Global Consumer Goods Forum member company, Unilever, has issued a call for all companies affected by the growing costs of climate change to step up their commitment to tackling the issue.
The risk to the food industry from climate change is severe, with some analysts predicting that the external environmental costs of climate change could exceed the earnings of the entire food industry by 2030 unless action is taken.
Unilever’s vice president of sustainability strategy, Miguel Veiga-Pestana, said the company is working with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Greenpeace to eliminate highly damaging HFCs from commercial refrigeration.
“With less than 20 months until world leaders meet in Paris to discuss a global climate change agreement, Unilever has also stepped up its advocacy efforts,” he said.
Unilever CEO Paul Polman recently addressed the Abu Dhabi Ascent meeting – a preparatory meeting convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to build momentum towards an ambitious intergovernmental deal.
At the event, Polman called for greater efforts to scale up action to tackle climate change.
“If every major company affected by climate change – not only in the food and beverage sector, but other impacted sectors such as tourism, insurance and transport – were to address the issue as one of business survival, and step up their efforts for delivery, together we could make a significant impact,” he said.