Unilever to cut carbon footprint and double business size

Unilever has set itself the challenge of doubling the size of its business while simultaneously reducing its environmental footprint. Speaking at The Economist’s Sustainability Summit, which took place in London on 25 February, Unilever chief executive Paul Polman urged businesses to take action on climate change following the failure of politicians to agree on meaningful targets at the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009.

“There is a huge amount that businesses can do without help from the politicians – whether it is in their supply chains, their factories, the design of their products or in using their brands to educate people about more sustainable forms of consumption,” Polman said. “Those companies that wait to be forced into action or who see it solely in terms of reputation management or CSR will do too little too late and may not even survive.”