On Thursday, March 11th, ChangeNOW joined forces with Procter & Gamble, creators of Ariel, to co-host a Live Talk with a multi-stakeholders panel since it’s the approach we encourage at ChangeNOW.

The panel featured Heidi Sevestre, Glaciologist and Director of Science Communications at the International Climate Cryosphere Initiative (ICCI); John Revess, Director of Net Zero Transformation at the World Business Council Sustainable Development; Cecelia Nord, Director of Responsible Sourcing at Electrolux, Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at Procter & Gamble.

“Glaciers are losing ice at extreme rates as we have never seen before, this is why every degree matters.” Glaciologist and ChangeNOW Explorer Heidi Sevestre opened the discussion with an overview on the issue and a real claim to act now! “The best cure to climate anxiety is climate action.” 

And climate action has to be done at every level. Consumers, suppliers and more than anything corporations have a huge role to play. And it takes time to move big industries. “Sustainability used to be a department, but this has evolved and is now at the heart of the strategy” says Virginie Helias who has seen the transformation during her years working in the company. 

Ariel just launched an international awareness campaign called “Every Degree Makes a Difference” in partnership with National Geographic Creative Works to demonstrate how small changes at home can make a big difference. If everyone in Europe turned their washer temperatures from 40°C to 30°C – just 10 degrees – we could save almost 3.5 million tons of CO2 per year. This campaign seeks to accomplish a five-degree drop in average wash temperatures in Europe by 2025. 

This is being done with strong R&D improvements positioning the 2030 Brand Ambition on “reinventing clean to decarbonize laundry across its entire value chain.” And this is actually a co-built statement on the industrial level! Experts John Reves (Director, Net Zero Transformation) and Cecelia Nord (Director, Responsible Sourcing, Electrolux) voiced how their respective businesses are making sustainable decisions by getting their consumers to “use their products wisely” and guiding them “to make more sustainable choices in the context of where they use our products.”

To wrap up the discussion, Heidi reminded us that “we cannot negotiate with climate change.” If there is still a lot to be done, collaboration between consumers, suppliers, and business has to be done now. And this example was a good one to inspire other industries to take action on a clear roadmap. On an optimistic note, Heidi concluded by saying “it is not too late to act.” So let’s take action now!

Photo credits: Heidi Sevestre