Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Paris in December, business leaders are gathering in the French capital to discuss their role in fighting global warming and promoting clean energy. One of them, Unilever CEO Paul Polman, sat down for an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24's Business Editor Stéphanie Antoine.
Paul Polman urges governments to set a price on carbon. "The industry is calling for a price on carbon. What you don't measure, you don't treasure. And we need to start measuring carbon just like already about 30 countries do in the world without any problem".
He also explains that fighting climate change is in the interest of business. "Countries that don't function will be very difficult for business to be successful in. So climate change mitigation is very much a development agenda".
The Unilever CEO also discusses the meeting he had with Pope Francis this week on the issue. Like the pope, Polman believes that fighting climate change "is a moral obligation that we have, a moral obligation to not just take care of ourselves but also to work for the common good and our fellow citizens. It's only when we live in harmony with Mother Earth and with our fellow citizens that we will all benefit for the long term".
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