Climate Leadership Coalition's CEO Tuuli Kaskinen met with President Alexander Stubb last week joined by CLC members and Finnish COP30 Pavilion partners, Outokumpu and Nokia. The discussion focused on the shared message that Finnish companies and the President will bring to the COP30 climate conference in Belém.

Driving climate action through business leadership

Meeting President Stubb gave CLC the opportunity to present the business perspective on climate ambition and competitiveness.

Predictable, forward-looking climate policies are essential to enable private sector clean investments. The Paris Agreement 10 years ago sent this signal and unlocked unprecedented business engagement in the climate transition. 2 trillion dollars was invested in clean energy in 2024.

The private sector plays a central role in driving the green transition: more than 70% of green transition investments come from businesses. Nordic companies have world-class solutions but scaling them globally requires supportive political climate action to continue.

Leading by example

Discussion highlighted how Nordic companies are leading by example: CLC members like Outokumpu and Nokia are showing the way, from low-carbon steel to energy-efficient digital solutions.

Outokumpu is Europe’s market leader in low-emission stainless steel, with a 75% lower carbon footprint than the industry average. As Outokumpu owns the EU’s only chromium mine, low-emissions production is combined with a secure supply of this critical raw material. For Outokumpu, fair carbon pricing is a safeguard for resilient stainless steelmaking.

Similarly, mobile networks are the backbone of the modern digital world. Nokia has taken significant steps to cut emissions in its own operations but more importantly it is enabling the energy sector’s digital transformation. Over 200 utilities worldwide rely on Nokia’s connectivity technologies to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

Strengthening Nordic influence

As multilateral negotiations face modest expectations, coalitions of the willing among governments and private sector leaders are becoming an alternative route to implement climate action. This needs both politicians and businesses who are willing to reach out to new partners. These new partners can increasingly be found also in the Global South.

President Stubb has extensive international network and strong relationships with world leaders and is therefore uniquely positioned to help elevate these messages on the global stage. His active role in high-level discussions offers a valuable opportunity to promote pragmatic, growth-oriented climate policies and reinforce the Nordic voice.

Yle, Finnish national public broadcaster, also featured CLC, Nokia and Outokumpu in its coverage on how Finnish companies are preparing for COP30. Read the article below.