Paul Polman, Former CEO of Unilever, Business leader, climate and equalities campaigner speaks to Force For Good on Capitalism, Realpolitik, ESG, Republicans, America and Europe.

“We’ve started to discover that although our economic system has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, we’ve done that really in a very unsustainable way.

There is not one goal that is in line with achieving the sustainable development goals at the 2030 timing.

The marketplace are very clear now that all over the world, the citizens of this world prefer to buy from companies that have a more responsible business model in the many different aspects of ESG.”

Paul speak to Force for Good about:

• How the SDGs are not set to be met, based on today’s trajectory
• Why our business and industrial model doesn’t work with 8 billion people
• How capitalism is much needed, and in a more fit-for-purpose evolved form
• Realpolitik, ESG and the American and European approaches to sustainability
• The importance of bringing together those with private wealth and those with social impact potential
• Why he remains hopeful

…and much more

Brief Profile:

Former CEO of Unilever, Business leader, climate and equalities campaigner

Business leader, campaigner, Co-Author of “Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take”, recently published October 2021.

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to tackle climate change and inequality. A leading proponent that business should be a force for good, Paul has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”.

As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he demonstrated that a long-term, multi-stakeholder model goes hand-in-hand with excellent financial performance. Paul was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and which he continues to champion, working with global organizations and across industry to advance the 2030 development agenda.

Paul has an interest in exploring five accelerators that can transform the systems by which we live, work and play and progress more rapidly tackle climate change and inequality.

His new book, “Net Positive”, is a ‘call to arms’ aimed at courageous business leaders, setting out how to build net positive companies which profit by fixing the world’s problems rather than creating them. He Chairs IMAGINE, a social venture dedicated to systems change, and Saïd Business School, and he is Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact as well as a B Team Leader. Paul is Honorary Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years.