Signals of Change – COP30
We Mean Business Coalition
As policymakers, negotiators, business leaders and civil society gather in Belém for COP30, the focus this year is on implementation.
As the conference progresses, calls are growing louder for a fossil fuel roadmap — and in the Coalition’s view, it would be a welcome signal to business that governments are exploring a clearer pathway to build on the progress made at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels. For our latest insights as the negotiations unfold, follow us on LinkedIn and visit our COP30 hub page.
Through events at the Business Pavilion and beyond, one message comes through clearly: As costs of clean technologies fall, change is already happening in the real economy, because it makes business sense.
Across sectors and regions, companies are proving that the transition to net zero isn’t only an environmental necessity — it’s delivering returns for their business, employees, customers, and the wider community.
In this COP30 special edition of Signals, we share stories and proof points sending a clear signal to Heads of State, ministers, corporate leaders, and citizens that business remains committed to delivering the clean energy transition. The right policies and incentives will accelerate momentum, creating jobs, building energy security, and driving economic growth.
THE TRANSITION IS CREATING JOBS
The net-zero transition is transforming labor markets worldwide. According to the UN, clean energy sector jobs now outnumber those in fossil fuels.
In the United States, more than 2.3 million Americans work in the energy efficiency sector, designing, building and maintaining technologies that lower costs, strengthen energy security, and support local economies.
In the UK, the net-zero sector is growing three times faster than the economy as a whole, supporting nearly a million full-time jobs across 22,000 businesses. Average pay in these roles is GBP 5,600 above the national average, reflecting the sector’s capacity to provide well-paid, high-quality employment.
Across Europe, industrial innovation is driving employment growth. In Denmark, Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyzer factory is creating 200 direct jobs and hundreds more across its supply chain, while achieving 30% higher efficiency than conventional electrolyzers.
In Brazil, the transition to net zero is reshaping local economies. ACCIONA’s São Paulo Metro Line 6 has created more than 11,000 jobs, while saving over 100,000 tons of CO₂ annually. The biosolutions sector, led by Novonesis, could create more than 276,000 jobs and deliver up to BRL 232.6 billion in economic impact by 2035.
DEEP DIVE: This is the untapped engine for climate action — and here are 4 ways governments can help
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the global economy — yet they are currently being held back from playing their crucial role in the net-zero transition.
In this month’s deep dive blog, Pamela Jouven, Director of the SME Climate Hub, explores how governments can unlock the potential of SMEs to drive impactful climate action. From providing clear policy frameworks to mobilizing accessible green finance, she lays out four practical ways leaders can empower SMEs to act.
THE TRANSITION IS DELIVERING ENERGY SECURITY
Renewable energy is not only reducing emissions but also strengthening energy security around the world. Analysis from Ember shows that in the first half of 2025, solar and wind generation growth exceeded global electricity demand growth, meeting roughly 109% of the increase, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and providing countries with greater resilience in volatile markets.
Replacing fossil fuel imports with EVs, heat pumps, and renewable power could save importers up to USD 1 trillion annually, shielding economies and businesses from price shocks and supply chain disruptions.
Businesses are recognizing the link between renewables and resilience, with 75% of business leaders associating renewable energy deployment with stronger energy security.
Across industries, businesses are demonstrating how efficiency and smart infrastructure can enhance resilience and energy security. Alfa Laval’s Concept Zero™ heat exchanger has cut embedded CO₂ emissions by 60% through low-carbon materials and sustainable manufacturing. Its efficient heat recovery also lowers customer energy consumption, enhancing operational stability.
Electricity networks are benefiting from smarter infrastructure. In New York, National Grid deployed Switched Source’s grid-balancing technology to optimize electricity flows and integrate more renewable energy, avoiding USD 500,000 in infrastructure costs and improving reliability for local communities.
Using AVEVA’s predictive analytics, Enel optimized 1,285 renewable energy facilities across four countries, avoiding 410,000 tCO₂e over 24 months — equivalent to 95,635 cars — and strengthening energy security by reducing reliance on fossil fuel–based backup power.
In Chile, Colbun’s Horizonte Wind Project is set to prevent the emissions of half a million tonnes of CO₂ annually, demonstrating how renewables can support cleaner, more self-sufficient energy systems.
LATEST FROM THE COALITION
- Organizations representing and serving over six million SMEs worldwide signed a letter coordinated by SME Climate Hub and We Mean Business Coalition, urging governments at COP30 to implement clear policies and targeted incentives to help SMEs take bold climate action.
- Businesses are ready to take bold climate action. To succeed they need clear, supportive policies — and must advocate for them at COP30, writes We Mean Business Coalition CEO María Mendiluce for Edie.
- Jane Thostrup Jagd, our Director of Net Zero Finance, received a 2025 UNCTAD ISAR Honours award for her CSRD Early Adopters report. The award celebrates initiatives that drive companies to embed sustainability and ESG into their reporting.
- Pamela Jouven, Director of SME Climate Hub, outlines how supporting small and medium-sized enterprises can turn climate risk into business opportunity, and shares four ways governments can unlock SME-led climate action.
- New reports from We Mean Business Coalition and partners — the Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development, the National Business Initiative, the UK Corporate Leaders Group, and Solutions for Our Climate — outline how Indonesia, South Africa, the UK and South Korea can use their 2035 NDCs to drive business leadership, attract investment, and accelerate the clean energy transition.
- Keith Tuffley, Vice-Chairman and Global Co-Head, Sustainability & Corporate Transitions Group, Citi, and our Deputy Director, Nature Campaigning, Callie Stinson, explore how private sector finance can protect tropical forests.
- Gillian Nelson, our Director of Policy and Strategy; Emily Huynh, Manager, Built Environment; and Molly Walton, Director of Energy, outline three ways policymakers can realign incentives to unlock greater private sector investment in clean energy.
- Our CEO, María Mendiluce, outlines how business leadership will take center stage at COP30 in Belém, with our Business Pavilion events and key policy asks designed to accelerate climate ambition and delivery.
- For Forbes, María also stresses that while the Paris Agreement is working, governments and businesses must now collaborate to realign public finance and incentives away from fossil fuels to unlock private investment, create jobs, and accelerate the transition.
- For Business Green, our Chair Sir Ian Cheshire explores how UK businesses are leading on clean energy and decarbonisation, stressing that consistent climate policy is essential to accelerate progress toward a net-zero future.
- At COP30 in Belém, businesses are stepping up to shape a fair and inclusive net-zero transition. In partnership with BSR, we set out five key policy asks, developed with companies across sectors, to ensure the net-zero transition is fair and inclusive.
- At COP30, our Nature Advocacy Toolkit, co-developed with Business for Nature, is supporting businesses in speaking up and taking action to scale a more integrated nature and climate agenda.
THE TRANSITION IS GENERATING GROWTH
The global shift to a low-carbon economy is creating massive economic opportunities. Eighty-two clean industrial projects are already operational worldwide, with more than 1,000 in development across 70 countries, representing a USD 1.6 trillion investment opportunity.
Electrified transport continues to lead investment in the energy transition, with USD 757 billion invested in 2024 alone.
Solar and wind are scaling rapidly. According to the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2025, by 2030 renewables are expected to become the largest source of electricity worldwide, supplying nearly 45% of global generation. Widespread electrification of end-uses — including EVs and heat pumps — alongside efficiency improvements, can lower household energy bills. With over 90% of new projects now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, the shift is already delivering strong economic returns.
Innovation in industrial processes is delivering both environmental and economic benefits. In the UK, National Grid is trialling 3D-printed concrete foundations, projected to save consumers GBP 1.7 million over 10 years, while lowering CO₂ emissions from production and minimizing construction waste.
Across rural and agricultural communities in Asia and Africa, initiatives such as Bayer’s ScaleDirect program are generating economic growth and security by introducing drought-tolerant rice varieties and helping farmers adopt climate-smart practices, supporting livelihoods in local economies.
Major companies are achieving deep emissions cuts using science-based targets: SSAB is among the first steel companies globally to receive SBTi-validated greenhouse gas reduction targets; Vattenfall has cut total emissions by 53% since 2017; and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners reduced value-chain emissions 13.6% in 2024 through recycled packaging, energy efficiency, renewables, fleet electrification, and equipment upgrades — showing industrial decarbonization can go hand-in-hand with strong economic performance.
SPONSORS
The need to coordinate adaptation and mitigation solutions is more urgent than ever. Integrated, multifunctional solutions — such as nature-based projects and resilient energy systems — can deliver both climate resilience and emissions reduction while generating economic returns. BCG is at COP30 to share insights and drive collaboration that accelerates action and ambition across sectors, toward a more resilient and low-emissions future. Learn more in BCG’s latest report.
COMPANIES TAKING ACTION
Over 21,270 companies are taking action through Coalition partner initiatives. See all companies who committed in the past month on the We Mean Business Coalition website.
- 11,833 companies working to cut their emissions in line with science through SBTi.
- 9,653 small and medium-sized enterprises working to cut emissions with the SME Climate Hub.
- 562 companies have signed the Climate Pledge, to reach net zero by 2040.
- 130 companies are accelerating the transition to electric vehicles with EV100, and 7 companies are kickstarting zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with EV100+.
- 129 companies are committed to improving their energy efficiency through EP100.
- 446 companies have committed to 100% renewable energy with RE100.
- 39 companies have joined ConcreteZero to create a market for net-zero concrete.
- 45 companies have committed to SteelZero to create a market for net-zero steel.
EVENTS
View our full calendar of events at COP30
Highlights:
- Competitiveness through Carbon Pricing – U.S. and EU Perspectives on Carbon Border Measures to Drive Climate Action Across the Global Economy – 15 November
- “SMEs at Risk, SMEs as Solution” – 17 November
- Fiscal Solutions to Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels – 19 November