2023 marked the primary yr that carbon emissions declined within the U.S. for the reason that COVID period — however they don’t seem to be falling quick sufficient, and they’re nonetheless rising globally. So how will we velocity decarbonization and obtain the “transition” from fossil fuels agreed to ultimately yr’s COP28 assembly? One key group that may assist velocity local weather progress is sustainability professionals — and all workers who’re working to advance sustainability efforts at their workplaces. Along with their essential work on decarbonizing operations, sustainability professionals can and will use their affect to maneuver firms to advocate for robust local weather coverage — probably the most essential levers in creating significant systemic change. Local weather professionals have a vital function to play in accelerating progress.

The excellent news is that the ranks of the sustainability career are swelling quickly, and it’s a broad cadre that reaches far wider than simply essentially the most seen roles similar to chief sustainability officer. Many of those professionals are setting bold objectives and doing terrific work in lowering emissions in operations — and they’re the primary to grasp that assembly company objectives would require daring and binding public coverage that allows the change we want. Everyone knows that public coverage is likely one of the largest and highest leverage alternatives to scale back emissions at velocity and scale. That’s the place sustainability professionals’ function as catalysts is available in.

So far, GreenBiz chairman and co-founder Joel Makower not too long ago informed us in an interview, “All of us — these inside firms and people exterior — spend an excessive amount of time celebrating incremental change in an period the place audacious step-change is required.” He asserts that “we have to be sure that firms align their sustainability commitments and achievements with their coverage stances.” So simply precisely how do sustainability professionals assist make that occur?

Step one is talking out in regards to the important significance of public coverage to addressing the local weather disaster, as certainly one of us (Invoice) did in his latest remarks on the GreenBiz 24 convention (made with the assistance of AI expertise to generate speech from a “clone” of his voice, given his incapacity to talk due to ALS). Greater than 480 present and former sustainability professionals quickly responded by signing a joint assertion urging firms to “again coverage motion on the velocity and scale required to satisfy our international objectives and avert the worst outcomes.” The LEAD Assertion, nonetheless open to signatures, units out 4 particular steps firms ought to take to align their coverage objectives with their local weather targets:

• Go away obstructing commerce associations;
• Elevate local weather coverage as an organization precedence;
• Advocate publicly for efficient binding local weather insurance policies; and
• Exhibit actual dedication to the collective motion wanted to realize the simply and equitable transition from fossil fuels agreed on at COP28.

We’ve written right here in regards to the large local weather coverage obstruction posed by the Chamber of Commerce and different commerce associations, and the disconnect when pro-climate firms proceed to ship them membership dues. Firms should, as Step 1, weaken this obstruction by leaving these commerce associations and counter their detrimental affect by main by means of public statements in assist of local weather coverage progress at each flip. Sustainability leaders may be a part of bringing firms into alignment on commerce associations, and mustn’t draw back from the difficulty.

Along with distancing themselves from obstructing commerce associations, firms should, as Step 2, play a way more proactive function on local weather coverage at this vital turning level. (Observe: Steps 1 and a pair of needn’t — and mustn’t — be sequential. They need to be pursued in parallel.) For a highway map to imminent coverage alternatives, sustainability leaders can take a look at nice instruments such because the Ceres Coverage Outlook 2024. It highlights an “spectacular array of latest coverage victories, which we should combat to protect in 2024 and past.” Ceres factors out that “this isn’t the time to lose sight of the local weather and sustainability dangers that threaten company efficiency and your entire financial system. As an alternative, the private and non-private sectors should redouble our shared effort.”

When climate-forward firms step up extra successfully within the coverage enviornment — as Apple, Google, Salesforce and Microsoft not too long ago did within the combat for a robust local weather disclosure legislation in California — it could actually make all of the distinction for coverage progress. The local weather coverage agenda for subsequent yr is full of actions which might be important to construct on the spectacular clear vitality momentum of the Inflation Discount Act and defend that historic invoice from a number of repeal makes an attempt. We want firms — not simply sustainability professionals, however CEOs, different executives, workers, lobbyists — to indicate up and be a part of the combat.

Along with their work on decarbonizing operations, sustainability professionals can and will use their affect to maneuver firms to advocate for robust local weather coverage — probably the most essential levers in creating significant systemic change.

In the event that they converse up, sustainability professionals can play a key function in getting firms to step up on local weather coverage. They’ve devoted their careers to combating local weather change, and a rising quantity are saying out loud that they imagine that each one firms should leverage their energy and affect to speed up local weather coverage progress. Alone, this could possibly be a troublesome message, however the group of local weather professionals can elevate a robust voice collectively. If you happen to’ve been quiet or on the sidelines, or not actively advocating for local weather coverage progress — now’s the time to step up and lift your voice for significant coverage motion and assist. 

Listed here are 3 ways to be taught extra and take motion:

1. Signal onto the LEAD Assertion and be a part of the rising group of sustainability professionals “including their voices to the refrain calling for firms to interact forcefully and responsibly with public coverage to speed up local weather motion.”
2. Overview the Ceres Coverage Outlook for 2024 and decide to elevating as many of those priorities as potential this yr.
3. Assess your organization’s commerce affiliation relationships and start talking as much as counter the rampant commerce affiliation obstruction of local weather coverage progress, particularly by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A key challenge to keep watch over this quarter is the chamber’s stance on the forthcoming SEC disclosure guidelines. Be sure that your organization is on the correct facet of historical past on the subject of robust local weather guidelines — and guarantee your organization speaks up when the chamber and different commerce associations are blocking local weather coverage progress.