Business must go on reiterating its absolute commitment to embedding human rights in all it does, driving industry change through collaboration with governments, international organizations, and each other.

I actually am a capitalist, and I believe in shareholders. But I believe in them as a result of what I do, not as a reason for what I'm doing. The same with profits - profits alone cannot be an objective. It has to have a purpose.

There is still too much pressure on short-termism in terms of the drivers of success.

There are some basic human needs that are the same. Everybody wants to succeed.

I grew up in a small town in the Netherlands which, for years, had been a center of textile production.

Companies are the first to see the costs of climate change.

I work a lot with blind people in my spare time outside of Unilever, and I count my blessings every day.

It is our responsibility as businesses to deliver ambitious solutions and technologies to bring us low-carbon, inclusive and sustainable growth.

Africa is a vibrant, varied continent with a growing consumer base.

Every region in the world faces challenges - and Africa is hugely diverse, so its own challenges are varied.

Africa's vibrancy and entrepreneurial spirit is un-matched. There's huge potential here to grow business, create jobs, and to improve living standards.

Unilever brings together the resources and experience of a multinational company alongside our deep local roots, which enables us to grow a genuinely African consumer goods business.

My father worked in a tyre factory. My mother worked as a teacher.

I've always been bothered by systems that don't work for everybody. It doesn't mean we're all equal. I am not naive about that. But we should have a more inclusive society.

P&G started in 1837, Nestle in 1857. These companies have been around for so long because they are in tune with society. They are very responsible companies, despite the challenges that they sometimes deal with, all the criticism they get.

Unilever has been around for 100-plus years. We want to be around for several hundred more years.

Left unchecked, climate change risks not only making the poorest poorer, but pulling the emerging middle classes back into poverty, too.

We need more food, more forests, better livelihoods for smallholder farmers, and lower emissions. If we want any of them, we must have all of them.

The planet's forests are essential for life.

Providing financial incentives for both local communities and national governments to conserve and restore forests also makes sense. It will put an economic value on these precious natural resources and drive the right behaviours from both government and business.

If too many people feel excluded from the system and cannot access its benefits, they will ultimately rebel against it.

Addressing the weaknesses of capitalism will require us, above all, to do two things: first, to take a long-term perspective, and second, to re-set the priorities of business.

Permissible growth in the future has to be based on sustainable and equitable models.

The commitment to put an end to illegal deforestation and develop sustainable alternatives for commodities like palm oil and soy, for example, is an inspiring illustration of what can be achieved when governments and industry partners come together determined to bring about transformational market-wide changes.

At Unilever, we operate in 190 countries with two billion people using our products daily. We take climate seriously because we know that it impacts those two billion people - and that means it impacts us, too.

When the climate hurts, people and businesses also feel the pain.

Leading businesses are making large strides in ensuring a sustainable future, but ultimately, they can only do so much.

To achieve policy stability and certainty, we need to establish a meaningful price on carbon and cut the billions of dollars spent each year on fossil-fuel subsidies, along with well-structured financial tools and rules.

If the world wants a climate deal and new development agenda that's good for the economy, for the poor, and for businesses, the path forward needs to include forests.

Simply put, the low-carbon economy is better for growth.

Around the world, businesses and investors are increasingly taking action to climate-proof their own organizations.

Business has a responsibility and opportunity to be the driving force for the advancement of universal human rights.

In certain cases, empowering women starts with making their lives easier and removing unnecessary burdens.

Many businesses understand the advantages of gender parity.

It is not possible to have a strong, functioning business in a world of increasing inequality, poverty, and climate change.

Consumers in both emerging and developed markets want it all - high-performing products, the right price, and a purpose that they can connect with.

While we have created prosperity for many, too many are being left behind.

It only takes a handful of sizeable companies to reach a tipping point and to transform markets.

As economies have evolved, the nature of work has always changed.

If the short-term decisions you make damage the long term, you should resist those. But there are many short-term decisions that you need to make to be a successful manager.

You can put yourself to the purpose of others, and in doing so, you can be better off.

I discovered a long time ago that if I focus on doing the right thing for the long term to improve the lives of consumers and customers all over the world, the business results will come.

Too often, we are being programmed by the environment around us to behave differently. But I think a true leader is an authentic person who feels good about who he is.

Often people ask me what my job is, and I say, honestly, it is to make others successful, and the more you do that, the more you will see that you create prosperity.

There's a lot of trickery that can go on in the studio, and there's a lot that one can do - none of which I am interested in even slightly. I mean, you can actually tune vocals and stuff like that, but it's so hideous, I can't believe it.

I am proud to be a Canuck.

You've had all that punk and New Wave thing, and I think people have really got sick up to here with it. I know I have.

Of course I was a fan when I was a kid. That's what made me get into it, the whole rock n' roll fantasy.

Life is so mundane, isn't it? It's great to hear a guitarist getting into it and the rhythmic section blasting, even if it's all meaningless.

Artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, Ann Peebles, Isaac Hayes, and so many more gave me hope when I was an angst-filled teenager trying to make sense of it all... They were my teachers. Through their music, I learned how to live, how to be true to myself, and how to tell my story as a songwriter the way that I was feeling it.