DEVELOPMENT
and Ségolène Royal , French Minister of Environment , Energy & Marine Affairs and President of COP21 recognize , as they demonstrated at the same summit , that crucial focus points include “ strong sectorial avenues and roadmaps ”, the price on carbon , as well as disclosure and transparency . The minister pointed out how climate change is not just a risk but an “ opportunity to be among the first to drive innovation and transformation toward a low carbon economy .” The SDGs are already providing direction in this regard and scaling up innovative ideas and companies in this sense is a must . Aron Cramer , CEO of BSR , also emphasized during the Business & Climate Summit in London , “ climate change is not tomorrow ’ s issue anymore , it is today ’ s reality .” He referred to a recently launched report “ What The Paris Agreement Means for Business ” from We Mean Business which says businesses could help meet over 60 % of the emissions cuts pledged by nations in Paris if they focus on five key climate action initiatives including ‘ Science Based Targets ’, zero deforestation , and ‘ EP100 ’ which is run by The Climate Group and the Low Carbon Technology Partnership Initiative .
Since COP21 , a page in history has turned and companies , nations , and industries are embarking on a new journey . And more and more businesses are aiming towards a new destination . For instance , Nespresso has launched its 2020 sustainability ambition , The Positive Cup , and the Nespresso Sustainable Development Fund , based on an investment of CHF 500 million over the next six years . Unilever is striving to not merely become CO2 neutral by 2030 , but be CO2 positive . In addition to its venture fund of 200 million , Unilever recently announced their commitment to increase its use of crowdsourcing , with the launch of its Unilever Foundry IDEAS which enables innovative startups that are ready to scale up to partner with Unilever and its 400 brands in over 190 countries . DSM Coating aims to see bio-based binders as the worldwide norm by 2030 . The global player Interface has just formulated their post-2020 ambitions in a similarly spectacular way as they did a decade ago : one of positive impact . And the list goes on . With the recognition that enormous challenges require enormous efforts , Unilever and the Global Commission on
Business and Sustainable Development ( GCBSD ) have launched a commission that aims to highlight the significant rewards awaiting companies that take a lead in poverty reduction and sustainable development . “ We have an opportunity to unlock trillions of dollars through new markets , investments and innovation — but to do so , we must challenge our current practices and address poverty , inequality and environmental challenges ,” said Polman in a statement . “ Every business will benefit from operating in a more equitable , resilient world if we achieve the SDGs . I am optimistic to see that new forms of collaboration are being created and are growing .” Apart from the crucial impact from multinationals , it is equally important to note that the most radical solutions , often with disruptive impact at a fast pace are attributed to small innovative start-ups However , those value-creating start-ups often do not scale up as they should , whereas the world desperately needs their solutions . They need and deserve our support , and the support of large , multinational corporations , to rapidly scale up their innovative and highly effective disruptive solutions . Corporate Venture Capital from ambitious corporations
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