28 May 2021

Nairobi, May 28 2021 — With 500 companies already committed to the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign, the Global Compact Networks in Africa have today launched the Climate Ambition Accelerator, a six-month learning programme to equip more companies with the knowledge and skills they need to help halve global emissions by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050.

“This is a make or break year to confront the climate emergency. Meaningful actions taken by businesses collectively now have the power to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. Our new Climate Ambition Accelerator enables more companies in our Local Networks to join the transition to a net-zero future and get started in setting ambitious, credible science-based targets,” said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact.

Led by the UN Global Compact with support from patrons Ørsted and Natura &Co, and sponsored by En+ Group, the Climate Ambition Accelerator aims to scale-up credible climate action across companies of all sizes, sectors and regions, to enable them to set and deliver on meaningful commitments to reduce emissions and deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement. 

The new programme builds on the UN Global Compact’s work to develop and promote the Science Based Targets initiative and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign. It also complements the Global Compact’s existing environmental sustainability efforts such as the Action Platform on Climate Ambition, the Sustainable Ocean Business Action Platform and the Water Resilience Coalition, which in turn contribute to the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns in the lead up to COP26.

Companies participating in the Climate Ambition Accelerator will gain access to best practices, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, capacity-building sessions and on-demand training. The Climate Ambition Accelerator aims to engage 750 companies globally, including SMEs, across industries in more than 25 countries to focus on setting science-based targets. Companies of all sizes are encouraged to apply for the accelerator programme at unglobalcompact.org/climate-ambition-accelerator.

Africa Regional Track: Available to participating companies of the UN Global Compact in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius and Indian Ocean Region, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia.