WBA at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31)

WBA at COP31

As global attention turns to implementing climate commitments, the role of companies in delivering the transition is increasingly important. Yet credible corporate action requires more than setting targets. It demands a clearer understanding of how companies are planning, investing and taking action to transform their operations and value chains.

At COP31, WBA will contribute to these discussions by bringing evidence from our corporate assessments, engaging stakeholders on the conditions needed to accelerate implementation and building the case for a more integrated approach to corporate transitions.

Our engagement will focus on three priorities:

• Advancing integrated corporate transitions: Corporate transitions cannot be assessed through climate commitments in isolation. Credible transitions must address climate, nature and social priorities together, supported by the strategies, investments and accountability needed to deliver lasting change. This is the thinking behind WBA's Integrated Transition Assessment (ITA), a new framework developed with companies, investors, policymakers and civil society to strengthen how corporate transition progress is assessed and understood. Launching on 18 November 2026, ITA aims to establish a new global standard for credible, connected and consequential corporate action. COP31 provides an important opportunity to build the case for this approach and engage stakeholders on what credible transition planning looks like in practice.
• Accelerating electrification through corporate action: Electrification is a critical part of transitioning away from fossil fuels. In response to the COP31 Presidency's 35x35 electrification target, which aims to increase electricity's share of final energy demand from approximately 20% to 35% by 2035, WBA is releasing a new report, titled "Powering the Transition". Drawing on company assessment data across the demand and supply sides, Prompted by the COP31 Presidency’s 35x35 target, the report analyses company data on both the demand side and the supply side to assess where companies stand today, how fast they are moving, and what it would take for corporate action to match the pace the target requires. Its findings will inform our engagement at COP31, bringing evidence into discussions on industrial electrification and the conditions needed to accelerate implementation.
• Connecting the TAFF process with international climate priorities: Building on the first international conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) in Santa Marta, Colombia, where WBA led the private sector engagement track, we will bring perspectives from the evolving TAFF process into discussions at COP31. Our engagement will explore the role of business in transitioning away from fossil fuels, opportunities for collaboration and how corporate action can contribute to the wider international policy agenda.

Across these priorities, WBA will engage directly with companies and partners to strengthen ownership of credible transition planning and explore how international ambitions can translate into meaningful corporate action.

Where to find WBA on the ground

Our team will contribute to discussions and partner-led sessions throughout COP31, sharing insights from WBA's assessments and engaging with stakeholders on electrification, circularity, transition planning and the transition away from fossil fuels.

• Tuesday 10 November | How to accelerate electrification in practice

  Time: 17:00–18:00 | Location: Climate Action Innovation Zone
  Host: Climate Action Innovation Forum

  This panel will explore how capital markets and breakthrough technologies can support industrial electrification while maintaining competitiveness. Discussions will consider the challenges facing hard-to-abate sectors and the role of finance in accelerating change.

• Wednesday 11 November | How to unlock the conditions for electrifying industry

  Time: 14:30–15:30 | Location: WWF Pavilion, Blue Zone
  Hosts: UN Global Compact Country Networks and WWF

  Bringing together business and policy perspectives, this session will examine the solutions available for industrial electrification and the barriers to scaling them, including access to clean electricity, reliable grids and appropriate technologies.

• Wednesday 11 November | From waste to value: Scaling the circular economy

  Time: 15:00–15:50 | Location: Implementation Hub Pavilion, Blue Zone
  Host: World Climate Foundation

  This discussion will explore how businesses, investors and policymakers can accelerate circular business models, mobilise investment and turn waste into valuable resources across supply chains.

• Thursday 12 November | The emerging TAFF agenda: A business perspective

  Time: 11:00–12:00 | Location: Swedish Pavilion, Blue Zone
  Host: WWF

  Building on the Santa Marta conference, this private-sector roundtable will explore the evolving role of businesses in transitioning away from fossil fuels, opportunities for collaboration and how corporate action can contribute to the wider international policy agenda.

• Friday 13 November | Transition plans as transformation tools for companies to tackle the challenges of climate transition

  Time: 11:30–13:00 | Location: French Pavilion, Blue Zone

  Partners: ACT Initiative, Association Bilan Carbone (ABC), Renault and WBA

  This session will explore how transition plans can move beyond reporting to drive transformation across companies and value chains. It will highlight practical tools for transition planning and examine the challenges of decarbonising the automotive life cycle, from raw materials to end-of-life. For more information, please contact our team members Maria Azul Schvartzman and Dara Karakolis.