Aliging Profit with Purpose - Global Goals Yearbook 2019

DISTRIBUTION OF PROSPERITY
to mark the establishment of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals.
“There is a 17-task checklist that’s designed to end extreme global
poverty by the year 2030,” he says. “That sounds ambitious,
but we would rather miss that deadline by pushing ourselves
than coast toward and end-goal and feel we can take our foot
off the gas because the deadline is far, far away. Where global
poverty is concerned, the quicker you get to your goals, the
more lives you save – it’s as simple as that.”
His band, Coldplay, also donates 10
percent of its annual earnings to 28
different charities, including Amnesty
International, the Red Cross, War Child
and, of course, Make Trade Fair. “It’s
something that has become very natural
to us, and I’m glad we can keep flying
that flag,” says the lead singer. “Really,
compared to what they need to make a
real difference, it’s a drop in the ocean,
but it is our drop, and that’s what makes
it special.”
What you have to admire about Chris
Martin is his ability to stay relevant.
People listen to him, just as they listen
to his music, because there is spirited
reinvention, not to mention a precision
over the message at every turn. Coldplay
has harnessed, tweaked, and refined its
sound with every new album; so, too, does its frontman appreciate
the need for us to talk about global issues in a way
that makes the subject feel as though it is an evolving and
ongoing quest.
“I think the connection is there,” he insists. “Obviously social
media helps a lot when it comes to getting the right message
across – that’s certainly something we never had before; it
was down to Attenborough or evening news bulletins. Do I
worry that the messages aren’t getting through while other,
less important ones are? Perhaps, but I think that’s the nature
of the beast. We can’t be on this stuff 24/7 – people will just
turn off it and everything will become diluted. So while I don’t
think we can ever let up on the awareness, the trick is almost
certainly to keep the message fresh so that people continue to
listen,” he explains, before concluding: “The more of us that
do, the more action can be taken. This is true people power,
and it’s global.”
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