World Benchmarking Alliance

WBA and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre have jointly submitted the following comments on Japan’s draft revised National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 October 2025. This submission provides specific recommendations and the rationale for each proposed revision. In advance of this process, WBA and BHRRC also released a joint policy note in August 2025 to help inform discussions on the revision of Japan’s NAP on Business and Human Rights. Read the full submission on our website: https://lnkd.in/edNbCVYh

We are proud to share that WBA's Collective Impact Coalition (CIC) for Ethical AI has been shortlisted for the 2025 ICGN Awards in the Excellence in Stewardship category.   The ICGN recognises initiatives that demonstrate meaningful impact and leadership in corporate governance and investor stewardship through its globally respected awards. Being shortlisted the second time shows the crucial role the coalition plays in advancing responsible AI practices at a time when rapid technological change demands strong accountability.   Since its launch in 2022, the CIC for Ethical AI has evolved to keep pace with the accelerating AI landscape, moving from targeted corporate engagement to a comprehensive platform combining collective action and investor education. Today, it brings together 63 investors and 14 civil society organisations working toward the shared goal of ensuring that AI is developed and deployed ethically.   This recognition comes at a timely moment, as we prepare to launch the CIC for Ethical AI’s Progress Report on 10 December, highlighting the coalition’s milestones, impact and next steps in advancing responsible AI.   We are super proud of the progress this coalition has made and are honoured to share this recognition with every member who has contributed to this journey. Special acknowledgement to our investor co-leads for their strategic guidance: Boston Common Asset Management, Fidelity International, Candriam, as well as our CSO co-leads: Paradigm Initiative and Women At The Table. Read more about the awards: https://lnkd.in/eCcxRXh6 Read more about the coalition: https://lnkd.in/dq_4cYRi

COP30 in Belém was a moment to reflect on how global climate efforts are evolving and what this means for shared accountability across governments, business and civil society.   Transition planning emerged as one of the most resonant themes throughout the two weeks. It is increasingly understood not as a sustainability exercise, but as a foundation for credible economic strategy and long-term resilience. Findings from our newly released report which assessed 1,260 keystone companies on their transition plans contributed to this conversation, highlighting how well-designed transition plans can help bridge the gap between ambition and measurable progress.   Belém also made clear that climate, nature and land cannot be treated as separate agendas. The strong engagement around our “Rio trio” position paper showed growing recognition that coherence is essential for reporting, for accountability, and for delivering results that matter on the ground.   Some of the key lessons we learned include: ➡️ Transition planning is gaining policy traction. What once felt optional is now recognised as central to economic and corporate decision-making. ➡️ Integration is moving from vision to practice. Stakeholders are beginning to connect climate, nature and land frameworks in more deliberate ways. ➡️ A just transition is rising on the agenda. The agreement to develop a just transition mechanism was a meaningful signal toward fairness and inclusion. ➡️ Political divides persist. Progress on adaptation and finance was offset by disagreements on fossil fuel phase-out and trade-linked measures. ➡️ Implementation remains the challenge. The world has the frameworks, and now it needs coordinated action and corporate accountability. ➡️ Context matters. Being in the Amazon served as a vivid reminder that climate action is not abstract; it is about people, ecosystems and livelihoods. Looking ahead, WBA leaves #COP30 encouraged by the growing efforts toward more coherent and accountable climate action. Our contribution, alongside many others, is to provide the data, benchmarks and shared frameworks that can help inform and support this transition.   While progress remains uneven, #COP30 reinforced that collaboration and transparency remain our most powerful tools. As we prepare to release our upcoming assessments of the worlds 2,000 most influential companies at Davos, we will see how the real economy is planning for the transition ahead. See our methodologies here: https://lnkd.in/etSJVvfh #2000reasons #COP30

