From climate ambition to implementation: why business has a role at COP31

As I prepare to attend COP31 for the first time, one question stands out: how do we turn climate ambition into action?

For me, the answer is increasingly clear. The climate transition will not be delivered through targets and commitments alone. The real test is implementation: how we turn ambition into investments, infrastructure and concrete solutions that reduce emissions while strengthening competitiveness and resilience. This is where business has an important role to play.

Why low-carbon electricity, stronger grids and faster investment are essential to delivering the climate transition

The technologies to decarbonise much of our economy already exist. Low-carbon electricity can replace fossil fuels in industry, transport and heating. The challenge now is to accelerate implementation.

That requires investment, stronger grids, faster permitting and predictable conditions for electrification. It also requires climate policy and competitiveness to go hand in hand. Europe should not have to choose between the two. Low-carbon and affordable electricity can help industry decarbonise while enabling new investment and economic activity.

This is why business needs to be part of the COP conversation. Companies can bring practical experience of what enables investment and, equally importantly, what holds it back. 
At COP31, the Business Forum provides a valuable platform for companies to contribute practical insights to wider discussion. As a member of the Electrification & Energy Transition Working Group, I have had the opportunity to share perspectives on what is needed to accelerate electrification and unlock investment in energy transition.

For Fortum, our message is straightforward: electrification is an important tool for turning climate targets into concrete progress.

A first COP, with a clear purpose

This will be my first COP, and I am looking forward to seeing first-hand how governments, businesses and other stakeholders come together around these questions.

I am particularly interested in the conversations that move beyond ambition towards delivery: What is preventing faster electrification? What would unlock more low-carbon energy investment? And how can Europe advance climate action while strengthening its competitiveness and resilience?

At COP31, we want to hear from others and share what we have learned at Fortum. We also want to explore opportunities for collaboration and, where opportunities arise, initiate new partnerships to help turn climate ambition into action. Because ultimately, the success of the transition will not be measured by how many targets we set. It will be measured by how effectively we turn them into action.