Givaudan has joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and more than 40 of its members including Unilever, Nestlé and Natura, to launch “Vision 2050: Time to Transform”.
In response to the three critical global challenges of the climate emergency, nature loss and mounting inequality, Vision 2050: Time to Transform puts forward a shared vision of a world in which more than nine billion people are able to live well, within planetary boundaries, by 2050.
To achieve this, it calls for transformation at scale, with the business focusing its actions on where it can most effectively lead the system transformations needed. It calls for collaboration at unprecedented levels to deliver impact fast and for business leaders to adopt three mindset shifts: reinventing capitalism that rewards true value creation; focusing on building long-term resilience, and taking a regenerative approach beyond doing no harm.
Gilles Andrier, CEO Givaudan, had this to say, “The long-term success of a business depends on thriving societies to trade with, and a healthy planet for us all to exist on. Vision 2050: Time to Transform provides ambitious guidance to the business community on how to accelerate change in the decade ahead. It presents an opportunity to unlock the incredible potential of a green economy, as businesses grow with their customers and act as a force for good. We’re proud to help drive forward this inspirational agenda as the business community comes together to transform.”
At the heart of Vision 2050: Time to Transform, are nine transformation pathways, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of the Paris agreement. These are actionable routes for companies to take across industries to ensure a more sustainable and prosperous future. These cover the areas of business activity that are essential to society: energy; transportation and mobility; living spaces; products and materials; financial product and services; connectivity; health and wellbeing; water and sanitation; and food.
WBCSD President and CEO Peter Bakker said, “Vision 2050: Time to Transform should not be read with the idea that tomorrow is going to be much the same as today. This is a report for change, starting now, outlining how a business needs to play a leading role. We have no time to waste. Achieving this vision requires a wholesale transformation of everything we have grown up with: energy needs to decarbonise; materials need to go circular; food needs to be produced sustainably and equitably and provide healthy diets.”
“Our future depends on transformation. One of the keys to success will be a mindset shift around capitalism. Our economic systems, incentives, global accounting standards and capital market valuations can no longer just be based on the financial performance of businesses: we must integrate our impact on people and planet as part of how we define success and determine enterprise value.”
