Newsroom: World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

It’s a good moment to take stock of our efforts to fight the world’s climate crisis.

12 December marked the five-year anniversary of the signature of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP21 – a landmark moment in the international efforts to hold global temperature increases to safe levels. To mark the event the UN, along with COP26 host countries UK and Italy, held a virtual Climate Ambition Summit for world political leaders for urging all nations to strengthen their commitments for a net zero world.  Net zero was the “landing zone” for the COP26 Action plan that I helped develop as President-designate, and it was so good to see multiple speakers recognizing the target, raising ambition and committing to real action.

Over the past five years we have seen real progress at the government level with the UK, France and many other countries legislating for climate neutrality by 2050. We are conducting an unparalleled chemical experiment with the global atmosphere upon which all life depends and the implications for nature, health, land use, migration, settlement patterns and investment become clearer every year. To keep the world at a safe operating space with no more than a 1.5 °C temperature rise we must halve GHG emissions every decade between now and 2050.  Without rapid, urgent and collaborative action between business, governments (and the financial system and citizens) we will not reach these targets.

So on this important anniversary and at a crucial turning point for climate action, WBCSD calls on business and governments to “double down” on their commitments to implementing bold, sustained climate action.

To turn all commitments and targets into reality, with COP26 as one of the upcoming key milestones, we call on businesses and governments to work better together to accelerate the key solutions for a net zero world