We Mean Business

What We Mean Business does

We Mean Business Coalition is a nonprofit climate-advocacy coalition founded in 2015 by seven non-profit organizations — BSR, CDP, Ceres, Climate Group, Corporate Leaders Groups, The B Team, and WBCSD — and headquartered in Washington, DC, with global operational reach. The Coalition's core function is to convene businesses with policymakers and partners to translate climate ambition into policy and corporate action, primarily through a portfolio of programs (Electric Advantage, SME Climate Hub, Beyond Alliance, Fossil to Clean) and reusable frameworks and tools (Business Action Checklists, the 4 A's of Climate Leadership, the RPE Framework, Climate Transition Action Plans, the Voluntary Carbon Market Knowledge Vault, the Just Transition Resource Platform, and Supplier Engagement Guidance).

The Coalition does not develop or sell technology products. Its "offerings" are coordinated advocacy interventions, policy asks, white papers (such as the 10 Policy Principles to Seize the Electric Advantage), and convening events at COP, London Climate Action Week, and Davos, distributed free of charge through its website and partner channels. A Signals of Change newsletter and case-study library extend the organization's thought-leadership surface.

The Coalition is funded by philanthropic grants and other funding partners (listed as "Funders" on its website), with no commercial pricing, no venture or private equity backing, and no parent company. Its network includes 23,000+ companies and 1,500+ actively advocating businesses; a 2026 joint statement alone aggregated 112 companies with combined annual revenues of approximately $1.5 trillion. Leadership comprises CEO Maria Mendiluce, Deputy Director Luke Pritchard (Nature-Based Solutions), Celine Herweijer (co-chair), Sherry Madera (non-executive director), and Ross Heinemeyer (Director of Finance & People).

Name

We Mean Business

Legal name

We Mean Business Coalition

Website

https://wemeanbusinesscoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

We Mean Business Coalition is a nonprofit coalition founded in 2015 by seven non-profits (BSR, CDP, Ceres, Climate Group, CLG, The B Team, WBCSD) that convenes a 23,000+ company network with policymakers to advance clean electrification and climate action through programs, frameworks, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (81391), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offsets & Carbon Removal Procurement Strategy (portfolio design, quality screening) (EUABAKAL), International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Climate policy advocacy
• Business coalition network
• Clean energy transition
• Corporate sustainability
• Carbon emissions reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

We Mean Business Coalition is a non-profit coalition that brings businesses together with policymakers and partners to turn climate ambition into delivery. It convenes 23,000+ companies to advocate for clean electrification, fossil fuel phase-out, and climate policy reform through programs such as Electric Advantage, SME Climate Hub, Beyond Alliance, and Fossil to Clean. The Coalition offers free frameworks, tools, guidance, and coordinated advocacy interventions (letters, statements, policy asks) for businesses and governments.

Product overview

We Mean Business Coalition is a coalition organization (not a unified software product) that brings together companies with policymakers and partners to accelerate climate action and the energy transition. The Coalition offers a portfolio of programs, frameworks, and resources including: Electric Advantage (a multi-year program on electrification), SME Climate Hub (support for small businesses), Beyond Alliance (market-based climate action), Fossil to Clean (fossil fuel phase-out), Climate Transition Action Plans (transition planning tools), the 4 A's of Climate Leadership framework, Voluntary Carbon Market Knowledge Vault, Supplier Engagement Guidance, Just Transition Resource Platform, Policy Asks for governments, 10 Policy Principles documents, and Signals of Change newsletters. These offerings work together as a coordinated system of support, guidance, and advocacy to help businesses and governments advance clean economies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Electric Advantage: A multi-year program focused on spurring industry action, reforming regulations, and driving investment in electrification to accelerate the transition to modern, clean electrified economies.
• SME Climate Hub
• Beyond Alliance
• Fossil to Clean
• Signals of Change

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of global business leaders see electrification as key to energy security
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered founding, core, featured and supporting.

