WBCSD and CEBDS Join Forces to Deliver Business Impact on the Road to COP30

MONTREUX, Switzerland – The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) today unveiled a new partnership to deliver impactful business engagement and actionable outcomes toward UNFCCC COP30.

Over the next 18 months, WBCSD and CEBDS will work together to mobilize the private sector in Brazil and the international business community, delivering a high-ambition action agenda to keep 1.5 C alive and drive implementation.

At the heart of this partnership is a commitment from WBCSD and CEBDS to support the COP Presidencies by mobilizing business action and developing a number of major outcomes in key value chains by COP30 that would not succeed without business engagement, for instance, to support the Amazon ecosystem and to accelerate green industrialization. The goals also include strengthening the relationship between CEBDS and WBCSD for longer-term impact and streamlining coordination between the Parties on common work areas, such as equity and regenerative agriculture.

Over the next two years, Brazil will take center stage on the global sustainability agenda, holding the 2024 G20, 2025 BRICS, and UNFCCC COP30 Presidencies. The UNFCCC COP30 in Belém will be a historic moment as the Amazon, a vital ecosystem for climate action and biodiversity, will become the backdrop for a UNFCCC COP for the first time. The partnership will deliver private sector support of “Mission 1.5°C”, launched by the Troika of UNFCCC COP Presidencies and build momentum during major milestones this year, including at CBD COP16 in Cali and UNFCCC COP29 in Baku.

An example of this partnership is the Net Zero Platform, a program that provides comprehensive guidance to support Brazilian companies in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The initiative will help accelerate climate actions at all levels that influence companies’ ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: within the companies themselves, across value chains, in national public policies, and in international net zero standards.

The private sector is one of the key driving forces behind the implementation of ambitious solutions in support of the Paris Agreement and the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. The role of business was prominently highlighted in the outcome of the Global Stocktake at UNFCCC COP28, which emphasized the need for stronger cooperation between governments, businesses, finance and civil society to accelerate progress. Together, WBCSD and CEBDS have over 27 years of engagement in sustainable development, working with ambitious businesses across all sectors and value chains.

WBCSD works with 230+ major multinational businesses, driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well within planetary boundaries. CEBDS has a membership of 110+ major companies headquartered or with a major footprint in Brazil, with approximately R$4 trillion combined revenues. Both WBCSD and CEBDS work across the sustainability imperatives of climate, nature, and equity and combine CEO-level engagement with technical capabilities to drive action and implementation.

Commenting on the partnership, Peter Bakker, President & CEO of WBCSD, said: “I am thrilled to be partnering with Marina Grossi and her exceptional team at CEBDS. This partnership will unite two organizations with a rich history in sustainable development to drive impactful business engagement and action toward COP30. Brazil has an incredibly important role to play on the global stage over two years and it is equally vital that we drive ambitious private sector support to achieve the outcomes on finance, equity, land use and industrial transformation that we need to deliver on Mission 1.5oC. WBCSD and CEBDS are committed to leveraging our expertise with the private sector to secure robust and ambitious outcomes that address climate change, halt nature loss and reduce inequality.”

“Brazil is a very well-positioned country to achieve a just transition to a net-zero economy with a positive impact on nature by 2030 due to our natural advantages. As such, we have the potential to contribute to global warming mitigation significantly. This partnership between CEBDS and WBCSD will be important in working to strengthen the role of the Brazilian business sector at the forefront of sustainable development, with active participation in shaping public policies and adopting practices that reduce its impact on the environment” said Marina Grossi, President, CEBDS.