Unilever has long been the standard-bearer for caring corporate culture, but Hein Schumacher, Unilever CEO, is now looking to “focus”.

Calling it Unilever’s “third era for sustainable business leadership” it will adopt a shift towards more focused allocation of resources towards large sustainability priorities and more urgency in driving actions towards our long-term ambitions.

It also, in a somewhat sinister phrase will: “Unilever will more forcefully use its voice and convening power to address enablers and blockers of our progress.” Make of that what you will.

Focus, as defined here, will of course mean a narrower range of issues being addresses, and there will be winners and losers here. The winners are climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods.

The short version is that Unilever intends to do fewer things and with greater impact – with more focus, urgency and systemic change.

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