We have just published a new discussion paper which examines how responsible business conduct relates to financial performance, operational resilience and the standards companies set across their supply chains. Drawing on insights from over 1,100 globally influential companies, our findings suggest that: ➡️ Companies with higher scores on socially responsible business practices tend to report modestly higher revenue, return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on assets (ROA). ➡️ SBTi-validated climate targets show a modest link to higher five-year stock growth. A similar pattern appears for companies with stronger social practices. ➡️ Companies with stronger internal social practices are significantly more likely to set stronger supplier requirements and monitoring systems. ➡️ Companies headquartered in jurisdictions with mandatory supply-chain rules tend to set significantly stronger supplier standards. Overall, evidence shows that responsible business can be smart business. Companies that meet fundamental social expectations often demonstrate greater operational stability and resilience, without compromising financial performance. As policymakers refine supply-chain regulation and investors seek durable, long-term value, responsibility should not be seen as a burden, but as a pathway to competitiveness and credibility in a changing global economy. The paper also features case studies developed with WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) — a big thanks to both partners. Download the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/enSzzejP

Scaling up low-carbon technologies is vital for companies to drive the global economy toward a successful net-zero transition. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that achieving net zero by 2050 will require annual clean-energy investments to more than triple, reaching roughly USD 4 trillion by 2030. Aligning corporate capital with national financing frameworks is therefore important to multiply the impact of both and unlock the investment scale required to deliver on 1.5 °C. However, our findings reveal a systemic gap between ambition and financial action across both public and private sectors. Among the 1,260 keystone companies we assessed: ➡️ Only 25% disclose any low-carbon investment figures. ➡️ Only 4 % provide low-carbon investments for two points in time, severely limiting the capacity of investors from assessing whether these commitments translate into actual capital shifts. ➡️ 75% of corporates fail to disclose any type of low-carbon investments. To understand progress towards achieving the IEA goal, we need corporates to publicly report both their current and planned low-carbon investments. At a macro level, the 2025 NDC synthesis report identifies similar challenges: only 21% of countries have costed their transition plans. National governments are also turning toward innovative financial mechanisms to accelerate investment pipelines. These are approaches that could also guide stronger alignment between corporate strategies and financial planning. Read more from our report: https://lnkd.in/epZa5Qmr

We are on the ground at #COP30 alongside governments, companies and civil-society actors, adding our perspective to conversations on translating and scaling credible climate commitments into real-economy outcomes. The decade since the #ParisAgreement has brought a major shift in global ambition, moving the world away from the projected ~4°C trajectory we were facing in 2015, but delivery is still lagging. While national commitments show progress, we remain off track towards achieving 1.5°C, and the mechanisms needed for implementation, finance and transparency, continue to fall short, leaving a persistent gap between long-term targets and real-world outcomes. This gap between commitments and outcomes is the space where WBA has been most active in the past week. Our focus has been on reinforcing that credible transition plans are more than sustainability exercises, but rather a core economic strategy. This message is clearly shown in the results of our latest report, "From targets to transformation", which assessed the transition plans of more than 1,260 keystone companies. We presented findings from this report on the ground at #COP30, with opening remarks from Manuel Pulgar-Vidal Vidal and Marcelo Behar, and insights from private-sector leaders Grazielle Parenti (Vale) and Manish Pant (Schneider Electric). From our engagements across the week, several themes emerged consistently. Together, they highlight what is required to shift from commitment to implementation: ➡️ Credible transition plans must move beyond targets, translating ambition into investment decisions and real-economy competitiveness. ➡️ NDCs set the political direction and corporate transition plans show us where the real economy is going. Alignment between the two, that is linking national ambition with real-economy action, is essential. ➡️ Our ACT methodology remains a key framework for analysing transition plans, ensuring transparency and reinforcing accountability  to corporate commitments. ➡️ Reliable data across public and private actors is critical to counter disinformation, support sound climate policy and ensure accountability. ➡️ Momentum around Rio synergies continues to grow. Many conversations highlighted that non-state actors can play a leading role in driving integrated action across climate, biodiversity and land. These themes also reflect broader dynamics within the COP process. As we move into the second week, attention is turning to whether #COP30 can deliver an ambition package that addresses the pressing gaps identified so far: the need to accelerate implementation, advance just transition, deliver on adaptation finance at scale and keeping the work on synergetic approaches across the Rio Conventions. Read the findings from our assessment: https://lnkd.in/epZa5Qmr

