Trade Associations as a Force for Good: A Playbook for Companies

Climate change, ecosystem breakdown, and resource scarcity are no longer distant threats—they’re immediate business risks. At the same time, the transition to a net-zero, nature-positive and equitable economy represents one of the biggest opportunities of our time. Companies that lead this transition stand to unlock new markets, reduce exposure to climate-related risks, and strengthen long-term value creation. 

But no company can do this alone. 

Success depends on more than internal targets and innovation—it requires an enabling policy environment that drives market transformation, reduces investment risk, and accelerates solutions at scale. Trade associations, as the collective voice of industry, can either amplify that ambition or quietly undermine it. 

This Playbook, developed by WBCSD and Volans, equips companies to manage one of the most under-leveraged aspects of their sustainability strategy: their indirect policy engagement through trade associations. Drawing on a year of collaboration with dozens of companies, experts and industry groups, it provides a detailed five-step framework to help businesses align their advocacy, increase transparency, and mobilise their trade associations as partners in progress. 

What you’ll find inside: 

• A strategic approach to aligning corporate policy engagement with transition plans 
• Tools to assess and influence trade associations’ positions and practices 
• Guidance on when to engage, escalate or exit 
• Examples of best practice and actionable steps to drive impact 

This Playbook is for business leaders who understand that credible, coordinated advocacy is not a ‘nice to have’—it’s a business imperative.