A former boss of Unilever looking for "heroic CEOs" to tackle climate change and inequality | Business

The former boss of Unilever is looking for a team of "heroic leaders" to lead a transition to a way of doing business that is low-carbon and more inclusive.

Paul Polman, who left the Anglo-Dutch owner of Marmite and Dove last November after a decade at the helm, warned that the rise of populism and Brexit are symptoms of capitalism's maladjustment. The bosses, he insists, must commit to fighting inequalities and coping with the climate emergency.

"We are on the verge of committing the greatest intergenerational crime in the history of humanity. We need to come together and not separate, "said the 63-year-old Dutchman, who was hailed for promoting the benefits of sustainable trade long before it became fashionable.

"If you do not talk about inequality and climate change, for the sake of simplicity, more and more people will be dissatisfied, not feel included or left out and make that choice of rejection at the polls. The fact that we have these problems of populism and schisms in society is precisely because we do not deal with the underlying problem of the evolution of capitalism and make sure that it works for everything the world, "he said.

According to him, the starting point is "heroic leaders ready to take over and get out of the comfort zone and take personal risks. I've tried doing the same thing with Unilever. It is a question of will. "

Polman supported his remarks with money by investing in Imagine, a foundation that defends the UN 's sustainable development goals. But he has several other projects underway, including helping French President Emmanuel Macron and François-Henri Pinault, the boss of Kering, owner of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, to finalize an agreement with the fashion industry aimed at reducing waste and carbon emissions. should be announced at the G7 meeting in Biarritz next month. Polman said the goal is to get a fifth of the industry. He hopes that the signatories, including the owner of Calvin Klein, PVH, H & M and Inditex, owner of Zara, will inspire others.

Polman is also supporting an initiative that uses similar tactics to advance the rights of people with disabilities, Valuable 500. The campaign, which aims to recruit 500 corporate executives who pledge to put the disability in order of the day this year, just won the support of seven major financial institutions, including Bank of England, HSBC and Lloyds. Banks join existing signatories, including Barclays, Accenture, Microsoft, Virgin Media and Sainsbury's.

"We are trying to create tipping points at the sector level. The premise is that private sector leaders must push for major changes in the absence of politicians. Not exclusively, but by actively helping to reduce the risks badociated with the political process, "said Polman.

"Over the next 10 years, companies will have more responsibility to accelerate the implementation of the [UN’s] sustainable development goals simply because of the necessary financial flows that can not be provided by the government at the moment. "

With only 100 companies accounting for 71% of carbon emissions, persuading a handful of these leaders to see the economic and moral benefits of changing methods can create a race to the top, according to Polman.

The boss who has publicly supported the young writers of Extinction Rebellion and is a fan of teenage activist Greta Thunberg, said that companies that do not accept issues of diversity, sustainability and equal rights will have also struggling to attract talented young workers.

"The millennial generation wants to work for companies that do not just represent revenues."

Polman said that he was no longer ridiculed for hinting that the fight against climate change was a sensible decision for companies and that companies were also beginning to understand that it was just as important to guarantee equal rights.

"We are now at a stage of society where the cost of inaction in these areas is higher than that of acting. He becomes a public. It depends on humans, that's the missing element, "said Polman.

Caroline Casey, founder of the Valuable 500 campaign, hopes to persuade key executives, such as Richard Branson, who has dyslexia, to be more open about their own disabilities and to take steps to make their lives easier. More inclusive businesses will demonstrate that change is good. for companies, good for people with disabilities and good for society in general ".

She points out that about 13 million people with disabilities in the UK have, with their families, a purchasing power of £ 249 billion. However, companies give them far less attention than vegans, for example, who represent less than a million.

People with disabilities are also valuable employees who may be hiding non-obvious issues such as autism, mental health issues or even blindness in the workplace.

"Exclusion has a cost because we are not unleashing potential," Casey said.