From Commitments to Implementation: WBCSD Rallies Business Action Ahead of COP30 in São Paulo

At the World Leaders’ Summit in Belém, global leaders reinforced rising ambition – from Norway’s 75% emissions cut by 2035 and its $3 billion contribution to the Tropical Forests Forever Fund to new calls for pragmatic carbon market collaboration.

Representing the private sector, Peter Bakker met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, EU President Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders to discuss “Transforming Industry.” He urged stronger action on physical risk accountability, pragmatic carbon markets, and demand-side incentives, stressing that “we must think in supply chains, not silos” to turn industrial transformation into an engine of sustainable growth.

A new Coalition of the Willing was also announced to connect regulated carbon markets and harmonize 18 global standards – a major step toward interoperability and market confidence.

As momentum continued across Brazil, over 300 local leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro, demonstrating strong subnational energy and commitment to climate ambition rooted in local economic opportunity and adaptation. In São Paulo, business and finance leaders met at the UN PRI and Integration Summit, focusing on connecting climate, nature, and social targets while strengthening risk management and financing resilience. These dialogues reinforced the central role of business in delivering climate and nature outcomes that also enhance competitiveness, attract capital, and build resilient economies.

At the Sustainable Innovation Forum and Agri-Food Systems Summit, WBCSD, CEBDS, and BCG unveiled the Landscape Accelerator Brazil (LAB) – the first regional accelerator under the Action Agenda for Regenerative Landscapes. Targeting $5 billion in private co-investment by 2030, LAB aims to regenerate 50 million hectares across the Cerrado and Amazon, potentially adding $28 billion to Brazil’s GDP each year and benefiting 600,000 farmers. LAB exemplifies how WBCSD solutions deliver both environmental and economic value—driving regenerative models that cut emissions, restore ecosystems, and generate inclusive growth across supply chains.

Partners including BTG Pactual, IFC, and Gencau showcased innovative finance, agroforestry, and credit models that put farmers at the center of regeneration. WBCSD also released two major reports: the Business Leaders’ Guide to a Just Climate Transition (with ERM) and the Market Transformation Action Agenda Progress Report (with Arup), spotlighting corporate progress on transition and built-environment decarbonization. Both reports strengthen the business case for transition—showing that integrating climate, nature, and social performance into strategy is not only the right thing to do, but essential for risk management, growth, and investor confidence.

We hosted our first Implementation Dialogue, bringing together business and government leaders to design practical ways to move faster together. The discussion highlighted a shared challenge: the ambition loop is stalling – businesses aren’t seeing returns on early investments, and governments lack the backing for bold policies.

Participants called for more agile, joined-up collaboration to unlock barriers and scale solutions. Over the next six months, WBCSD and partners will co-design new mechanisms as a legacy of COP30, turning ambition into real implementation.

At the Climate Implementation Summit, WBCSD launched the Emissions Reduction Accelerator (ERA) – a new value-chain platform driving large-scale, business-led decarbonization. Its first pilots will focus on green fertilizers and net-zero buildings, mobilizing data, finance, and technology to close the emissions gap by 2030. “No company can reach net zero in isolation,” said Peter Bakker. “Collective implementation across value chains is essential to deliver real results.” ERA directly advances COP30’s implementation agenda by translating climate targets into investable, scalable business solutions -lowering costs, boosting resilience, and unlocking competitive advantage for companies.

Complementing the launch, the Materiality Mindset Roundtable with Deloitte explored how strategic, integrated materiality can accelerate corporate transition and governance reform. At the Integration Summit hosted by Natura in São Paulo, business, finance, and policy leaders explored how to align climate, nature, and social goals through stronger collaboration and integrated frameworks. Discussions underscored the need to move from sustainability to regeneration  embedding coherence, shared metrics, and simplicity into decision-making. Speakers from ISSB, GRI, TNFD, and TISFD called for interoperable standards linking climate, nature, and social disclosures to drive real-world impact rather than reporting alone.

The Gala Dinner brought together 280 senior leaders to celebrate progress from commitment to execution. A special thank you to Arcadis and Google for their commitment as Climate Implementation Partners and to Bain & Company and Engie for sponsoring this flagship moment of collective leadership.

Sustainable business organizations have united behind an inclusive, results-driven Action Agenda  urging governments and businesses to accelerate real-world delivery ahead of COP30. Read the joint letter to Ministers and the Climate High-Level Champions.

Together, these milestones mark a clear shift from negotiation to implementation – from ambition to action.

WBCSD and its partners are proving that climate action is not only a moral imperative but a driver of competitiveness, resilience, and inclusive growth. The era of implementation has begun.