The Exponential Roadmap Initiative (ERI) is proud to announce a new partnership with the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). This collaboration aims to amplify efforts to support the private sector in scaling climate ambition and action, with a shared commitment to achieving the global goal of halving emissions by 2030. 

WBA brings a strong dedication to accountability and transparency, assessing over 2,000 of the world’s most influential companies on their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By benchmarking businesses across critical industries, WBA provides data-driven insights that empower governments, investors, civil society, and individuals to make informed decisions driving sustainable action.

Harmonising standards for business accountability

This partnership underscores the importance of harmonizing accountability efforts in an often fragmented landscape. By aligning our values and focusing on systemic change, ERI and WBA aim to strengthen the foundation for exponential climate action with a certain focus on business transition plans.

Romain Poivet, Climate and Energy Engagement Lead at the World Benchmarking Alliance, highlights the potential of this partnership:

Individual experts from ERI and WBA have already been working together since June 2023 on the credibility of companies’ transition plans and for a couple of years on the developments of GHG-related international standards. With ERI and WBA becoming formal allies, it is a great opportunity for our two organizations to create powerful synergies to support companies in their transition to a net zero world. Joining our complementary approaches, resources, data, expertise, and networks, we will be able to facilitate the development and dissemination of relevant standards, methods, tools, roadmaps, and policies for net zero to become real.

Claire Wigg, Head of Climate Performance Practice at the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, emphasizes the alignment of values:

ERI shares WBA’s beliefs that the private sector can strongly contribute to the global ambition of the SDGs, and that assessment of corporate performance is critical for driving action. To support and to challenge corporations, clear and consistent messaging on accountability is needed, and fragmentation needs to be avoided. So ERI is delighted to join such a strong network and we look forward to collaborating with WBA and its allies.

As part of the recent World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, ERI hosted Exponential panels featuring WBA representatives Vicky Sins, Head of Climate Mitigation, Adaptation and Just Transition, and Andrea Webster, Head of Finance System Transformation.

These discussions laid the groundwork for further collaboration and joint efforts toward achieving systemic change and driving exponential climate action.

Watch ERI and WBA’s joint discussions from Davos: