home
frankly speaking podcast

#37 Maria Mendiluce: An Inside View of COP28 - What Are the Implications for Business?

Listen to Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and one 2023 world’s top 100 Climate leaders.

The We Mean Business Coalition brings together a group of nonprofit organisations collaborating to accelerate an inclusive transition to a net zero economy.

With their ‘Fossil to Clean’ campaign, they called all Parties at COP28 "to transform the global energy system towards a full phase-out of unabated fossil fuels and halve emissions this decade." Although the outcome of this year’s COP was not what was hoped for, “for the first time we have a global agreement to transition away from all fossil fuels in line with science.”

In this episode, you’ll hear more about: 

  • Maria’s overall feeling about what happened in Dubai, 
  • Whether or not international pledges are still relevant and authentic
  • If Carbon Capture and Storage is the solution for a net-zero economy
  • How business can play a role in shifting narratives towards progress and sustainability
  • Her advice to companies on climate and sustainability reporting

“We knew that what we needed was not about the thousands of companies taking voluntary commitments. It is about the millions that need to be affected by regulations. This is what we're seeing now with the CSRD and CSDDD. That's going to be fantastic because anything that is into law is then implemented because it's legal. If you are doing it well, customers and investors will want to do business with you. If you're not doing it well, you will see it too. And then you will do everything you can to do it right. Because that's what businesses do. They compete. They love to be the best. So there is a race to the top and this is what transparency creates.”

Maria Mendiluce in Frankly Speaking

You may also like these episodes

33:04

#63 Alicia García-Herrero: Can the EU Build a Resilient and Sustainable Green Tech Strategy to Counter China?

Is China making its green stride forward? Listen to Chief Economist and Bruegel Senior Fellow, Alicia García-Herrero.

32:18

#62 Anna Triponel: Embedding Human Rights at the Heart of Corporate Culture

What are companies really doing to respect human rights? Listen to the recommendations of Anna Triponel from Human Level.

43:27

#61 Justine Maillot & Emma Priestland: Will the UN Global Plastics Treaty Break Us Free from Plastic?

What is the context leading up to the discussions in Busan, South Korea? Listen to the European and Global Corporate Campaigns Coordinators at Break Free from Plastic