Former Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber has just attended the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Now a partner at the impact investor Astanor Ventures, he has long called for the private sector to play a greater role in the fight against climate change. "No one has stepped up enough at this stage. But people and companies are moving," he told FRANCE 24's Kate Moody.
"There is a shift, both quantitative and qualitative, by shareholders towards ESG (environmental, social, and governance) priorities," Faber said.
However, he cautioned that this shift would take time: "There will not be a climate transition if there is not a social transition; there will not be climate justice without social justice. There are people that just cannot afford what is today still very expensive renewable energies."
Faber also believes that consumers can expect to see "more local food" in the coming years. "Whether we like it or not, I think there will be a relocalisation of the food systems (...) the very complex interdependence of the food system overall is an element of fragility and we've seen it in the pandemic," he told FRANCE 24.
