About
Since 2010, the UK and European Corporate Leaders Groups (CLGs) have developed relationships with a number of business groups around the world. These groups have seen the need for co-ordination across the economy, both to ensure potential risks are managed, and to allow business to grasp the opportunities that this transition to a low carbon society could hold. Collaborations have included with the Japan Climate Leaders Partnership (J-CLP), CLG Chile, Foundation 2°, BCSD Portugal, the CER Sustainable Business Network Slovenia, the Climate Leadership Coalition, the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition, Entreprises pour l'Environnement, The Haga Initiative, The Spanish Green Growth Group, and more.
By linking these business networks working on climate change, the CLGs are able to share best practice, enable collaboration and provide strategic support to increase impact, both within member countries and internationally.
In 2022, the CLGs are seeking to formally re-establish the collaboration with these business groups through reactivating the ‘Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action’ (CLN) and supporting the creation of new corporate leaders groups globally building on the format of the existing CLGs to create a strengthened network of corporate leaders’ groups.
Previous members of the CLN are reinvited to join where their mission and strategies align.
Watch the relaunch event at COP27
The CLN was relaunched at COP27 with a panel event titled 'Strengthening global collaboration on business climate advocacy'. The event aimed to launch a reactivated global Corporate Leaders Network for climate action focused on catalysing business advocacy on climate policy at a national level and bringing together key policy and NGO stakeholders with contributors from international business networks across the world. A drinks reception open to all participants followed directly after the event in the dedicated area of the WMBC Pavilion.
How the CLN works
The Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action (CLN) is convened and coordinated by a secretariat within CISL’s Centre for Policy and Industrial Transformation.
Once re-established, the CLN will:
- convene meetings at least quarterly between CLN members.
- provide insight and thought leadership on global policy issues relevant for business, producing at least two outputs per year to support CLN members; initial outputs will likely focus on the energy transition and sustainability-related disclosure standards
- Enable collaboration and raise the profile of the actions of members at key global moments, including at the COP, by running events and supporting through media presence and messaging
- Be supported by an expert advisory panel consisting of academics from both the University of Cambridge and the institutes hosting other members of the CLN, and climate experts. Expertise will be sought in key areas of climate policy, including the energy transition, the just transition, green finance, carbon markets, industry, transport and the built environment, amongst others
- Be supported by a small group of high-profile voluntarily appointed strategic advisors who can provide expert guidance, help build the profile of the group globally and support in country activities
- Catalyse the creation of new progressive national business groups in target countries (see below for approach to identifying countries) that would become members of the reactivated network.
Members
CLG Chile was formed in 2009, after a visit from His Majesty King Charles III, and due to the joint management of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Chile, the British Embassy and the British Chilean Chamber of Commerce. CLG Chile members are committed to playing a leading role in driving a just transition to a low-carbon economy, by changing their own business models and sectors and by promoting change in a broader economic and political context.
The Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership (JCLP) is a coalition of Japanese companies who hold the firm belief that economic prosperity and sustainability go hand in hand. JCLP's core activities include communicating business trends in low carbon energy; intelligence gathering and analysis on global and Japan trends relating to the intersection of climate change and business; and convening business collaboration on climate change issues.
How to become a member
The CLN is primarily open to business groups and experts (as described above) who are committed to supporting the purpose of increasing political and business ambition towards achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C, in their own national context.
Members of the CLN should be:
- Willing to share experience on bringing the voice of business to support increased political ambition towards meeting or increasing their government’s climate targets
- Support collaborative action to raise the profile of the group at key global moments
- Able to join regular meetings to share updates, hear from relevant speakers and plan coordinated activities
- Supportive of and encourage their members to join the Race to Zero campaign
- To join, interested business groups should email cln@cisl.cam.ac.uk
History
Convened by the UK and European Corporate Leaders Groups (CLGs) between 2010 and 2015, the Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action (CLN) provided a platform for regular contacts and collaboration on the international agenda. It represented established and emerging groups, as well as strong partnerships in: Abu Dhabi, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, the US and UK (those groups in bold are still active in their countries today, albeit they are no longer connected to the CLN).
While active, key international outputs from the CLN included the Corporate Climate Communiqués which set out a concise business case and progressive global consensus on the shape of an international climate agreement and on the national policy needed for countries to deliver on the global goal.
The CLGs have been maintaining informal links with the Japan Climate Leaders Partnership (J-CLP) and CLG Chile, and collaborate on ad-hoc activities, including around the annual UNFCCC COPs.
