Why Verve Super is backing business-led climate campaign

Verve Super has signed up to a business-led campaign called Business for 75, which unites business leaders into pushing the government to commit to at least a 75% emissions reduction target by 2035.  

This campaign is proudly led by our parent company, Future Group, along with major players like Fortescue, Volvo, Bank Australia and Ben & Jerry’s. And it’s gaining momentum at exactly the right time.  

Climate ambition is firmly back on the national agenda. Ambitious emissions targets are a foundation for innovation, investment and competitiveness in a rapidly decarbonising global economy. The businesses that drive Australia’s economic success are ready for bold action, and government policy needs to match that ambition.  

The Australian government is preparing to set its interim 2035 emissions target as a stepping-stone to its 2050 targets, which it committed to in 2015 by signing the Paris Agreement, along with more than 190 other countries.  

This agreement represents the world’s collective approach to tackling climate change by agreeing a pathway to cutting climate pollution by 2050 that will limit warming to ‘well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels’ by 2100. It’s a long game, and it’s complicated.  

But the TL;DR is that in 2024, the world was more than 1.5°C warmer compared to pre-industrial levels, and we’re already seeing near-constant climate impacts around the world, from floods to wildfires. As time passes, the need for climate action is increasingly urgent.  

Australia’s emissions need to fall by at least 75% by 2035 compared to 2005 levels. 2005 is used as the comparison baseline because it was a peak emissions year, so this isn’t a huge ask. It’s totally doable, and it’s a minimum threshold grounded in climate science. 

It also matches the level of ambition already being pursued by Australia’s states and territories, which are collectively aiming for emissions reductions between 66% and 71%. Tasmania has already reached net zero, proving to us that it can be done.  

Many of Australia’s top businesses are getting on board, including Ben & Jerry’s. The response to Business for 75 has been extraordinary. Major organisations including Fortescue, Bank Australia, Ben & Jerry’s and BCorp have come together to call for federal leadership.  

A liveable climate is a gender equality issue as well as an economic and environmental one. Women and girls bear the brunt of climate impacts across the world, as it becomes harder to feed their families, and because women disproportionately work in sectors affected by environmental change.  

When it comes to retirement, women are more likely to face financial insecurity, which can be worsened by climate-driven instability.  

So at Verve Super we see climate action as a core part of our mission to support women’s long-term financial wellbeing. Joining Business for 75 is one way we’re helping push for a stable, fair, and sustainable economy. It’s the system that needs to change, not the women navigating it.  

We’re proud to stand alongside other values-led businesses pushing for real change. Verve members expect us to lead on climate and equality, and we take that responsibility seriously. Strong climate action is good for women, good for the economy, and good for all of us. 

Want to learn more or share your voice? Visit businessfor75.com.au to see who else has joined and how this movement is growing. 

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