What We Do - Business Council on Climate Change

We bring powerful but traditionally isolated organizations together to secure a vibrant future for our city and our planet.

Our Approach

We organize our work according to standing Impact Areas ("how" we approach climate action) and flexible Focus Areas ("what" we focus on at any given time).

Impact Areas

BC3's current Impact Areas include Purchasing and Aggregation; Program Sharing, Development, and Coordination; Policy; and Community and Professional Development. These Impact Areas reflect the kinds of value we offer to our membership.

Focus Areas

Addressing climate change demands flexibility. Each year, BC3's Board assesses member needs, new opportunities, and pressing challenges to select topical Focus Areas that guide BC3's strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BC3's geographic focus? Do you only work in San Francisco?

BC3's history and focus for our policy initiatives is in San Francisco. At the same time, we work to scale and share programs that can have a broader impact whenever possible. A good example is our SunShares program, which engages 50 Bay Area cities and companies to secure discounts on solar and EVs for any Bay Area resident.

Why do companies join BC3?

Every company has its own reasons for joining BC3, but the most common reasons include:
Opportunities to demonstrate community leadership on climate 
Opportunities to leverage peer-to-peer learning and cross-company initiatives to accelerate progress on internal sustainability climate goals (often saving money in the process)
Opportunities to engage with other companies and the City and County of San Francisco in advancing ambitious regional climate initiatives

How do you differ from other business-oriented climate organizations?

BC3's work complements the work being done by many other great organizations. Wherever possible, we seek to reduce replication and find opportunities for productive partnerships. We are unique in that we are able to bring the world's most innovative companies together with progressive, innovative city government.

Can I pitch a product, service, or partnership to your membership?

We maintain a strict policy of not sharing our members' contact information. At the same time, we strive to help our members stay abreast of the latest tools and developments that can help them achieve their sustainability goals. Please contact us at bc3@bc3sfbay.org with information about your project.

Where Is BC3 Headed Next?BC3's Strategic Plan, adopted in 2018, includes six recommendations:

Adopt a new mission statement

Visit our homepage to see the new mission statement we co-developed with our members.

Expand staff capacity

BC3 will grow its staff capacity so we can offer members more value and move more quickly to seize opportunities.

Build out standing program areas

BC3 will move away from a model based on ad-hoc working groups and develop standing program areas reflecting the kinds of value we offer our members. Visit our Program pages to learn more.

Diversify BC3's Membership

BC3 will make its offerings more useful to a wider diversity of companies.

Adopt a Three-Tier Geographic Focus

BC3 will continues to focus its policy work in San Francisco (Tier 1), while working to scale programs across the Bay Area (Tier 2), and sharing and sourcing ideas with the broader world (Tier 3).

Diversify funding sources

In line with our goals to expand staff capacity, build out program areas, and diversify our membership, BC3 will work to develop new funding sources.