2009 may go down in history as the year of lost opportunities and chances not taken. It was meant to be the culmination of a decade of unrivalled prosperity where the world woke up to the realities of climate change and finally decided to do something about it. Sadly, post-Copenhagen we’re still looking for leadership and cohesion on a global scale.
The role of Government in co-ordinating a global response to climate change cannot be underestimated. If we are successfully to tackle this challenge, governments from across the world will have to agree ambitious, binding targets and a fair strategy for the future. But business also has a role to play
Our consumers and employees demand action – and rightly so; it is their children and our lives which will bear the ultimate price for us not taking on the challenge of climate change. Whilst government must set the frameworks for action, it is businesses and our supply chain who will most need to transform the way we operate.
The world of 2030
The successful company of 2030 and beyond will recognise the various outcomes of the global crises we face, and be nimble and tenacious enough to embed this recognition into its strategy and business processes.
As President of a food and drink company, I am aware that we are critically reliant on agriculture, and a healthy planet. Every unpredictable weather pattern, every flood, every drought, and every crop failure impacts my business. It disrupts our farmers and growers, it lowers their yields, it increases our waste levels – and it hits my bottom line.
What next?
We have to accept that reducing our energy use and creating a sustainable supply of raw materials is not enough. It is only the start of the more fundamental transformation that business needs to go through to de-couple growth from environmental impact.
The challenge for business is to be part of setting the agenda. We’ve begun to see what can be done when the best qualities of business – innovation, efficiency, expertise and ambition – are combined for the benefit of all.
By being open and honest about PepsiCo UK’s impact on the environment – through means such as the Carbon Reduction Label – we’ve started to empower consumers and stakeholders to hold us to account. My challenge over the next few years is to truly embed sustainability into every aspect of our strategy and decision-making – across our business and our supply chain. The sustainable business of the future, that benefits from long-term strategic advantage, will be the one that builds on the ambition that preceded Copenhagen – not the frustration that followed.
In the words of our global CEO, Indra Nooyi, "The CEO [of the future] has to create sustainable value. They need to embed a culture of long-term thinking. They have a responsibility to the society that hosts them."