Sustainable Consumption: Redefining Business As Usual
More than ever before, the world’s population – and its ever-increasing demand for products and services – is putting pressure on the planet. In an era of rapidly depleting and finite resources, businesses and society have the opportunity to reframe how value is created and how consumption acts as a driver for economic growth. At the most basic levels, companies must take responsibility for their environmental, economic, political, and social impact across their value chains and spheres of influence. Governments, businesses, and civil society must build participatory and accountable processes with stakeholders throughout their operations, and report on their impacts in a transparent manner. However, significant change can only occur if sustainability practices are incorporated into core business models, rather than simply remaining in the realm of corporate social responsibility. Design decisions at the highest levels will drive consumer choices, and innovative marketing and branding can encourage consumer demand to drive more sustainable supply. This panel will address these opportunities and challenges through the lens of the global food business. The current food system has resulted in high prices being paid by the natural environment and by consumer health; but the opportunity exists to redefine this system. How do we ensure sustainability in an unequal world? How can we evaluate what is driving consumption patterns to determine both ethical and profitable responses to these challenges?
Participants:
Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
Bob Diamond, Chief Executive, Barclays
Viviane Victorine Kinyaga, Director, Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
More than ever before, the world’s population – and its ever-increasing demand for products and services – is putting pressure on the planet. In an era of rapidly depleting and finite resources, businesses and society have the opportunity to reframe how value is created and how consumption acts as a driver for economic growth. At the most basic levels, companies must take responsibility for their environmental, economic, political, and social impact across their value chains and spheres of influence. Governments, businesses, and civil society must build participatory and accountable processes with stakeholders throughout their operations, and report on their impacts in a transparent manner. However, significant change can only occur if sustainability practices are incorporated into core business models, rather than simply remaining in the realm of corporate social responsibility. Design decisions at the highest levels will drive consumer choices, and innovative marketing and branding can encourage consumer demand to drive more sustainable supply. This panel will address these opportunities and challenges through the lens of the global food business. The current food system has resulted in high prices being paid by the natural environment and by consumer health; but the opportunity exists to redefine this system. How do we ensure sustainability in an unequal world? How can we evaluate what is driving consumption patterns to determine both ethical and profitable responses to these challenges?
Participants:
Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
Bob Diamond, Chief Executive, Barclays
Viviane Victorine Kinyaga, Director, Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
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