We all know that decisions made by committee risk pandering to the lowest common denominator. This seems to be the case when it comes to the progressive end of the business community.

While some corporate leaders individually recognise the world economy needs to undergo a radical shift to deal with social and environmental challenges, when they try to come up with a united front, the sharpness of their voice gets lost.

This was the fate again of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which drew many of the world's sustainability leaders, but ended with little concrete to show for it.

This is an acute problem as progressive businesses must put on a united front ahead of the UN climate summit this September in New York and the global talks in Paris in 2015.

While some new business initiatives did come out of Davos, business leaders failed to fall into line behind one or two big ideas that can really drive momentum in the public domain, either with politicians or citizens.

That is part of the problem with sustainability, which covers so many social, environmental and economic issues, that it can look like everything and nothing.

Georg Kell, head of the United Nations Global Compact, recognised "that some of the big issues that hold back corporate sustainability becoming a transformative force remain un-tackled ... The lesson from Davos is clear: much more needs to be done to reach critical mass. It is time for business leaders to advocate the right public policy changes and to win over peers and competitors for the right cause."

Nick Mabey, CEO of E3G, an independent organisation acting to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development, also pointed out that while the progressive business community talked at Davos, the fossil fuel sector continued to flex its muscles.

"There was a disconnect between business optimism over investing in climate solutions, and the failure of low carbon business to invest in making a political impact in the debate on EU 2030 climate targets going on in Brussels at the same time.

" ... The challenge is that those betting on a low carbon future need to organise far more successfully to shape the global politics of climate change, or we will find ourselves as outgunned by high carbon lobbies in Paris 2015 as we were in Brussels this week."

So what is to be done? First of all we need company CEOs to start showing some leadership. We must also move beyond initiatives such as the Ceres climate declaration in the United States, which in an attempt to get more than a smattering of major businesses to sign up, was so sanitised that it became nothing much more than a general mush.

We also don't want a repeat of the recent call to action by the B Team, ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which one adviser called "that statement written by committee". It failed to come up with a single specific recommendation for change, instead relying on platitudes such as "executives must rise above narrow sectoral and short-term interests, and work with governments to create a new framework of incentives and sanctions, rewarding investment in people and planet."

The B Team could be a powerful force for good in the world, given its membership of respected CEOs and leaders such as Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland. But trying to get them all to agree on a common position is a little like herding cats.

Behind the scenes at Davos, there were moves for companies to come together in more dynamic coalitions, which hopefully will reach fruition in the next few months. There is a recognition that not only must companies address the politicians directly, but businesses must also engage more proactively with citizens, and especially young people, to drive the political agenda.

For politicians to take action, they desperately need so be able to show that companies support the move towards a green economy and that it makes good business sense, can provide jobs and address climate change and resource scarcity.

It's worth repeating a small portion of President Obama's climate speech. "Don't take my word for it," he said. "Recently, more than 500 businesses, including giants like GM and Nike, issued a Climate Declaration, calling action on climate change 'one of the great economic opportunities of the 21st century'. Walmart is working to cut its carbon pollution by 20% and transition completely to renewable energy. But think about it. Would the biggest company, the biggest retailer in America - would they really do that if it weren't good for business, if it weren't good for their shareholders?"

It's good news that individual companies and progressive business associations are rethinking their strategies. But to make any of these emerging coalitions successful, the corporate sector must put its financial and marketing muscle behind them to have a hope of matching the firepower of the fossil fuel lobby. At the moment, it is like watching a group of children with pea shooters trying to take on a tank.

Companies must also get their lobbyists in line with the sustainability agenda and take on the major business associations that are seeking to prevent a change in regulation.

The next few months will show whether businesses are really serious about taking on the fossil fuel lobby, or whether we will have to wait for Davos 2015 to probe why nothing happened and then go and party the night away.

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