The opportunity to align competition policy with climate goals: A call to action at COP30

At COP27 in 2022, the question of how competition policy could align with the green transition was only just beginning to surface. Competition policy – the set of rules designed to prevent firms from distorting markets – were often seen as an obstacle to collective climate action. Businesses willing to cooperate on shared climate goals faced uncertainty over whether such collaboration might breach competition law. 

Since then, the conversation has evolved. Through ICC-led dialogue with leading competition experts, businesses and policymakers have begun to rethink how competition frameworks can be modernised so that they safeguard markets while enabling sustainability initiatives to flourish.  

A global effort to improve competition frameworks for the net zero era 

As the world looks at 2025 and beyond, ICC has issued a call to action – built on three years of insights and engagement – to embed sustainability more firmly into the fabric of competition policy. 

• At COP27, ICC released a white paper making the business case for aligning competition and sustainability. 
• At COP28, ICC launched a progress report which mapped emerging guidance from competition authorities around the world. 
• At COP29, ICC presented a report on antitrust in support of sustainability, underscoring how competition law can act as both a sword and a shield for climate action.  

The Call to Action on Antitrust for Climate Action is a formal recognition of the importance of sustainability in global markets and the role of competition in fostering innovation and efficiency. It reflects on years of engagement with competition authorities, businesses and experts to identify how regulatory frameworks can enable responsible cooperation that advances innovation, investment and decarbonisation. 

A united call by competition authorities, businesses and experts from around the world

While the call to action is global, small and insular economies – where the impacts of climate change are already a daily reality – are among the strongest voices of modernising competition rules. 

Leaders from French Polynesia, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and other insular jurisdictions have highlighted that: 

• Rising seas and fragile supply chains demand open, competitive markets that foster sustainable adaptation. 
• Clear, accessible guidance on sustainability cooperation is essential to ensure that all firms can innovate and compete on fair terms. 
• Strengthened international coherence in competition enforcement can help build resilience and accelerate the green transition globally. 

Join the movement 

The ICC Call to Action on Antitrust for Climate Action is more than a policy statement. It is an invitation to enforcers and businesses alike to turn the biggest challenge of our time into the opportunity of a lifetime. 

Together, we can ensure that competitive markets become a powerful force for climate action, driving innovation, resilience and sustainability worldwide. 

See the competition leaders, business representatives and antitrust experts backing our global call to action.  
 

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2025 is a critical year for the Paris Agreement. Ten years on, we need to rethink how we frame the challenge. And seeing challenges differently is what business and we are all about.   

ICC is committed to securing what businesses need at the upcoming climate negotiations, COP30, in Belém, Brazil. Learn more about our Opportunity of a Lifetime climate campaign and how to get involved.   

Learn more about our work on competition policy and climate action