Post by account_disabled on Feb 20, 2024 0:30:15 GMT -8
In an unstable political landscape, businesses have an increasingly important advocacy role in driving policymakers towards more ambitious climate action,” said former Unilever CEO Paul Polman as he closed the first day of the first Festival . Net Zero of the world. Speaking to BusinessGreen , Polman, whose appearance at the inaugural event came just hours after the first presidential debate of the 2020 US election, lamented the lack of global governance and political leadership regarding ambitious climate action and maintained that, Therefore, it increasingly fell to companies to “ compromise the political process ” to drive progress towards the net zero emissions goal. The promotion is being carried out in the private sector. You've seen it in many different instances since COVID-19, and that will continue. I hope that, with a collective effort from other stakeholders, we can begin to de-risk the political process. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. However, the Dutch businessman, who is credited with leading Unilever's industry-leading sustainability approach, offered a broadly optimistic view of the future in a passionate conversation that capped a day packed with events focused on the topic of net zero leadership. Speaking with Athens Festival presenter Gavin Esler .
Polman reflected on the fact that technological innovation and financial markets increasingly sensitive to climate risk would combine with a growing number of citizens and CEOs calling for climate action to push governments to embrace sustainability and net zero. It's a little late to be pessimistic: Paul Polman " Business is starting to move ," he said, before referring directly to Tuesday's US presidential debate between Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden. The real challenge is the lack of global governance, the abysmal local governance and the abdication of responsibilities Europe Cell Phone Number List when it comes to attacking these big problems we face. The debate we saw yesterday on television is a sad symbol of that. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. Policymakers have stalled for so long on addressing climate issues that the economy is now tilting in favor of climate action, he said, estimating that climate change costs the world more than $5 billion a year. Still, he argued that given the magnitude of the challenge and the opportunities for green companies that lie ahead it was "too late to be pessimistic." "It's a little late to be pessimistic" Polman, who last year co-founded Imagine — which works to mobilize businesses to act on climate change and inequality — said he was encouraged by the flurry of calls for a green recovery from the crisis. of COVID-19 in recent months, and estimated that companies representing $25 million of the global economy had already supported climate measures.
The private sector, civil society and financial markets will speak out more and more forcefully, and the myth that you cannot have economic growth if you also attack climate change has been turned on its head. If you want economic growth, you have to attack climate change. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. As governments seek to revitalize their economies in the wake of the crisis, it is essential that they do not follow the same path they followed after the 2008 financial crisis, Polman emphasized, when only 2% of the allocated stimuli were green. It is clear that we have missed a great opportunity. Governments spent a lot of money, but they spent it on the banks. They felt the banks were too big to fail, but the people were too small to matter. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. Policymakers this time must step up their efforts and prepare to unlock significantly more investment in green initiatives, Polman said, while demonstrating their commitment to the climate by introducing updated climate goals—or level determined contributions. (NDC) in UN parlance—on schedule before the end of the year.