A theme that has struck me particularly this year (at Davos) has been the shift in expectations regarding the role of business in society. The talk was about ever-growing populations in emerging markets, ageing populations in developed markets and the increasing disparity of income across all geographies.

This highlights, more than ever, that it is business, alongside governments, that needs to be accountable in delivering a sustainable future and improved economies.

There is a pressing need for companies to demonstrate the social value of what they are doing…

..Unilever, for example, discussed how it can decouple growth from its environmental impact. This is a company that has taken a leadership approach to sustainability and plays a central role in engaging in debates about these related issues.

It’s not only setting challenging targets for its own business, but recognising the steps that consumers also need to take to make a difference to their own environmental footprint, through the products they use.