Unilever partners UK on COP26
Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever has announced that the multinational company is a principal partner with the UK government on COP26. The COP26 event is a global United Nations Summit about climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it.
This was the thrust of the release signed by the CEO earlier in the month.
According to the release, the decision was informed by the realisation that a staggering 4 billion people around the globe are in groups or communities that are especially vulnerable to climate risks. Many of them are in the world’s developing countries, whose low emission lifestyles have done little to contribute to the climate crisis we now face.
“Unilever has always believed that success can only be realised through public, private and civil society coming together. We’re therefore very pleased to have announced today that we’re joining the UK government as a Principal Partner of COP26, working closely to help accelerate climate leadership and ambition in the lead-up to the summit to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, later this year,” he said.
We’ve learnt that small differences in average global temperature rise can have a monumental impact. That’s why the 2015 Paris Agreement was so significant. Its goal of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees was the most ambitious climate commitment in history. It is a goal we must all strive to protect and achieve.
He said further, “As we embark on the ‘decade of delivery’, we’ll be looking to countries to set ambitious decarbonisation targets, underpinned by a clear roadmap, with milestones for the short, medium and long term. Governments must commit to establishing policy frameworks that give businesses confidence to invest in a net zero future – whether through carbon pricing, renewable energy targets, or regulation to phase out coal and other fossil fuels.”
The CEO stated that the Multinational’s targets include having zero emissions from our operations by 2030, and net zero emissions from our products by 2039. Earlier this year, we put our Climate Transition Action Plan, the roadmap to how we will achieve these targets, to an advisory shareholder vote. Of those who voted, 99% were in favour of our plan – demonstrating the level of support from shareholders and investors for our climate agenda.
Our consumers also expect our brands to take direct action. Ben & Jerry’s advocates for climate justice, Seventh Generation for renewable energy, and Knorr is working with farmers to implement regenerative agricultural practices that also yield better crops for smallholders. This work provides our brands with a platform to secure their business for tomorrow, while making them more relevant and appealing today.
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