governance structure. For companies, it suggests incorporating climate change into corporate strategy and adopting internal carbon pricing as a risk management tool.

The report analyzes the ESG reporting practices of 70 SMEs globally, categorized by size (micro to medium+) and sector. It highlights strengths in local community impact, water reporting in water-scarce regions, and detailed life-cycle analyses (LCAs) for specific products. While many SMEs use global frameworks like the SDGs, the report notes gaps in Scope 3 GHG emissions reporting and a continued reliance on narrative rather than quantitative disclosures in some cases.

The document outlines the role of business in achieving Indonesia's 2035 NDC, highlighting a USD 3.8 trillion investment opportunity. It identifies critical barriers such as regulatory uncertainty and fragmented institutional responsibilities, while proposing solutions across the power, industry, and transport sectors to align national policy with private sector readiness.

The document analyzes Japan's second NDC, submitted in February 2025, which targets greenhouse gas emission reductions of 60% by 2035 and 73% by 2040 relative to 2013 levels. The authors argue these targets are insufficient for a developed nation and fall below the global average required for the 1.5°C goal. The briefing emphasizes that Japan is currently off track for its 2030 goals and risks economic disadvantage by maintaining a reliance on fossil fuels. It calls for a rapid phase-out of coal by 2035, a significant increase in renewable energy capacity—potentially reaching 65-80% of electricity supply by 2035—and the implementation of a robust carbon pricing system via the GX-ETS with a binding emissions cap. The report also highlights the role of electrification, particularly through heat pumps and electric vehicles, and the strong support for more ambitious action from the Japanese business community.

The document argues that a just transition—maximizing economic and social benefits of climate action while minimizing risks—is essential for business productivity and community wellbeing. It presents 12 policy asks for governments, organized into five pillars: Governance and Frameworks, Skills and Workforce Transition, Stakeholder Engagement and Protection, Financing Just Transition, and Monitoring and Metrics. Key recommendations include integrating just transition frameworks into national climate strategies, investing in green job creation and reskilling, protecting marginalized groups and informal workers, providing government-backed financing to derisk private investment, and harmonizing sustainability disclosure standards.

The document asserts that clean energy technologies now have the potential to replace 75% of existing fossil fuel demand, with renewable electricity exceeding 40% of the global power mix in 2024. It highlights that solar and wind are increasingly cost-competitive, displacing over 650 TWh of fossil fuel use between 2023 and 2024. The report notes a strong business preference for renewables, with over 90% of polled executives viewing access to renewable electricity as critical for investment decisions. It specifically warns that oil demand is expected to peak and decline this decade as electric vehicles (EVs) scale, and that gas infrastructure risks becoming stranded as renewables and electrified heat reduce demand. Additionally, it identifies China as the first 'electrostate' due to its rapid electrification and clean tech production.

The Supplier Cascade is a methodology developed by the We Mean Business Coalition and partners to address the complexity of Scope 3 emissions. It encourages companies to ask their Tier 1 suppliers to make science-aligned net zero commitments, report progress annually, and repeat this process with their own suppliers to create a 'domino effect' of climate action. The guide outlines three specific requirements for implementation, provides a definition of credible commitments (aligned with 1.5°C), and suggests metrics for tracking progress, such as the percentage of suppliers by spend who have committed to net zero.

The Supplier Cascade is a framework developed by the We Mean Business Coalition and partners to address the difficulty of tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions, which often exceed 70% of a company's carbon footprint. It encourages companies to focus on their direct relationship with Tier 1 suppliers, asking them to set science-based targets, report progress annually, and require their own Tier 1 suppliers to do the same, creating a 'domino effect' of climate action. The guide outlines specific requirements for implementation, ranging from voluntary asks to best practices involving the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the SME Climate Hub, while emphasizing that the approach is designed to be scalable and manageable for procurement teams without requiring deep technical knowledge.

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.

Indian companies are investing heavily in energy efficiency to combat high energy prices and meet regulatory requirements. Data from CDP shows that between 2012 and 2013, companies invested nearly $1 billion in over 200 projects, achieving an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 12.7%. Key investments include industrial process improvements and heat recovery systems, with the latter yielding a 30% IRR. Government initiatives like the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme are significant drivers, with 50% of CDP-surveyed companies citing the scheme as a key strategic driver. The report highlights that adopting low-carbon technologies could reduce India's projected 2050 emissions from 7.8 GtCO2 to 2.4 GtCO2, though this would require annual investments between $200 billion and $400 billion.

Based on data from 1,763 companies, the report shows that low-carbon investments, particularly in energy efficiency and renewables, can deliver significant internal rates of return (IRR). It highlights that 'forward-thinking' companies—those aligning targets with climate science—outperform peers financially. However, it notes that most corporate targets remain insufficient to meet the 2°C global temperature rise limit, calling for stable, long-term policy frameworks to incentivize more expensive, transformational decarbonization.

The report finds that companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) achieve a high average internal rate of return (IRR) of 17% on low-carbon investments, significantly outperforming European companies. Energy efficiency measures are the primary driver of emissions reductions, delivering an average IRR of 16.7%. The document also highlights that LAC companies are setting emissions targets that are, on average, 14% more ambitious than science-based recommendations. It argues that this strong business case should encourage regional governments, particularly Peru, to push for more ambitious international climate agreements.

The report highlights that companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) achieve an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 17% on low-carbon investments, with energy efficiency projects specifically yielding 16.7%. It notes that the region's energy demand is 54% met by renewables and that LAC companies generate double the emission savings per dollar invested compared to those in the US. The document encourages the use of 'smart policies' such as cap-and-trade and renewable energy policies to further accelerate decarbonization.

The We Mean Business coalition seeks to align the private sector with the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming well below 2°C. The coalition focuses on three pillars: demonstrating business implementation of climate commitments, encouraging new corporate commitments, and advocating for government policies—such as carbon pricing and domestic legislation for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—that enable business leadership. It emphasizes the need for a 'virtuous circle' where NDCs drive business action, which in turn informs more ambitious NDCs. The document also calls for scaling up climate finance from billions to trillions and integrating the private sector into national adaptation plans and resilience strategies.

The document is a formal statement signed by a broad coalition of individuals, businesses, and civil society organizations calling for urgent government action to limit global warming to 1.5°C. It emphasizes that 1.5°C is a critical limit rather than a target and argues that current national pledges are insufficient to meet this goal. The signatories commit to a just transition and call for global emissions to be halved by 2030, highlighting the immediate impacts of climate change already visible in regions such as Pakistan, California, Europe, and Somalia.