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The report finds that while 92% of surveyed business leaders view reducing carbon emissions as an urgent priority, many struggle with the 'how' of decarbonization due to budget and technological constraints. Businesses increasingly view the voluntary carbon market (VCM) as a critical tool for immediate action, though concerns over greenwashing and market transparency persist. While science-based targets are widely supported, there is a significant demand for clearer, more realistic guidance to help organizations meet their 2030 and 2050 goals.

The Corporate Climate Stocktake 2023 reveals that while clean technology adoption is accelerating in sectors like power and road transport, systemic barriers—including infrastructure gaps, high 'green premiums', and workforce shortages—persist. The report argues that national emissions targets alone are insufficient and calls for multilateral coordination of industrial policy and sector-specific strategies to drive the diffusion of clean technologies.

The report analyzes the 2022 reporting practices of 100 large EU companies, finding that while adoption is high, significant issues exist regarding the precision of legislation, the complexity of reporting forms, and the relevance of defined activities for many sectors. It highlights a discrepancy between the eligibility reported by financial and non-financial companies and recommends simplifying reporting requirements and clarifying key legal terms.

The We Mean Business Coalition views the COP15 Kunming-Montreal agreement as a historic step toward protecting and restoring 30% of the planet by 2030, signaling that nature must be integrated into corporate climate transition plans. While welcoming the framework, the Coalition criticizes Target 15 for failing to mandate nature-related disclosures, instead using language that only 'encourage[s], enable[s] and ensure[s]' such actions, which may lead to an uneven global playing field.

The guide outlines five principles for corporate climate leadership: reducing emissions in own business, cutting land-based emissions in value chains, investing in nature-based solutions beyond value chains, ensuring responsible policy engagement, and reporting transparently. It emphasizes that investments in nature-based solutions, such as high-quality carbon credits, must complement rather than replace deep decarbonization efforts. The document argues that scaling these investments is essential to meet Paris Agreement goals, noting that nature-based solutions currently receive only 3% of climate finance despite representing about 30% of the climate solution.

The We Mean Business Coalition expresses disappointment that COP27 failed to include a proposal to phase down all fossil fuels, despite recognizing the 1.5°C limit. While the Coalition welcomes progress on financial support for vulnerable communities, the recognition of a just transition to renewable energy, and the role of business in the 2030 Work Program, it warns that current national commitments are insufficient to drive the necessary emissions reductions by 2030.

The We Mean Business Coalition asserts that current government commitments are insufficient, putting the world on track for over 2.5°C of warming. The author calls for COP27 to translate G20 agreements into a science-based plan of action, emphasizing the need for a just transition away from all fossil fuels, streamlined permitting for renewables, and a reformed global financial system using ISSB standards as a baseline.

The We Mean Business Coalition, representing over 9,000 companies, calls for COP27 cover decisions to explicitly support a just energy transition away from all fossil fuels, not just coal, to align with the 1.5°C warming limit.

The We Mean Business Coalition's "4 As of Climate Leadership" framework provides a strategic guide for companies to achieve net-zero emissions. It emphasizes setting science-based targets (Ambition), integrating climate goals into core business operations and supply chains (Action), aligning corporate lobbying with climate targets (Advocacy), and maintaining transparent ESG reporting (Accountability).

The We Mean Business Coalition calls for the urgent delivery of the $100 billion annual climate finance commitment to developing countries and the implementation of market signals to steer private capital toward net zero. The coalition emphasizes the need for reforming fossil fuel subsidies, implementing carbon pricing, and mandating transparent, comparable sustainability reporting standards aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to prevent greenwashing and facilitate sustainable investment.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls for governments and corporations at COP27 to support SMEs in the energy transition. It highlights that SMEs are disproportionately affected by climate impacts and energy costs, and urges the implementation of policies to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewables, increase investment in climate innovation, and provide accessible tax credits and incentives similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The 2022 analysis by Ceres indicates that while half of the S&P 100 companies have lobbied for at least one Paris-aligned climate policy in the last three years, few companies are addressing the obstructive role of their trade associations regarding climate action.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls for urgent global action at COP27 to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, advocating for a partnership between business and government to halve global emissions by 2030. The Coalition emphasizes the need for a sectoral Mitigation Work Programme, scaled-up adaptation finance for vulnerable nations, and the fulfillment of the US$100 billion annual climate finance commitment.

The guide defines Climate Transition Action Plans (CTAPs) as forward-looking, near-term action plans distinct from backward-looking ESG disclosures. It establishes four core components for a comprehensive CTAP: emissions reduction strategies, governance and business strategy integration, public policy advocacy, and just transition. To support implementation, the document provides a foundations checklist, a CTAP template, and a progress template, emphasizing that these plans must be iterative and grounded in science-based targets to ensure corporate climate credibility.

The report highlights a disparity in G20 funding, with USD 470 billion committed to fossil fuels since 2020 compared to USD 424 billion for clean energy. While some G20 nations show strength in corporate access to renewables and policy frameworks, their overall renewable energy ambitions and net zero targets are described as lagging.

The document identifies industrial heat as a significant contributor to global energy demand and proposes 'Heat as a Service' (HaaS) to address the high capital costs and low returns associated with sustainable heat solutions. Under HaaS, a third party invests in and operates low-carbon assets, selling the resulting energy via long-term agreements.

The We Mean Business Coalition and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development argue that the current draft of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) risks flooding the market with incomplete information. They advocate for alignment with the International Sustainable Standards Board (ISSB) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to ensure global comparability and reduce the reporting burden. The authors specifically criticize the 'rebuttable presumptions' concept and the lack of maturity in certain KPIs, such as biodiversity offsets, suggesting a phased-in approach for less mature metrics to prevent greenwashing and maintain investor trust.

The We Mean Business Coalition and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development advocate for the alignment of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) with International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) global standards to reduce reporting burdens and confusion. They call for clearer guidance on the double materiality approach and a phased implementation of disclosure requirements, prioritizing mature KPIs to allow companies time to establish necessary data collection systems.

The guide defines demand signal initiatives as campaigns and alliances that commit companies and public bodies to purchasing net-zero products and services, thereby incentivizing supply-side investment. It outlines a five-step process for setting up these initiatives, identifies key target audiences across the value chain, and provides a case study on the steel industry and a list of existing global initiatives such as SteelZero and the First Movers Coalition.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that the 2022 G7 Summit missed a critical opportunity to provide the clear policy signals and concrete actions needed to accelerate the energy transition. While acknowledging the reaffirmation of power system decarbonization by 2035 and the welcome of the International Sustainability Standards Board, the Coalition warns that emergency responses to replace Russian gas must not lock nations into new fossil fuel infrastructure. The statement calls for specific measures, including 70% renewable power by 2030, increased energy efficiency, and the scaling of heat pump technology, to align with Paris Agreement objectives.