Sustainability is the hottest topic right now, especially in consumer goods, food and retail. As consumers become increasingly aware of their impact on the environment they are demanding brands become more transparent with how sustainable their products are.

Driven by increasing evidence of the financial impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors on growth projections and total returns to shareholders, global brands are taking steps to improve sustainability performance in the boardroom and across the entire value chain. An estimated 80-90% of ESG-related impacts in this sector occur in supply chains.

But the question is, can consumerism be sustainable?

The session will be introduced by our UK consumer goods, food and retail sector lead and Partner Chloe Forster with the panel discussion led by Simon Walker CBE, DLA Piper’s Business Advisor.

Your panel

Chloe Forster – Partner, DLA Piper

Chloe Forster is a Partner in Intellectual Property and Technology and UK sector lead for Consumer Goods Food and Retail. Chloe’s work focuses on advising on IT change and digital transformation projects as well as the use of AI, automation, blockchain and other digital and emerging technologies. She is well entrenched in the retail sector, helping clients to source and deliver digital projects as well as developing the implementation approach, governance and performance management regimes.

Moderator

Simon Walker CBE – Business Advisor, DLA Piper

Simon Walker CBE previously served as Director-General of the Institute of Directors and lead Non-Executive Director of the Department for International Trade. He was previously Communications Secretary to HM The Queen, a member of the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit and Chairman of the Global Network of Directors Institutes. He is trustee of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Trust, a member of the International Integrated Reporting Council, the UK governor of the Sir Edmund Hillary Institute, a council member of the European Policy Forum and an independent governor of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

Panellists

James Rebanks – Farmer & Author of The Shepherd’s Life & English Pastoral

James Rebanks lives and farms in the Lake District, where his family have worked for over six hundred years. His No.1 bestselling debut, The Shepherd's Life, won the Lake District Book of the Year, was shortlisted for the Wainwright and Ondaatje prizes, and has been translated into sixteen languages. His latest book, English Pastoral (2020) was also an instant bestseller in hardback, described in the Sunday Times as: “Remarkable … a brilliant, beautiful book … Eloquent, persuasive and electric with the urgency that comes out of love.”

David Croft – Global Director, Sustainability, Environment & Human Rights, Reckitt Benckiser (RB)

David Croft is responsible for Reckitt Benckiser’s work on environmental and social sustainability around the world, working with farmers, communities and manufacturers alongside RB’s global supply chain and brand teams. David has a wealth of leadership experience from major global companies, having held senior roles within Diageo, Kraft Foods and Cadbury, and the UK retailers, Waitrose and the Co-operative Group. With these, he led technical, marketing and sustainability functions to deliver growth through stronger sustainable supply chains, product quality, brand equity and shared value. David chairs the Business Industry Advisory Council’s Development Committee, leading private sector input to the OECD Development Committee and is a member of the Food Ethics Council.

Sarah Webster – Director of Sustainable Business, Britvic plc

Sarah Webster is responsible at Britvic plc for setting the sustainable business framework, Healthier People, Healthier Planet. This includes setting global minimum standards of execution, governance oversight and supporting the ESG committee, together with communicating and engaging with internal and external stakeholders to generate a transparent understanding of Britvic Plc’s progress & challenges. Sarah has worked in the FMCG space for 25 years, including at Diageo and GSK before joining Britvic last year, on sustainable business, investor relations, financial management, marketing and innovation.

Start and end time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM BST

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