The Major Economies Business Forum on Energy Security and Climate Change (BizMEF) is a partnership of major multi-sectoral business organizations from major economies. Modeled after the government-to-government Major Economies Forum, BizMEF is a platform for these groups to:

• promote dialogue and exchange views on climate change and energy security across a broad spectrum of business interests including major developed, emerging, and developing economies;



• highlight areas of agreement among participating organizations on the most important issues for business in international climate change policy forums;



• promote the dialogue on climate change technology transfer and financial support to developing countries; and



• share these views with governments, international bodies, other business organizations, the press, and the public.

Through its work, BizMEF will provide responsible business views that can provide valuable and practical input to the international climate change discussions under way in the Major Economies Forum on Climate and Energy (MEF) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Participating organizations also find that BizMEF perspectives can help to inform national policy deliberations, for example on trade and competitiveness.

It is widely recognized that business and industry will provide most of the investments, technology, and innovation needed to implement new international agreements and domestic responses to climate risks. It is important, then, that a new international agreement provides a framework that supports business planning, decisions, and investment.

BizMEF business groups first met in Copenhagen in February 2009. At a subsequent meeting in Washington in September 2009, the group adopted its name. BizMEF met again in Copenhagen during the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and most recently in Washington in September 2010.

Organizations participating in BizMEF meetings represent business groups in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Collectively, BizMEF organizations represent more than 25 million businesses of every size and sector across six continents. Because BizMEF partnering organizations represent a broad range of companies and industries-including energy producing and consuming companies as well as energy technology and service providers-the partnership is able to provide robust and balanced views on a range of issues.

Contact Information

The Institute for 21st Century Energy is the administering body of the Major Economies Business Forum on Energy Security and Climate Change website. For further information regarding the Major Economies Business Forum, please contact Stephen Eule.