Transition planning must address social risks to ensure decarbonisation is fair and inclusive. The International Labour Organization has been clear that any credible transition must be grounded in social dialogue, workforce planning and investment in upskilling. Yet despite how often “just transition” appears in corporate and government disclosures, concrete planning remains limited. ➡️ Our assessment of over 1,260 companies shows that only 11% commit to social dialogue and 9% to reskilling or upskilling. Fewer than 4% have plans informed by social impacts, and only 1.3% set measurable, time-bound targets. We see the same pattern in the public sector: the 2025 NDC Synthesis Report shows that while 70% of Parties reference just transition in their #NDCs, only 8% include measurable targets. The #UNFCCC’s Just Transition Work Programme was created to address this gap, but its mandate expires in 2026 and negotiations on its future remain unresolved. Civil society constituencies are calling for a stronger, more permanent architecture to anchor just transition within the UNFCCC. One proposal gaining traction is the Belem Action Mechanism (BAM), envisioned as a coordination, knowledge and support platform to operationalise just transition globally and strengthen cooperation among countries, businesses and social partners. With #COP30 in Belém now underway, this is a critical moment to shift from principle to practice and embed just transition more firmly in national and corporate planning. Read the full assessment: https://lnkd.in/e-ztVX4y #COP30 #CorporateTransitionPlanning #2000reasons #JustTransition #Decarbonisation

The European Parliament’s vote to slash corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence laws is not a minor amendment, it is a strategic step backwards.   At a moment when markets demand clarity and direction, Europe is signalling that transition planning and impact disclosure are optional. They are not.   Our latest assessment of transition plans across more than 1,260 of the world’s most influential companies shows why: credible transition plans are economic strategy. They turn ambition into investment, connect supply chains to resilience, and anchor long-term competitiveness in transparency and accountability. And as regulation weakens, a messaging vacuum is emerging, one that puts even more weight on market expectations, investor trust and independent accountability mechanisms to guide meaningful action. A few truths remain unchanged: ➡️ Transition plans aren’t paperwork, they’re preparedness. ➡️ Transparency builds competitiveness. ➡️ Cutting requirements doesn’t cut risk, it hides it.   Weakening the rules may lower the regulatory floor, but it only raises the bar for real leadership. The companies and economies that will thrive in a decarbonising world are those doubling down on credibility, alignment and action. Read more about the development here: https://lnkd.in/dHhdT3EP

This month's newsletter is brought to you from Belém, Brazil! Our team is here at #COP30, where the world’s eyes are on the Amazon and the urgent need for climate action. As governments, businesses and civil society convene, our message is clear: The private sector holds the key to turning climate ambition into real-world progress. Read more in the newsletter and subscribe for: 💬 Expert commentary on sustainability issues, straight from WBA specialists 🔎 The latest updates on our research, reports, and events 👥 Opportunities to engage with our work and make an impact

A year after the adoption of the Pact for the Future and amid the UN80 reform process, the UN’s role must be redefined so it can be reinforced to meet the challenges of a changing world. In this new phase, the responsibility of business in contributing towards our global agendas on climate, nature, people and AI can no longer be voluntary, it must become the norm. This shift will not happen in isolation. In today’s fragmented geopolitical climate, the UN’s continued legitimacy depends on its ability to move from setting commitments to driving implementation. This requires a whole-of-society approach, recognising that global goals can only be achieved through the participation and responsibility of all actors, including business. Read the full reflection from Charlotte Reeves, Global Engagement Lead at WBA: https://lnkd.in/ezWvSmrX