Business Leaders: Time to Bridge the 'North-South' Climate Divide

As the global climate crisis intensifies, business leaders can no longer afford to ignore the 'north-south' divide in climate action. The stark reality is that the global north, comprising developed countries, contributes disproportionately to greenhouse gas emissions, while the global south, consisting of developing countries, bears the brunt of climate change impacts. To tackle this pressing issue, business leaders must step up and play a crucial role in bridging this divide. This article explores the significance of the 'north-south' climate divide, its impact on global climate change mitigation efforts, and the specific actions business leaders can take to foster more collaborative climate action.



The 'north-south' climate divide is a critical factor in the effectiveness of global climate change mitigation efforts. The global north's disproportionate contribution to emissions and the global south's vulnerability to climate change impacts create a complex dynamic that hinders progress in climate negotiations and implementation of global climate change agreements. This divide is characterized by unequal emissions and vulnerability, financial resources and technology transfer, trust and cooperation, and divisions in climate talks.



To bridge the 'north-south' climate divide and foster more collaborative climate action, business leaders can take several specific actions:

1. Strengthen public-private partnerships: Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of U.N. Global Compact, emphasized the importance of strengthening public-private partnerships with "affordable capital" for "global south" businesses. This can help address the "anxiety and angst" of the global south, which is most impacted by climate change despite producing the least amount of emissions (Ojiambo, 2025).
2. Invest in local food production: The Scientists Warning Into Action report highlights the importance of investing in local food production to reduce dependence on imported staple foods and mitigate supply shocks. This can be achieved by large investments in infrastructure, especially for irrigation, and widespread uptake of fertilizers to overcome phosphorus deficiencies (Scientists Warning Into Action, 2025).
3. Apply a 'gender lens' to investments: Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO of GIB Asset Management, suggests that businesses should apply a "gender lens" to unlocking finance. This can help improve investment in female-led businesses, which are typically more concerned about sustainability (Garrett-Cox, 2025).
4. Combat climate disinformation: António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, announced a new Global initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change to combat climate disinformation. Business leaders can support this initiative by promoting accurate information and countering misinformation about climate change (Guterres, 2025).
5. Support climate finance: Business leaders can play a crucial role in supporting climate finance, especially for developing countries. This can help address the global south's concerns about the lack of financial commitments from the rich world, as seen in the acrimonious climate talks at COP29 (Ojiambo, 2025).
6. Collaborate on technology exchange: Strengthening technology exchange between the global north and south can help bridge the divide and foster more collaborative climate action. This can involve sharing clean technologies, knowledge, and best practices to support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries (Ojiambo, 2025).

By taking these specific actions, business leaders can help bridge the 'north-south' climate divide and foster more collaborative climate action, ultimately contributing to the success of global climate agreements and nationally appropriate actions. The time for business leaders to step up and address the 'north-south' climate divide is now, as the future of our planet hangs in the balance.