We Mean Business

We Mean Business

We Mean Business is an international coalition that brings together corporate social responsibility, non-governmental organizations, philanthropy networks and business coalitions to accelerate corporate climate action. Founded amid global negotiations such as the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference and in the context of campaigns like the Paris Agreement, the coalition has engaged with multinational corporations, investor groups and national policymaker forums to align greenhouse gas reduction goals with market strategies. Its activities intersect with initiatives led by entities including the World Resources Institute, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Background and formation

We Mean Business formed in 2014 as a response to escalating international attention to climate change negotiations, including momentum generated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and preparatory work toward the Paris Agreement. Founding partners included established organizations such as the CDP (organisation), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, drawing on networks from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and influential corporate actors from sectors represented in forums like the World Economic Forum. The coalition’s genesis mirrored trends in corporate engagement seen in campaigns involving the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition and advocacy by investor networks like the Principles for Responsible Investment.

Mission and objectives

The coalition’s stated mission emphasizes accelerating corporate commitments to limit global warming consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and the parameters of the Paris Agreement. Objectives have included mobilizing chief executive officers and board of directors to set science-based targets promoted by the Science Based Targets initiative, advocating for ambitious nationally determined contributions alongside frameworks from the International Energy Agency, and scaling low-carbon solutions common to portfolios of firms linked to the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank Group. The effort aligns corporate transition plans with reporting standards influenced by entities such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and regulatory developments in jurisdictions represented by the European Commission and United States Department of the Treasury.

Campaigns and initiatives

We Mean Business has coordinated multiple high-profile campaigns that encouraged corporate adoption of net-zero pledges, renewable procurement, and deforestation-free supply chains. Initiatives promoted partners like the RE100 renewable pledge, the EP100 energy productivity campaign, and the Supply Chain Leadership Coalition models echoed in projects by the Global Reporting Initiative and the Science Based Targets initiative. Campaign activities intersected with events such as the UN Climate Action Summit, the G20 Summit, and the COP21 negotiations, and leveraged investor mobilizations similar to those by the Climate Action 100+ alliance. Programs targeted sectors exposed in analyses by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Energy Agency, and advocacy platforms used by the Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.

Partnerships and membership

Membership and partnerships have included a wide array of multinational corporations, investor groups, and non-profit organizations from networks like the Business Roundtable, the B Team, and the International Chamber of Commerce. Corporate partners have spanned technology firms comparable to Microsoft Corporation and Google LLC, consumer goods companies similar to Unilever and Nestlé S.A., and energy companies analogous to Ørsted and Iberdrola. Institutional partners and funders have included foundations and philanthropy actors such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and regional development institutions in the orbit of the World Bank. The coalition also engaged with city-level initiatives connected to C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and investor networks like the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change.

Impact and criticism

Supporters credit the coalition with helping to mainstream corporate climate commitments, contributing to widespread adoption of net-zero targets and participation in reporting regimes influenced by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the Science Based Targets initiative. Its influence is often cited alongside market shifts documented by the International Energy Agency and investment flows tracked by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Critics, including analysts associated with research centers and NGOs such as Friends of the Earth and environmental investigative outlets, argue that voluntary pledges may fall short without binding policy measures like those advocated at COP summits and by regulatory bodies such as the European Commission. Commentators have highlighted tensions similar to debates involving the Carbon Disclosure Project and questioned accountability mechanisms compared with statutory frameworks promoted by entities like the International Labour Organization and finance ministries in OECD member states.

Category:Climate change organizations