UK Business Group Alliance for Net Zero

It draws together some of the most ambitious and proactive business groups and organisations to work together and works collaboratively with the UK government and other stakeholders.

It previously had a particular focus on enabling the successful delivery of COP26 in the UK in November 2021. Over the course of 2022, the BGA continued to support the COP26 UK Presidency in its work to deliver the Glasgow Climate Pact. Since COP26, the BGA has been involved in a number of collaborative activities:

• In October 2024, more than 50 businesses, investors and financial institutions signed a letter to the Prime Minister, urging the government to reassert its climate leadership on the world stage at COP29.
• Also in October 2024, the BGA launched its synthesis report using inputs from its Business Leaders' Summit. The discussions produced sector-specific recommendations and broader themes to guide the UK's path to net-zero.
• In July 2024, the BGA held its Business Leaders' Summit in London during London Climate Action Week, with discussion focussed around policy gaps and paths for success for the UK government.
• In November 2023, the BGA led on a letter to the Chancellor, signed by 50 businesses, calling on him to use the Autumn Statement to clearly set out what the government’s priorities are for net zero industries and technologies.
• In July 2023, the BGA supported a letter to the Prime Minister calling for ambitious action on net zero.
• In September 2022, more than 100 business and finance leaders sent a letter to the new Prime Minister, urging them to strengthen the economy by prioritising responses to climate and nature crises.
• Similarly, in July 2022, business groups representing thousands of UK businesses sent a letter to Tory leadership candidates, calling on them to accelerate the clean energy transition and keep up UK progress on climate change.
• In September 2021, in a letter to the Prime Minister, members of the BGA and over 80 businesses set out their support for climate action and highlighted the need for the UK Government to lay out a coherent, integrated and Treasury-supported Net Zero Strategy, demonstrating business support for ambitious UK COP26 leadership action.
• In July 2021, the BGA held its first UK Business Climate Leaders Summit. This webinar provided a point on the road to COP26 that showcases UK businesses already taking ambitious climate action through committing to Race to Zero and explored the actions UK businesses can take to contribute to the UK meeting its ambitious net zero targets.
• In November 2020, members of the BGA signed a letter to the UK Prime Minister, highlighting the urgent need for the Government to set out an ambitious emissions target for 2030, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), by the end of this year.
• In June 2020 members of the BGA worked together to organise a public letter from UK business CEOs to the Prime Minister, signed by more than 200 businesses and asking the government to deliver a clean, green recovery.
• In May 2019, members of the BGA developed a letter from business CEOs to the UK Government in support of a 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target and signed by more than 120 leading UK businesses, investors and business networks.

Recordings of the BGA launch webinar and the 2021 UK Business Climate Leaders Summit are available to view.

Members of the group include:

• Advertising Association
• Agricultural Industries Confederation
• Aldersgate Group
• Association of British Insurers
• B Corporation
• Bankers for Net Zero
• British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)
• British Independent Retailers Association
• British Retail Consortium
• British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
• Broadway Initiative
• Business in the Community
• BusinessLDN
• Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
• CDP
• Chapter Zero
• Construction Leadership Council - CO2nstruct Zero
• Energy UK
• Environmental Services Association
• Federation of Small Businesses
• Food and Drink Federation
• ICC United Kingdom
• Institute of Directors
• Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
• Lawyers for Net Zero
• MakeUK
• Net Zero Now
• Renewable UK
• Scottish Financial Enterprise
• Sustainable Energy Association
• The B Team
• The Climate Group
• The Sustainable Restaurant Association
• UK Business Council for Sustainable Development (UKBCSD)
• UK Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK)
• UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)
• UK Hospitality
• UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF)
• UN Global Compact Network UK 
• We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC)

The coordination of the BGA is led by CLG UK, hosted by CISL, and guided by a core group of members that includes the Aldersgate Group, BCC, Business in the Community, CBI, CDP, Energy UK, IIGCC, UKBCSD, UKGBC and WMBC.

If you are a business group interested in the joining the BGA, please contact clg@cisl.cam.ac.uk.