Engineering firm Arup, energy company E.ON, brewing multinational Heineken, global energy firm Iberdrola, energy solutions and technology company Siemens, commercial vehicle manufacturer Traton Group and consumer goods manufacturer Unilever have launched the Electric Advantage Leadership Alliance – a new group of senior business leaders working to accelerate the shift to electrified economies.

Launched at COP31 in Antalya, in Türkiye, under the ‘We Mean Business Coalition’s Electric Advantage programme’, the alliance brings together companies across the electrification value chain to strengthen the business voice on policies and investment needed to scale electrification.

The launch follows growing calls from businesses for faster government action on electrification. The companies, in a media statement, note that more than 180 companies representing $1.69-trillion in combined yearly revenue have backed a business statement coordinated through the Electric Advantage programme calling for faster government action to unlock clean electrification. 

They explain that separate global polling of nearly 2 000 senior business leaders across 18 markets found that 90% expect their operations to be largely electrified within a decade, while 72% say government policy is moving too slowly to support the pace of change businesses need.

The companies add that the gap between business ambition and government action is also reflected in new research, highlighting that the ‘We Mean Business Coalition’s Electrification Competitiveness Index’ found that 14 of the 16 countries assessed have stronger enabling conditions for electrification than actual deployment. 

While progress is being made, the companies say that policies remain incomplete or inconsistent in many countries and deployment is being held back by high electricity costs, grid constraints, infrastructure gaps and slow implementation.

The Leadership Alliance thus aims to help close that gap by bringing senior executives together from sectors including clean power, industrial technology, infrastructure, transport, manufacturing and major energy users to advise on priorities for the Electric Advantage programme, engage policymakers on enabling regulation and investment and champion electrification as a driver of competitiveness, affordability and energy security.

“To turn corporate demand into investment at scale, we need affordable clean power, grids that can connect projects quickly and policy that gives businesses confidence to move. The Leadership Alliance brings together companies across the value chain to make that case with a stronger voice and help governments create the conditions for the market to move faster,” says We Mean Business Coalition CEO María Mendiluce.

The companies note that electric technologies can offer businesses greater efficiency and reduced exposure to volatile fossil-fuel prices, but companies continue to face barriers including electricity costs, grid availability, lengthy connection times and regulatory uncertainty.

The alliance will focus on the conditions that allow businesses to turn electrification plans into investment decisions, while recognising that different sectors and markets will move at different speeds.

“At E.ON, we are committed to advancing an energy system that strengthens resilience, protects the climate and keeps energy affordable. Electrification brings these priorities together, but delivering it at scale requires collective action. Through Electric Advantage, we want to work with business leaders and policymakers to turn shared ambition into action,” says E.ON strategy and sustainability senior VP René Mono.

“This alliance is key to giving a voice to industry and, importantly, to energy demand. Electrification is not just about energy suppliers or the value chain. Above all, it is about energy users: understanding their challenges and needs and working together to find solutions that can accelerate the electrification process,” adds Spanish Association for Energy Economics VP and Iberdola climate change and alliances global director Gonzalo Sáenz de Miera.

“The future is electric. It is one of the most powerful levers to decarbonise our economies while making them more efficient. Accelerating the transition through technology, digitalisation and AI, we can optimise how energy is generated, distributed and used, helping industries and infrastructure to become more competitive, resilient and sustainable,” says Siemens executive VP and sustainability global head Eva Riesenhuber.

“Electrifying heavy-duty transport is no longer primarily a technology challenge; it is a matter of adopting and scaling proven solutions. It’s at our fingertips to build a transport system that can reduce emissions, strengthen businesses and benefit society. By working across the transport ecosystem, we can put the right conditions in place for deployment at scale,” says Traton Group chief sustainability officer Andreas Follér.

“Electrification is a priority for Unilever as we transition to renewable energy in our operations and supply chain. Better, more affordable access to renewable electricity will be key to further progress across our value chain and move us closer to our climate targets, and support business resilience and energy security,” says Unilever sustainability – climate head Hannah Hislop.

The leadership alliance will advise on strategic priorities for the Electric Advantage programme; engage policymakers on regulation and investment conditions needed to accelerate electrification; and provide senior business leadership and visibility on electrification.

Electric Advantage is a multiyear programme convened by the We Mean Business Coalition to accelerate electrification through coordinated business action, policy reform and investment across transport, buildings, industry and power.