WBCSD and CEBDS join forces to deliver business impact for COP30 – WBCSD

Montreux, Switzerland – The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Brazilian Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS) today announced a new partnership to deliver effective business engagement and actionable outcomes in the run-up to UNFCCC COP30.

Over the next 18 months, WBCSD and CEBDS will work together to mobilize Brazil’s private sector and the international business community to present an ambitious action plan to stay within the 1.5 degree target and drive its implementation.

At the heart of this partnership is a commitment by WBCSD and CEBDS to support the COP Presidency to mobilize business action and deliver a number of key outcomes in key value chains by COP30. These outcomes would not be possible without business engagement, such as supporting the Amazon ecosystem and accelerating green industrialization. Goals also include strengthening the relationship between CEBDS and WBCSD for long-term impact and streamlining coordination between the two countries in common areas of work such as equity and regenerative agriculture.

Over the next two years, Brazil will play a central role in the global sustainability agenda through its Presidency of the G20 in 2024, BRICS in 2025, and UNFCCC COP30. The UNFCCC COP30 in Belém will mark a historic moment when the Amazon, a key ecosystem for climate action and biodiversity, will be the stage for a UNFCCC COP for the first time. The partnership will provide private sector support for the Mission 1.5°C initiative launched by the Troika of UNFCCC COP Presidencies, building momentum for major milestones this year, such as CBD COP16 in Cali and UNFCCC COP29 in Baku.

One example of this partnership is the Net Zero Platform, a program that provides comprehensive guidance to help Brazilian companies transition to a low-carbon economy. The initiative helps accelerate climate action at all levels that affect a company's ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: within the company itself, throughout the value chain, national public policies, and international net-zero standards.

The private sector is one of the key drivers of the implementation of ambitious solutions in support of the Paris Agreement and the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. The outcome of the UNFCCC COP28 Global Stocktake placed particular emphasis on the role of business and highlighted the need for greater collaboration between governments, business, finance and civil society to accelerate progress. WBCSD and CEBDS have been working on sustainable development for over 27 years, partnering with ambitious companies across all sectors and value chains.

WBCSD works with over 230 leading multinational companies to drive systems change for a better world where more than 9 billion people can live comfortably within the planet's limits. CEBDS has more than 110 leading companies with headquarters or major operations in Brazil, representing total revenues of approximately BRL 4 trillion. Both WBCSD and CEBDS are committed to the sustainability imperatives of climate, nature and equity, combining CEO-level engagement with technical capacity to drive action and implementation.

Commenting on the partnership, Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Marina Grossi and her incredible team at CEBDS, which brings together two organizations with rich histories in sustainable development to drive impactful business engagement and action in the run up to COP30. Brazil will play a crucial role on the global stage over the next two years, but it is equally important that we drive ambitious private sector support to achieve the finance, equity, land use and industrial transformation outcomes that Mission 1.5oC needs to achieve. WBCSD and CEBDS are committed to leveraging our expertise with the private sector to ensure strong, ambitious outcomes that address climate change, halt nature loss and reduce inequalities.”

“Brazil is a country that, thanks to its natural advantages, is very well positioned to achieve a just transition to a net-zero economy by 2030 while having a positive impact on nature. We therefore have the potential to make a significant contribution to the mitigation of global warming. This partnership between CEBDS and WBCSD will be important in our efforts to strengthen the role of the Brazilian business sector at the forefront of sustainable development by actively participating in the formulation of public policies and the adoption of practices that reduce its environmental impact,” said Marina Grossi, President of CEBDS.