CEOs Unequivocally Call for Bold Government Action and Consistent Climate Policy at COP26, According to Latest Sustainability Research from the UN Global Compact and Accenture

NEW YORK–(Business enterprise WIRE)–In the largest sustainability examine carried out to day by the United Nations Worldwide Compact and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), only 18{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} of CEOs claimed that governments and policymakers have offered them the clarity wanted to fulfill their sustainability and local weather transform targets. Introduced today ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, enterprise leaders are also sounding the alarm on the early onset of weather-induced disruption and on the lookout for governing administration motion — particularly in parts of apparent carbon pricing, infrastructure expense and monetary commitments to an equitable net-zero changeover in the World-wide South — as the window to meet the 1.5°C concentrate on by 2030 has started to near.

According to Local climate Leadership in the Eleventh Hour — which features considerable 1:1 interviews with far more than 100 foremost main executives and a survey of in excess of 1,100 CEOs throughout 113 nations and 21 industries — private sector leaders are struggling to accelerate their climate ambitions, even however practically a few-quarters (73{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82}) say they experience expanding tension to act. Additional than 50 percent (57{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82}) of surveyed executives say they are prioritizing local weather motion amid their restoration from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forty-9 p.c of CEOs issue to source chain interruptions thanks to intense climate as a top threat, but only 7{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} reported they are ‘advanced’ in placing up early warning systems to get ready for climate-threat functions. Moreover, 71{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} say they are actively operating to acquire a net-zero emissions goal for their business and 57{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} consider they are running in line with the 1.5°C objective. Nonetheless as an indicator, only 2{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} of these companies have a formal focus on validated by the Science Primarily based Targets initiative.

“There are two probable roadways in advance: a deeply flawed organization as standard approach, or a international economy that shields men and women, the earth and the organic units that maintain us,” said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Government Director of the UN World wide Compact. “Business as regular is no extended an possibility. It is distinct from the CEOs we surveyed that the enterprise group feels unprepared to deal with our local weather unexpected emergency. The UN Worldwide Compact has a vital role to play in helping businesses establish useful resources and effective very best practices to offer with the difficulties in advance, even though also making certain they can have interaction with governments on plan and regulation.”

The landmark examine also details to a critical stakeholder change when it will come to driving CEOs’ climate leadership and motion. The most significant change noticed in 14 several years of the examine was investors and capital markets going from 8 in 2019 to major three in the minds of CEOs heading into COP26. The development demonstrates the premier jump in stakeholder affect due to the fact the study’s inception in 2007, as investors put at any time higher strain on enterprises to map the threats and fully grasp the option introduced by the changeover to a 1.5°C web-zero planet.

“The Sustainable Enhancement Goals and the Paris Agreement commitments offer you the clearest roadmap for how business really should guide on weather and the innovation needed to resolve the world’s finest problems. But with only a narrow window of time left to fulfill these ambitions, and with the bodily outcomes of climate alter getting felt sooner than most CEOs anticipated, leaders have to stand up and be held accountable for measurable overall performance,” reported Peter Lacy, Accenture’s international Sustainability Solutions direct, main accountability officer and member of the International Administration Committee. “The science, economics and info explain to us that when leaders bridge organization price with sustainability and technological know-how effects, aggressive benefit can prosper.”

The UN World wide Compact-Accenture review highlights efforts from main CEOs to raise their sustainability budgets, diversify their functions and workforces, and speed up R&D in local climate-resilient remedies, driving bigger expectations of accountability and exhibiting what is achievable when ambition meets action on climate. While nearly two-thirds (65{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82}) of leaders are previously advancing new net-zero business enterprise styles and remedies to satisfy their targets, only 16{73375d9cc0eb62eadf703eace8c5332f876cb0fdecf5a1aaee3be06b81bdcf82} of all CEOs mentioned their maturity is at an highly developed phase nowadays.

“CEOs utilized to say that the suitable systems were being way too nascent. Well, they’re now mature. Or they would say that buyers and money markets ended up not completely on board with ESG info. But they are now. What we merely do not have additional of now is time. Governments will have to act, and CEOs are completely ready to phase up. This is not just the suitable detail to do — there is authentic organization benefit at stake as well,” extra Lacy.

The forthcoming COP26 conference provides a pivotal second for change in sustainability. With business leaders cautiously optimistic on worldwide cooperation to address the local weather crisis, they are highlighting five important asks for negotiators to assistance them acquire bolder motion and supply on the targets of the Paris Arrangement commitments. They are:

1. Align Nationally Established Contributions (NDCs) to a 1.5°C warming trajectory

2. Increase global cooperation on carbon pricing mechanisms aligned with the Paris Arrangement

3. Satisfy and exceed the USD 100 billion dedication in climate financing for the Worldwide South

4. Establish common benchmarks for biodiversity safety and pathways for nature-centered solutions

5. Boost business engagement in local climate coverage formation for collaborative weather action

“Confronting a triple planetary emergency — a weather crisis, a biodiversity crisis and a air pollution disaster — every person wants to scale up our ambitions and speed up our actions. The non-public sector has a particular accountability in our collective energy to construct a sustainable, net zero, resilient and equitable entire world, and to act on pledges with credible timelines, targets, and programs. We have what it usually takes to recognize the guarantee of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Arrangement — but it will take the full motivation of each and every one particular of us,” concluded United Nations Deputy Secretary-Standard Amina J. Mohammed.

For far more information and facts, you should take a look at http://www.accenture.com/ungc and https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/5976

About the Study:

The United Nations World Compact-Accenture 2021 CEO Study represents extra than a ten years of exploration on sustainable business enterprise. With each other with the UN World-wide Compact Progress Report, it types the world’s most thorough research to day on organization contribution to the Sustainable Advancement Targets. In this Unique Version of the CEO Examine, the world’s largest system of CEO exploration on sustainability, 1,232 CEOs across 113 nations and 21 industries provide their genuine, unfiltered views on the private sector’s contribution to local weather motion.

About the United Nations Worldwide Compact

As a unique initiative of the UN Secretary-Common, the United Nations World wide Compact is a call to providers almost everywhere to align their functions and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the world-wide collective affect of business by upholding the Ten Principles and providing the Sustainable Development Plans as a result of accountable firms and ecosystems that allow alter. With much more than 13,000 providers and 3,000 non-company signatories based in over 160 nations, and 69 Regional Networks, the UN Worldwide Compact is the world’s biggest corporate sustainability initiative — just one World wide Compact uniting enterprise for a improved earth. For much more information, stick to @globalcompact on social media and pay a visit to unglobalcompact.org

About Accenture

Accenture is a worldwide professional companies company with major capabilities in electronic, cloud and safety. Combining unmatched practical experience and specialized capabilities throughout far more than 40 industries, we supply Technique and Consulting, Interactive, Know-how and Operations solutions — all run by the world’s most significant network of Highly developed Engineering and Smart Functions centers. Our 624,000 people supply on the assure of technology and human ingenuity each individual working day, serving clientele in extra than 120 nations. We embrace the electricity of improve to make benefit and shared accomplishment for our shoppers, individuals, shareholders, companions and communities. Pay a visit to us at www.accenture.com.