Quotes from Paul Polman

If we tackle deforestation in the right way, the benefits will be far-reaching - greater food security, improved livelihoods for millions of small farmers and indigenous people, more prosperous rural economies, and above all, a more stable climate.

Leadership is not just about giving energy ... it's unleashing other people's energy.

Sustainability makes good business sense, and we're all on the same team at the end of the day. That's the truth about the human condition.

I wanted to be a priest. I could have done that. I wanted to be a doctor. I could have done that. Circumstances didn't lead me to it, so my fallback option was business. I wasn't really motivated to this.

The young give us hope because young people are certain their best days still lie ahead - which explains why they're absolutely convinced they can change the world for the better.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

When I interview people, I look at their values. I always say that the best chance of success is if the individual's values are aligned with the corporate values.

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.

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.

Purpose has always been part of Unilever's DNA. Our founder, William Lever, built a business around the sale of Lifebuoy soap that was not only profitable and sustainable but also helped transform the health of the poor in Victorian Britain.

Empowering women is one of the most important things we - and indeed, every business - can do.

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.

Our political leaders have great responsibilities, but as with many situations in life, people often rise or fall to meet your expectations. Our responsibility as citizens is to expect our leaders to lead and to give them enough support so that they may do so.

The ideal is a world in which every woman and girl can create the kind of life she wishes to lead, unconstrained by harmful norms and stereotypes.

When we empower women, society benefits, grows, and thrives.

We can no longer pretend that business is immune from the rising tide of environmental or social challenges or that companies can create value in isolation from the communities of which they are a part.

Businesses and governments need to work together and make a joint commitment if we want to address climate change effectively and quickly.

Let's work together to make our economies strong and our climate sustainable. It can be done.