Unilever, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and Neil Hawkins Win 2012 C.K. Prahalad Awards for Global Business Sustainability Leadership
Three winners, honored at the Corporate Eco Forum 3rd Annual C.K. Prahalad Awards ceremony, were recognized for “globally significant private sector action that exemplifies the fundamental connection between sustainability, innovation and long-term business success in a globalizing world.”
New York City, New York (PRWEB) June 25, 2012
The Corporate Eco Forum (CEF) this evening presented the 2012 C.K. Prahalad Awards in three categories for the first time since the award’s inception in 2010, with honors for sustainability leadership by an individual (Neil Hawkins of Dow Chemical), a collaboration (The Sustainable Apparel Coalition), and a company (Unilever and its CEO Paul Polman). Former U.S. President Bill Clinton congratulated the three winners in a special video prepared for the awards ceremony, which was attended by Prahalad family members and over 200 senior executives representing CEF member companies with combined revenues of over $3 trillion.
Unilever and its CEO Paul Polman were honored for matching a bold vision of “long-term capitalism” with equally impressive action. “Unilever under Paul Polman’s leadership is a true pioneer of emerging ‘next practices’ in the private sector,” said CEF founder MR Rangaswami. The company’s Sustainable Living Plan sets out ambitious goals for 2020 that build on a long history of commitment and action on corporate sustainability issues including: halving the company’s overall environmental imprint, helping over one billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, and sourcing 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably. Polman said: “We are very honored to receive this award in the name of C.K. Prahalad, a man who did so much throughout his career to promote more responsible, inclusive and equitable forms of capitalism, which the world needs now more than ever. C.K. understood that any system in which too many people feel excluded is not going to last. Our own Unilever Sustainable Living Plan owes much of its thinking to the insights he brought to bear, including his strong belief that it is always better to innovate with low income consumers and not for low income consumers. That is the way to build the inclusive and sustainable business models of the future.”
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition was recognized for its pioneering efforts to unite the world’s apparel and footwear companies around a shared vision to reduce environmental harm and have a positive impact on communities. The Coalition is developing an Index to measure the environmental and social performance of apparel and footwear products across the value chain. Since its 2011 launch, the Coalition has grown to include companies representing over one third of the world’s apparel and footwear industry. Coalition member companies in attendance and highlighted for their special contributions included Patagonia, Nike, Hanesbrands, Kohl’s, and Timberland. “The Coalition is moving with a pace and on a scale that is enviable for business leaders in other sectors and offers the world a powerful new model for 21st century value chain collaboration,” said P.J. Simmons, CEF Executive Director and co-author of The Green to Gold Business Playbook. “We are honored to be recognized by CEF for the leadership and collaborative spirit that exists within the Sustainable Apparel Coalition,” said Jason Kibbey, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. “The apparel industry is changing rapidly, and members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition are working together to make sure it grows sustainably and responsibly.”
Neil Hawkins, Vice President of Sustainability and Environment, Health & Safety at The Dow Chemical Company, was honored for a long track record of exceptional sustainability leadership within and outside of his company. His most recent standout achievement was forging a breakthrough collaboration with The Nature Conservancy to help Dow and other companies recognize, value, and incorporate nature’s services into global business goals, decisions and strategies. “Neil is one of the unsung heroes in the corporate sustainability profession and his peers tell us he is generous with his knowledge and experience,” said MR Rangaswami. “C.K. Prahalad literally defined what it means to ‘do well by doing good’ in business – inspiring me, and many others, to embed sustainability into core business strategies,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow’s Vice President of Sustainability and EH&S. “I’m honored and humbled to be recognized with this award. At Dow, we are committed to driving innovations and collaborations that deliver value for business, society and the planet.”