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. BSR brings expertise in sustainable business strategy and works with companies on climate action.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. CDP runs the global environmental disclosure system.
• CeresfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. Ceres mobilizes investor and corporate action on climate and water issues.
• Climate GroupfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. Climate Group runs initiatives like RE100, EV100, and EP100.
• Corporate Leaders Groups (CLG)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. CLG Europe advocates for climate policy with business leaders.
• The B TeamfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. The B Team works with business leaders on climate and sustainability.
• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the seven founding non-profit partners of the We Mean Business Coalition. WBCSD is a CEO-led organization advancing sustainable development.
• E3GcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerE3G is a partner in commissioning the global survey of business leaders on electrification, alongside the Coalition and Global Renewables Alliance.
• Global Renewables AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the electrification initiative and co-coordinator of the joint statement with 112 companies calling for faster electrification.
• Geelen CounterflowfeaturedTechnology or IntegrationFeatured as a Coalition success story - developed electric industrial dryer technology that helps pet food and fish feed factories electrify heating processes, achieving 75% energy savings.
• MicrosoftfeaturedStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with Fortum on the Espoo Clean Heat project to use datacenter waste heat for district heating in Finland.
• Apparel Impact InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit collaborating with H&M Group on electrifying textile factories through the Coalition's Electric Advantage program.
• WWFsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit collaborating with H&M Group and Apparel Impact Institute on textile factory electrification projects in Vietnam and China.
• Smart Freight CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO overseeing the ecommerce post and parcel working group focused on logistics decarbonization, of which eBay is a founding member.
• Center for Green Market ActivationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO running the trucking pilot project enabling Texas's largest deployment of zero-emission electric trucks, in which eBay participates.
• CerescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition founding partner that eBay works with through LEAD campaigns advocating for clean energy policy solutions in the US.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GFANZ (Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero): Coalition of financial institutions committed to accelerating the decarbonization of the economy. Comparable as a global coalition mobilizing large institutions for net-zero policy and action, often in coordination with We Mean Business.
• The Climate Pledge: Co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, a cross-sector commitment by companies to reach net-zero by 2040. Comparable as a corporate climate coalition with policy advocacy elements, though more corporate-led than We Mean Business.
• Race to Zero / UNFCCC Climate Champions: UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors (businesses, cities, investors, regions) to take rigorous, immediate action to halve emissions by 2030. Directly comparable coalition-format climate mobilization effort.
• Ceres: Founding partner of We Mean Business Coalition; a nonprofit that mobilizes investor and corporate action on climate and water. Comparable as a business climate coalition focused on policy advocacy and corporate engagement.
• United Nations Global Compact: The world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, engaging thousands of companies on climate, human rights, and anti-corruption. Directly comparable as a global business coalition convening companies around climate and policy.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Founding partner of We Mean Business Coalition; runs the global environmental disclosure system used by thousands of companies and investors to measure and manage climate impacts. Directly comparable as a business-facing climate NGO coalition with overlapping corporate base and policy advocacy.
• Climate Group: Founding partner of We Mean Business Coalition; runs the RE100, EP100, and EV100 corporate initiatives that mobilize businesses to commit to renewable electricity, energy productivity, and electric vehicles. Highly comparable mission and corporate base.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Founding partner of We Mean Business Coalition; a sustainable business network and consultancy that works with companies on ESG strategy, including climate. Comparable as a member-driven business sustainability organization.
• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development): Founding partner of We Mean Business Coalition; a CEO-led organization of more than 200 leading businesses advancing sustainable development. Highly comparable as a global business sustainability coalition.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Network of 100+ major global cities committed to addressing climate change; comparable as a coalition-format mobilization effort with member-driven policy advocacy. Direct peer in convening non-state actors for climate action, even though it focuses on cities rather than businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZj1URWtaVRN83-HRZbcIAg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wemeanbusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about We Mean Business