Press releases from the coalition

We Mean Business Coalition appoints new board members

27 April 2023, LONDON – Patricia Espinosa, Roberto Marques and Supriya Sen are today announced as new board members of the We Mean Business Coalition, the global nonprofit working with the world’s leading companies to scale up climate action and increase the ambition of government policies to halve global emissions by 2030.  

Ambassador Patricia Espinosa is founding partner and CEO of onepoint5, an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) consulting firm specialized in climate change. Previously Ambassador Espinosa served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and Mexico’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, and to Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

During her tenure at the UNFCCC, Ambassador Espinosa led the organization’s transformation towards supporting the full implementation of the Paris Agreement globally. She also organized the first-ever G20 Summit in an emerging country (Mexico, 2012) in her role as Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs and was consequently appointed Ambassador Emeritus of Mexico, the highest recognition the Mexican Government can give to its diplomats. She is widely recognized as an authoritative voice on issues related to sustainability, environmental stewardship, gender equality and the protection of human rights.  

Roberto Marques brings considerable experience from several multinational brands and global environmental institutions. Marques was executive chair and CEO of Natura &Co between 2016 and 2022 where he led the expansion and transformation of the company, a purpose-driven cosmetic group formed by Natura, Avon, The Body Shop and Aesop which comprises more than 4,000 stores, 7 million beauty consultants and 35,000 associates. Prior to this, he worked for over 25 years at Johnson & Johnson in senior positions in Latin America, Europe and North America and then at Mondelez International as executive vice president and president for North America. 

He is currently senior advisor for the Consumer, Media and Retail Group at Carlyle. Marques was also on the board of the United Nations Global Compact, co-chaired the World Economic Forum’s Champions for Nature group and served as director at the Grocery Manufacturer Association (GMA), the Consumer Health Care Products Association (CHPA), the ENACTUS and the Brazil-U.S. Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

Supriya Sen is a former banker and senior advisor at Citi and ICICI Bank and has worked at the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. She currently serves as an independent board director for a portfolio of publicly listed companies, family-owned businesses and non-profits in Asia and globally and was formerly a senior adviser at McKinsey. She has over 30 years of experience in banking and project finance, private equity, multilateral funding and capital markets, as well as in Digitalization, ESG / Climate finance and sustainability.

Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Supriya Sen and Roberto Marques also bring critical global south perspectives to the We Mean Business Coalition at a crucial phase in its development, as it seeks to drive the number of companies delivering climate action consistent with halving emissions by 2030 up from thousands to millions. The new board members have committed to work with CEO, María Mendiluce, secretariat staff and coalition partners to provide strategic guidance, leadership and, as well-respected voices on the global stage, to further the We Mean Business Coalition’s mission.   

“It is a privilege to join the preeminent global organisation working with business to act on climate. The Paris Agreement provides us with a robust framework for climate action. We have the roadmap, the resources, and the resolve to act. Businesses big and small must now take the lead in transforming our economies, embracing sustainable practices and standards throughout their value chains. By committing to bold climate action and, crucially, to cutting emissions in half by 2030, corporate actors are taking steps to tackle the climate crisis head on. In my new role as board member, I will use my international policy expertise to support the Coalition’s work and that of our partners and thousands of businesses to turn commitments into action, ensuring that corporate efforts are rapid, measurable and inclusive. The challenge of addressing global climate change has never been greater, and we must act courageously today to ensure a viable tomorrow,” said Ambassador Patricia Espinosa.

“Acting on climate change represents humanity’s greatest challenge today. With more than 30 years working at multi-national level across some of the world’s biggest brands, I know just how important business will be to the global goal of limiting the impacts of climate change and protecting nature, biodiversity and doing it in a more inclusive and collaborative way. Since its inception, the We Mean Business Coalition has led a global group of businesses committed to ambitious climate action. Now with thousands of businesses engaged, from SMEs to multinationals, we must drive these commitments forward, ensuring measurable, timely action and accountability. I believe leading this transformation at all levels will bring tremendous opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth and I look forward to advancing those corporate action on nature and climate,” said Roberto Marques. 

“With the rapid economic growth underway in Asia, this is a pivotal moment to join the We Mean Business Coalition board. It is essential that we increase awareness among Asian business leaders of the significant opportunity that climate action presents, as well as its links to digitalisation. Asian companies have the potential to super-charge the transition to clean energy, transport and heavy industry and in doing so will gain significant competitive advantage: attracting greater investment, reducing regulatory and material risk as well as increasing employee engagement,” said Supriya Sen. 

“We Mean Business Coalition is honoured to welcome three such experienced and skilled leaders to our board. I have no doubt that their work at the forefront of the global fight against climate change will help scale up the essential corporate climate action and accountability that the world needs to achieve its climate goals,” said Sir Ian Cheshire, Chair of We Mean Business Coalition Board.

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NOTES TO EDITORS 

For interview requests or further information, contact:  

Josh Harris, +447739021000, [email protected]

Tara Burke, +44 7747 745675, [email protected]

About We Mean Business Coalition  

We Mean Business Coalition works with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. The Coalition is a group of seven nonprofit organizations: BSR, CDP, Ceres, Climate Group, CLG Europe, The B Team and WBCSD. Together, we catalyze business and policy action to halve emissions by 2030 and accelerate an inclusive transition to a net-zero economy. Find out more at wemeanbusinesscoalition.org.