Top business leaders on why they joined the People's Climate March

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/sep/22/peoples-climate-march-top-business-leaders

Jo Confino, theguardian.com
Monday 22 September 2014

The idea of senior executives of major global businesses marching alongside communists, socialists and anarchists would have been unthinkable even a couple of years ago.

But the threat of global warming brought them all together onto the streets of New York on Sunday to take part in the world’s largest climate demonstration, with an estimated 300,000 marchers.

Many activists see big businesses as the largest obstacle to environmental and social justice. Despite concerns that they may not be welcomed, a small number of progressive business leaders – and those who believe that corporates can be part of the solution – decided it was important to be part of the rainbow coalition of activist groups.

One high-profile corporate executive in the crowd was Peter Agnefjäll, CEO of home-furnishing multinational Ikea, who was joined by the company’s chief sustainability officer Steve Howard. They demonstrated alongside members of the newly created We Mean Business coalition, including Aron Cramer, head of corporate sustainability network BSR.

The biggest contingent from any one company was a group of nearly 100 employees of Unilever, including Kees Kruythoff, president of North American operations; Henry Schrimer, chief financial officer for North America; global chief sustainability officer Jeff Seabright; Jonathan Atwood, vice president of sustainable living and corporate communications; and a group of employees from its ice cream subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s, including co-founder Jerry Greenfield.

Key US leaders driving the move to renewable energy were also present, including David Crane, CEO of energy group NRG.

We’ve asked executives who attended the People’s Climate March to tell us why they joined and to describe their experience here:

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