Imagine there’s a 66% likelihood of getting to your destination when you travel from A to B today. Would you step into your car? Or would you look for alternatives, maybe stay home? There is a 66% likelihood that we manage to keep global warming below 3 degrees Celsius before the end of this century and yet we still do not commit to the necessary measures to keep our footprint to levels that will not seriously endanger the planet and life as we know it.
On Tuesday November 26th the Dutch alumni came together in Epicenter for the Sustainability Forum. The Forum, which was generously sponsored by Oliver Wyman, brought us an impressive line-up of speakers that gave us information, insights, learnings and strategies for how to deal with climate change. Professor Andre Calmon and Oliver Wyman’s Robert Bailey kicked-off with the shocking truth and the awareness that change starts with us.
Heineken’s Blanca Juti and former Dutch Minister Ed Nijpels gave us solutions: the Drop the C program at Heineken aimed at reducing CO2 footprint in the Heineken supply chain as well as the Climate Agreement that was agreed between the 180 biggest stakeholders in The Netherlands. Break-out sessions hosted by Oliver Wyman gave us lively discussions between the alumni about what to do next. After which Marjan Minnesma told us her story of how she is “persuading” the Dutch government to fulfill it’s duty to protect its citizens from the consequences of climate change and dr ive change in society and industry.
It’s safe to say that with the help of our moderator Harm Edens the event made it very clear that change is needed now and that everyone, personally and in their role as business leader, should do everything to help protect the future of our planet and of ourselves.
