From December 3-4, during the weekend intermission of the COP17 negotiations, approximately 600 executives from a broad array of international companies gathered in Durban at the second annual World Climate Summit to discuss green economy opportunities and challenges.

WCS is one of several industry-related side events that are purposefully scheduled alongside the COP negotiations. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Business for the Environment (B4E) also host annual events.

The proliferation of business forums attests to industry's greater involvement in climate policy and climate solutions.

"Over the past few years, big business has really engaged on the climate change issue," says Richard Gledhill, Lead Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The 2011 WCS program provides an important networking and informational forum for industry leaders. Attendees included executives from Siemens, PwC, Accenture, GE, Coca-Cola, Dow and AVON. Panel discussions cover many familiar topics such as efficiency solutions, financing options, and private-public partnerships. This year, there was a tick up in focus on water, transportation, and women's leadership.

Here are highlights from this year's WCS:

• The green economy can expand regardless of the COP outcome, but clear policy outcomes will accelerate growth. South African President Jacob Zuma opened the Summit with a charge to business leaders. "Business need not wait for outcomes in Durban. Forge ahead. There are many opportunities to pursue [to build a green economy]."

Although executives from Coca-Cola, Dow and Accenture do see and are developing sustainable products and operations, they feel that policy would accelerate and expand the opportunities.

"At some point, we need government cooperation. If we don't have effective public-private partnerships, it's going to take longer," explains Russel Mills, Global Director of Energy and Climate Change for Dow Chemical.

• Sustainability efforts must comprehend human factors; they must attend the bottom of the pyramid. Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, opened WCS with an overview of COP17. She framed the UN negotiations in business terms.

"COP is about governments coming together to develop a business plan for tackling climate change. We are planning for triple bottom line."