UK Business Leaders Expect COP31 To Drive Investment And Growth, Survey Finds

British business leaders expect this month’s COP31 climate summit to generate new commercial opportunities and accelerate investment in sustainability, although concerns remain over whether international commitments can be translated into practical action.

A survey of 307 UK chief executives and senior directors, commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM), found that 88 per cent were confident the UN conference would produce meaningful global action.

The same proportion expected the summit, taking place in Antalya, Turkey, from 9 to 20 November, to lead to changes within their organisations.

Among executives anticipating changes, 90 per cent expected the impact to be positive, compared with just 2 per cent who foresaw negative consequences.

The findings suggest businesses increasingly view climate policy as a driver of investment and operational change rather than solely a regulatory obligation.

New or tighter environmental regulations were the most frequently anticipated consequence, cited by 30 per cent of respondents expecting change.

Investment in climate adaptation and resilience, changes to energy sourcing and recruitment or training for sustainability-related roles were each identified by 29 per cent.

Among executives expecting positive outcomes, 22 per cent cited growth opportunities, while 21 per cent pointed to innovation and the same proportion to improved resilience and risk management.

Humayon Pramanik, director of influence and advocacy at APM, warned that optimism could prove misplaced without sufficient investment in implementation.

“Policy signals and corporate commitments alone, however, will not create lasting impact,” he said.

“Every climate commitment ultimately becomes a portfolio of projects that must be prioritised, funded, governed and delivered.”

Expectations varied across industries. Energy and legal services executives were most likely to anticipate organisational changes, at 94 per cent each, followed by engineering at 90 per cent.

Financial services leaders were particularly optimistic, with 98 per cent of those expecting change anticipating a positive impact.

The survey also found that 84 per cent of respondents believed previous COP conferences had delivered at least some meaningful outcomes, while 14 per cent regarded them as largely symbolic or dominated by commitments.

APM argued that companies would need stronger project management capabilities to translate climate-related ambitions into measurable improvements in infrastructure, operations and competitiveness.