Speaking at the 2010 Global Summit of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) in London last month, Coca-Cola chairman Muhtar Kent said business represented a critical part of a "triangle" of influence also made up of governments and civil society (including non-governmental organisations) that needed to address the threats facing humanity.
Kent, who is joint chairman of the CGF with Carrefour chief executive Lars Olofsson, said: "The sooner that happens, the better it is going to be for all of us: we are never going to be able to create a sustainable platform for growth alone."
Olofsson said that while the CGF's role was not to act as a lobby group, it could influence change for the better: "If the politicians would like to open up to the consumer goods industry, we would be there."
Olofsson cited the wealth-creating potential of the fast-moving consumer goods sector, which represents around one-third of the total gross domestic product of countries across the globe.
"We need to grow in order to generate that wealth," said Olofsson. "Growth is a very, very important factor in the crisis."