PARIS, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The Board of The Consumer Goods Forum today called on heads of state across the world to engage and act with determination, leadership and ambition to secure an ambitious and legally binding global climate deal. As part of its call for action around climate change, The Forum has also renewed its own commitment to taking action through the two Board-approved climate change resolutions; namely, help achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 through the sustainable sourcing of key commodities and to begin phasing-out of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) in new refrigeration installations by 2015 and replace them with non-HFC refrigerants. In doing so, the Board emphasised the unique role of the Consumer Goods Industry in enabling and empowering consumers - through innovation, communication and partnership - to make sustainable changes in their purchasing and in their lives.

The statement also urges governments to make the UN REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) climate change mitigation plan a priority, supporting it with local and national policies that can protect forests and support livelihoods.

Paul Polman, Co-Sponsor of The Forum's Sustainability Pillar, and CEO of Unilever,  commented: "Our call to governments comes one year before Paris hosts the UN's Climate Summit. That summit will offer another chance for leaders across the world to act decisively to combat climate change. While we at The Consumer Goods Forum have a clear role to play in creating a more sustainable future, we need to draw upon and work in partnership with governments and civil society to transform markets at scale, and within the framework of an accepted and enforced global climate deal that implements the appropriate elements of REDD+".

Marc Bolland, Co-Sponsor of The Forum's Sustainability Pillar, and CEO of Marks and Spencer Group plc, added: "The latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change leaves little doubt as to the future disruption that climate change will bring to bear. It is clear that there is still a great deal that needs to be done to protect livelihoods, individual businesses and our industry as a whole from the impacts of climate change. Our two resolutions will help address key areas within our industry that are contributing to climate change on a global scale".

For more information on The Forum's Sustainability Pillar, please visit: http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/strategic-focus/sustainability/our-sustainability-pillar  

NOTES TO EDITORS 

About The Consumer Goods Forum 

The Consumer Goods Forum ("The Forum") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members.  It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format.  

The Forum member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.5 trillion. Their retailer and manufacturer members directly employ nearly 10 million people with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain.

The Forum is governed by its Board of Directors, which includes 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs and Chairpersons.

The Forum provides a unique global platform for knowledge and best practice sharing around the following strategic priorities: Sustainability, Product Safety, Health & Wellness, End-to-End Value Chain & Standards, which are central to the advancement of today's consumer goods industry.

The Forum's mission is, "Bringing together consumer goods manufacturers and retailers in pursuit of business practices for efficiency and positive change across our industry benefiting shoppers, consumers and the world without impeding competition".

To fulfil this, its members have given The Forum a mandate to develop common positions on key strategic and operational issues affecting the consumer goods business, with a strong focus on non-competitively sensitive process improvement.  

The Forum's success is driven by the active participation of the key players in the sector who together develop and lead the implementation of best practices along the value chain.

With its headquarters in Paris and its regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, The Forum serves its members throughout the world.

For more information, please visit: http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

SOURCE The Consumer Goods Forum