A breakthrough in the fight against climate change

Joint proposal welcomed

Unilever and Tesco have persuaded the Consumer Goods Forum, a global alliance of 300 leading manufacturers and retailers, to work together to end deforestation.

The initiative was proposed jointly by Unilever CEO Paul Polman and Tesco CEO Terry Leahy at the Consumer Goods Forum's Global Summit taking place this week in London.

Paul described the move as an 'absolute breakthrough'. With deforestation responsible for 17% of global warming, he said the industry's commitment to end it could prove a crucial step in the fight against climate change.

The Consumer Goods Forum went further at the event, pledging to cut packaging across the supply chain. And in another landmark agreement, members promised to remove HFCs - harmful chemicals contributing to global warming - from freezer cabinets, replacing them with natural refrigerants.

Streamlining data

Measurement of greenhouse gas emissions was also on the agenda, with Terry Leahy highlighting the need for a shared, industry-wide system for collecting data. He said that finding a single way of measuring the carbon footprint of different products would help businesses take corrective action faster – and provide clear information for consumers.

All in all, the Global Summit has clearly shown what a force for change the Consumer Goods Forum can be.

Founded less than a year ago, it's a body whose collective clout is enormous. Generating over $2 trillion (€1.6 trillion) of retail sales each year, it reaches around 90% of the world's consumers – so any decisions it makes will have far-reaching repercussions.

Acting together

For Paul, it's a crucial vehicle for affecting change.

"Between us we have the power to tackle climate change. Small actions from all of us, multiplied by the billions of consumer contacts which we make every day, can have an enormous difference," he said in his speech at the Summit.

The Consumer Goods Forum provides a way for the industry to leverage its collective power, enabling the world's most influential retailers and manufacturers to find collaborative ways of solving the world's challenges.