Businesses can close the ambition gap in a post-COP26 world

AS the curtain fell on the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), it seemed to suggest that there remained a lack of ambition, with the planet expected to warm by 2.4 deg C rather than achieving the target of 1.5 deg C by 2030.

However, it has been encouraging to see how the private sector has stepped up between COP21 in 2015 and the recent COP26. Real progress has been made in mainstreaming sustainability into the board rooms and business plans. For those of us who were at both meetings, the sense of momentum among the business community was clear. Business and the environment need to sit on the same side of the equation, not on opposing sides.

As a Singapore-headquartered global company, we see many businesses across Asia making real progress to decarbonise operations and supply chains while edging towards more circular business models. A sea change is underway with the enhanced ability of businesses to grow and decarbonise at the same time; ensure that while they produce, they also protect forests and biodiversity; and empower and engage communities where they operate.