Paul Polman: Why business can’t be a bystander in a post-Covid world
Why can’t business be a bystander in a post-Covid world? Amidst the global angst caused by the pandemic, countless companies have found ways to use their capabilities as an organisation to serve a greater good of society. We spoke with Paul Polman to discuss why this is a unique opportunity for businesses to start thinking about things differently.
“One of the things that Covid has shown us, is that companies that have been run under a multi-stakeholder and longer-term model, taking into account environmental, social and governance issues as well as your shareholder base, tend to have done better.”
Paul Polman is the Co-founder and Chair of IMAGINE, a social venture that mobilizes CEOs and global leadership teams to tackle pressing global issues. They work with companies to drive change on tipping points in their industry – from greenhouse gas emissions to labor standards to biodiversity.
In this interview, we discuss what a purpose-driven leader is, and why purpose-driven companies are more resilient and more profitable in the long term.
“90% of the citizens of this world are asking to build back better – to not go back to where we came from – but to use this opportunity to create a more inclusive, more sustainable, and more equitable environment for all.”
As part of the drive for change, Leaders on Purpose & the Fourth Sector Group have created an open letter, urging governments and businesses to “build the economic system better”. Paul Polman is a signatory of the letter.
