The Case for Business Action on Climate Change

It is a universal message -- one that speaks to the challenges climate change is having on society and the environment and the role of individuals, civil society and institutions to address them.
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pollution and clean energy concept. businessman watching windmills solar panels and refinery with air pollution
pollution and clean energy concept. businessman watching windmills solar panels and refinery with air pollution

As members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and on behalf of the 93 companies included in this letter, we recognize that regardless of faith, we can all appreciate the call to climate action contained in Pope Francis' encyclical, "On Care for Our Common Home." It is a universal message -- one that speaks to the challenges climate change is having on society and the environment and the role of individuals, civil society and institutions to address them.

For years, the body of science behind climate change has grown clearer and more focused. The planet is warming with severe consequences that threaten business growth and a healthy economy. We believe that we have reached a tipping point on climate change and that there is an unstoppable shift to a global economy that is significantly less harmful to the environment. As the world transitions to this new economy, it will be important to provide economic progress and a higher quality of life for all people in all regions of the world.

The private sector will play a key role in this transition and can help build prosperity and secure a better world for what will soon be nine billion people. Increasingly, business leaders are working collaboratively with competitors and with nongovernmental organizations to set goals to significantly reduce natural-resource use, invest in clean energy, improve global health and feed more people. A common thread that cuts across all of these efforts is finding new and innovative ways to use technology to achieve these social and environmental commitments.

No company is perfect. But, all companies are made up of people who want to leave a higher quality of life and a better world for generations to come. As leaders of these companies, we are committed to using our innovation, scale and entrepreneurial spirit to seek ways to address both the environmental and societal challenges created by climate change. Ahead of the Paris climate negotiations this December, we will help do our part to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

WBCSD Signatories:

Arcadis
AzkoNobel
Brisa Auto Estradas
CH2M
CLP Hong Kong Ltd
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
DuPont
EDP -- Energias de Portugal
Fibria
International Flavors & Fragrances
Kellogg Company
Monsanto
Nestle SA
Novozymes
NRG
P&G
Poyry Oyj Plc
Siemens
SONAE
Titan Cement Company
Unilever

To view the remainder of the signatories, please click here.

This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post, "What's Working: Sustainable Development Goals," in conjunction with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The proposed set of milestones will be the subject of discussion at the UN General Assembly meeting on Sept. 25-27, 2015 in New York. The goals, which will replace the UN's Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015), cover 17 key areas of development -- including poverty, hunger, health, education, and gender equality, among many others. As part of The Huffington Post's commitment to solutions-oriented journalism, this What's Working SDG blog series has focused on one goal every weekday in September. This post addresses all 17.

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