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Paul Polman

Paul Polman

6 commentaries

Paul Polman, a former CEO of Unilever, chairs the UN Global Compact for the Secretary-General, and is the author of Net Positive: How Courageous Corporations Thrive by Giving More Than They Take.

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  1. An Interview with Paul Polman
    Polman_SayMore_Igor-Borisenko-via-Getty-Images_ESGdigitalmap Igor Borisenko via Getty Images

    An Interview with Paul Polman

    Oct 5, 2021 Paul Polman considers how to get investors to go green, identifies three urgent priorities for governments in the climate transition, and offers advice to businesses at risk of being left behind.

  2. Building a Nature-Positive Economy
    zabey2_iStock Getty Images Plus_business finance iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Building a Nature-Positive Economy

    Apr 28, 2021 Paul Polman & Eva Zabey propose three ways to increase the rewards for sustainable, long-term corporate performance.

  3. A Marshall Plan for the Planet
    polman4_Britta Pedersenpicture alliance via Getty Images_climate protest Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images

    A Marshall Plan for the Planet

    Dec 30, 2020 Paul Polman hopes that 2021 will be a much better year for international efforts to combat climate change.

  4. A Business Model for Sustainability
    polman2_Sean GallupGetty Images_wind energy Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    A Business Model for Sustainability

    Dec 19, 2018 Paul Polman says solving the world’s sustainable-development challenges requires a new approach by global companies.

  5. The Financial Sector’s Climate Imperative
    plant growing money Khongtham/Getty Images

    The Financial Sector’s Climate Imperative

    Dec 4, 2018 Bertrand Badré, et al. call for new incentives for market participants to weigh sustainability in their operations and investments.

  1. coyle36 Alishia AbodundeGetty Images INFRASTRUCTURE Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

    The West’s New Infrastructure Imperative

    Diane Coyle explains why a broader conception of the term could reflect a renewed interest in investing in the future.
  2. bp iran israel Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

    An Iran-Israel War?

    Iran’s mass ballistic missile and drone attack on Israel last week raised anew the specter of a widening Middle East war that draws in Iran and its proxies, as well as Western countries like the United States. The urgent need to defuse tensions – starting by ending Israel’s war in Gaza and pursuing a lasting political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – is obvious, but can it be done?

  3. nasheed3_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_georgieva MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

    What a Climate-Aligned IMF Would Look Like

    Mohamed Nasheed & Rakesh Mohan explain how the managing director can fully position the institution to help the most vulnerable countries.
  4. ghosh76_Kristin Palitzapicture alliance via Getty Images_afrigen Kristin Palitza/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The Key to Transforming African Health

    Jayati Ghosh highlights efforts to foster scientific innovation and drug manufacturing on the continent.
  5. op_roach3_ Kevin FrayerGetty Images_china lagging consumption Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    China’s Rebalancing Imperative

    Stephen S. Roach

    The most successful development stories almost always involve major shifts in the sources of economic growth, which in turn allow economies to reinvent themselves out of necessity or by design. In China, the interplay of mounting external pressures, lagging household consumption, and falling productivity will increasingly shape China’s policy choices in the years ahead.

    explains why the Chinese authorities should switch to a consumption- and productivity-led growth model.
  6. castaneda88_GERARDO MENOSCALAFP via Getty Images_latin america safety GERARDO MENOSCAL/AFP via Getty Images

    From Welfare State to Safe State in Latin America

    Jorge G. Castañeda & Carlos Ominami

    Designing a progressive anti-violence strategy that delivers the safety for which a huge share of Latin Americans crave is perhaps the most difficult challenge facing many of the region’s governments. But it is also the most important.

    urge the region’s progressives to start treating security as an essential component of social protection.
  7. ocampo57_Celal GunesAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_imf Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    The Urgency of Sovereign-Debt Restructuring

    José Antonio Ocampo highlights the need for a comprehensive mechanism to deliver relief to low- and middle-income countries.
  8. fischer215_Mostafa AlkharoufAnadolu via Getty Images_tel aviv iran attack Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The Gaza War Goes Global

    Joschka Fischer considers the implications of Iran’s unprecedented decision to launch a direct strike on Israeli territory.
  9. nyirinkindi1_ISAAC KASAMANIAFP via Getty Images_women phone fintech ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images

    Gender-Neutral Fintech Isn’t Working for Women

    Emmanuel Nyirinkindi & Jessica Schnabel show that the industry is not fully delivering on its promise to accelerate financial inclusion.

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