Whatever the outcome of a thriller-like COP27, companies and organisations are critical to reaching humanity’s goals

The climate action window is closing fast, and the room is filling with smoke. Some voices cry out in terror, while others try to lure us into believing everything is fine.

It sounds like the opening scene of a thriller – and in a way, it is. Watching news of ever-more extreme environmental disasters and reading recent climate reports is terrifying and leaves many of us wondering what the next dark twist in the plot will be.

However, as with any good thriller, there is a way out if the heroes act in time.

Climate reports describe worrying trends 

Major reports released in the lead-up to COP-27 paint a worrying picture of the world’s current state: 

UNEP's Emissions Gap Report 2022: There is a gap between politicians' promises and national action. We could be heading towards almost 2.5-degree Celsius warming by 2100.

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2022: We are yet to reach peak fossil fuel use. If we want to keep global warming by 2100 at 1.5 degrees, there is no place for new fossil fuel projects. 

The UN’s Climate Change Synthesis Report: Without drastic change, we are headed for 2.5-degree global warming. If we stick to current national pledges, global emissions will be almost 11% higher in 2030 than in 2010.

Climate Action Tracker - State of Climate Action 2022: We are heading in the wrong direction across many diverse, climate-related areas, including supporting natural habitats, GHG emissions, and transportation. 

The World Meteorological Organization’s Green House Gas Bulletin: The World's greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and set new records in 2021.

The Lancet’s Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Governments and companies continue to follow strategies that increase the threats to our future survival. In 2021 we lost almost 500 billion working hours due to extreme heat, primarily among agricultural workers in developing countries. 

Time for companies and organisations to act

It is easy (and tempting) to wag our finger at governments and countries for not delivering on the grand promises they have made, but they cannot – and should not – be the only ones we look to when it comes to climate action.

As COP 27 gets underway, the sheer scale of the tasks facing us all is increasingly evident; it is also clear that we have a limited time left to act. 

Action needs to happen at all levels – individual, company, industry, and government. 

Action must also happen in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnership for the Goals), as collaboration will be vital to success. 

The problems we face are vast and complex, so action also needs to be concerted and coordinated. 

At enteleco, we believe that this makes companies and organisations well-positioned to lead sustainability action. 

In essence, companies and organisations are units of people dedicated to working in concerted and coordinated ways for a common purpose, so the key elements required for taking effective action are already there.

The private sector can also be more agile than governments – partly because companies often have a better-defined, smaller number of stakeholders. 

Companies and organisations also have significant incentives to be climate proactive. For one, it is an innovation point that can open new markets and opportunities. Also, few companies are locked into the four- or five-year cycles that define politics and government. Therefore, they have greater freedom to look at longer-term opportunities and challenges. 

Simultaneously, we, the company employees, consumers, suppliers and customers, have increasingly become sensitive to and vocal on ESG, sustainability and climate, further incentivising companies to act. 

Finding your joint COP journey

Some companies and organisations are already taking serious, global-level action – and from our conversations with clients and partners, we know that many others are looking to do the same. 

Today, when companies hold back on climate- and sustainability-driven initiatives, it is often because they need guidance on how best to implement large-scale change. It is also challenging to navigate the complexity of producing the best possible results for sustainability and ESG while also delivering on business targets in a challenging business environment. 

To succeed, companies must evolve their processes, products, thinking, and cultures. Likewise, employees at every level and function should be empowered and motivated to contribute fully to turning the grand gestures and sentiments at COP discussions into our future reality.

We can see it as the ultimate joint venture: an effort where all parts of society – business, government, communities, and even competitors - need to work together closely to realise our shared vision of a thriving, healthy planet. 

Whatever the outcome of COP27, enteleco is wholeheartedly committed to that vision and is ready to support you and your people in the venture of a lifetime.