Deforestation, Plastics, Food Waste, Forced Labour and Health to Top the Agenda at 4th CGF Sustainable Retail Summit

Berlin edition to highlight need for greater collaboration between industry, government and civil society

PARIS, 3rd October 2019 – The programme for the 4^th Sustainable Retail Summit (SRS) has now been finalised. Taking place on 24^th-25^th October 2019 in Berlin, Germany, the event will showcase how the consumer goods industry remains focused on finding collaborative solutions to today’s leading sustainability and health challenges.

Organised by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the SRS aims to provide concrete examples of how the consumer goods industry can work with other key stakeholders to accelerate change and implement positive actions to benefit business, people and the planet. This year, under the theme “Sorting Fact from Fiction and Addressing the Hard Truths”, over 250 sustainability and health leaders are expected to attend to benefit from the best-practice sharing, solution-orientated discussions and networking opportunities on offer.

Taking place at Berlin’s Hilton Hotel, the 2019 edition promises to put an even stronger emphasis on collaboration, innovation, transparency and driving positive change, with a compelling programme cutting through the noise and thrusting ground-breaking start-ups and concrete case studies into the spotlight. Topics at this year’s SRS will allow participants the opportunity to learn about the post-2020 deforestation agenda, inspiring healthier lives, whether enough is being done in building awareness on forced labour, and dispelling the myths around food and plastic waste. It promises to be the event for key players committed to being a force for good.

After a successful event in Lisbon last year, Environmental, Science and Rural Affairs broadcaster for the BBC, Tom Heap, will be returning to moderate this year’s SRS to dig in to the hard truths as the speakers take the stage. Stepping up to the challenge of delving into today’s principle industry issues are speakers who include:

• Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board, METRO AG
• Cristianne Close, Markets Practice Leader, WWF
• Christine Montenegro McGrath, Vice President and Chief of Global Impact, Sustainability, and Well-being, Mondelēz International
• Nilani Sritharan, Company Nutritionist, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets
• Etelle Higonnet, Mighty Earth
• Marcus Osborne, VP Health Transformation, Walmart
• Mette Lykke, CEO, Too Good To Go
• Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN
• Isabelle Grosmaitre, Health & Alimentation-Catalyst, Danone
• Sander Defruyt, Lead, New Plastics Economy, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Gunhild Stordalen, Founder & Executive Chair, EAT
• Justine Currell, Executive Director, Unseen UK

The Berlin edition of the SRS will see the highest number of female speakers than ever before at a CGF event.

Peter Freedman, the CGF’s Managing Director, said, “Collaboration is at the core of everything the CGF does. We have the CEO-leadership, but we need to continue to find new ways to engage and collaborate with governments, NGOs and other key stakeholders if we are to implement positive change at scale. The Sustainable Retail Summit brings these stakeholders together to dive into the issues that people care most about today. We look forward to welcoming members and non-members of the CGF for two days of critical thinking, learning and sharing. We know that in-action and excuses are no longer going to cut it. Solutions need to be implemented and businesses and governments need to deliver. We have to work together, and the SRS explores how best to achieve this”.

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About The Consumer Goods Forum

​The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

Press Contacts:

Louise Chester
Communications Officer
The Consumer Goods Forum
l.chester@theconsumergoodsforum.com 

Joelle Mbuya Leclerc
Communications Officer
The Consumer Goods Forum
j.mbuya.leclerc@theconsumergoodsforum.com