2016 – A Year for Action

2015 was a remarkable year for humanity and planet. Two historic moments at the end of the year have given us the opportunity to pursue a more sustainable and equitable future.

And we need them more than ever. The global economy remains in a state of flux. Natural disasters and geopolitical crises seem to cry out from the front page of every newspaper. Inequality of every kind is rife in all corners of the world. Take access to hygiene, for example - two billion people still lack basic sanitation, forced to defecate in the open. Or food security - nearly 800 million people go to bed hungry every night, whilst 1.2 billion people are obese. 

The global challenges we face, such as climate change, poverty, growing income disparity gap, unemployment – to name a few - can all appear overwhelming at times, but I am more optimistic now than ever that we have the framework required to resolve them.

In September, world leaders, businesses, financial institutions and NGOs gathered in New York to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, to follow the Millennium Goals. Indeed they are ambitious, but if we achieve them we could end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change once and for all. Who doesn't want that?

In December, all eyes were on world leaders once again, this time in Paris – as 195 nations gathered to agree and sign the COP21 Paris Agreement. The unprecedented level of support from businesses and the influence of civil society via social media and public marches, gave governments the confidence to make bold commitments and agree an ambitious deal that could see the world pull back from the brink of irreversible climate change.

Collective leadership from companies like retailers Marks & Spencer and Ikea, luxury goods company Kering or DSM to name a few, and coalitions including  the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, We Mean Business and the B Team, have demonstrated the pivotal role of business in driving forward such critical global agreements.

At Unilever, inspired by the need to go further and faster, in the run up to COP21 we announced plans to source all of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and become ‘carbon positive’ by 2030 – generating more renewable energy than we consume. I call that positive energy. This work follows our achievements sending zero-waste to landfill across our global factory network and all of our facilities in Europe.

I was encouraged to see other businesses stepping up with their own targets to reduce carbon emissions and bringing scalable solutions to the table. Even the financial markets are waking up, which is usually a sign that we have reached a tipping point. The opportunities are enormous and so is the risk if we don't act. The role of business in tackling climate change is even more important now than ever. 

COP21 also represented the first major test of the Global Goals as the agreement was a down payment on the broader ambition to end poverty in our generation.  It establishes a clear path to decarbonise the global economy within our lifetime, reaping the benefits of accelerated infrastructure investment and innovation, greater security, and unlocking trillions of dollars for a growing low carbon economy. And that should give us all hope for the future.

Later this week, we will look to world leaders to further drive forward the Global Goals agenda at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, where focus will shift from policy to implementation – vital if we are to make progress. I am pleased to have the opportunity to do that myself at a panel with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and heads of states, exploring how sustainable development partnerships can catalyse action in 2016. It will be available to stream live at this link on Thursday 21st January at 16:45 GMT. I expect it to be one of many thought-provoking sessions, bringing together participants from all over the world.

It is my hope that, encouraged by the success of COP21, national governments will use the opportunity to form and deepen effective partnerships with business, NGOs and civil society that can bring about transformational change, setting us firmly on the path to delivering the Global Goals.

Momentum is building, with governments, businesses and people everywhere acknowledging that the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action. I’m heartened by the critical role I know business will continue to play in positively influencing international progress. And I am particularly energised by the millennial generation, who are increasingly eager to learn about the challenges we face and who are inspiring each other to take action on a bigger scale.

2015 was a historic year. But it is just the beginning. The framework is in place, and it now falls to all of us to work together, turning the promises on paper into action on the ground.

We can all do our bit. Now let’s get to work!

Find out how you can help make a real difference by visiting Unilever Bright Future.

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