Unilever

Sustainable
Living Plan
2010 to 2020
Summary of 10
years’ progress

March 2021
 Contents
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

Introduction Health and Water Fairness in the

Reflections from our Chief hygiene Page 18
workplace
Sustainability Officer
Page 8 Page 30
Page 3

Unilever Nutrition Waste and Opportunities

Sustainable Page 11
packaging for women
Living Plan Page 20 Page 33
Summary of 10 years’ progress

Page 4

Key learnings Greenhouse Sustainable Inclusive

Sharing our most valuable gases Sourcing business
lessons
Page 15 Page 24 Page 36
Page 5

2
 Introduction
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

A decade has passed since the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP)
was launched. We’re proud of our progress, but know that there is
much more to do.

The USLP was a first-of-its-kind in terms of its scope and After a decade, the USLP is drawing to a close. But
ambition. It set out three big goals to transform our this is not the end. Our journey to make sustainable
business across the value chain, underpinned by over living commonplace continues. We need to move even
70 time-bound targets. We never anticipated it at the further, and faster. The challenges we need to tackle
time, but we’re proud – and humbled – that the USLP – climate change, plastic pollution, social inequality,
became a benchmark for corporate sustainability. improving health and wellbeing – are huge. They call
for action that goes beyond the changes that one
When we started our journey, we didn’t know exactly
business can make alone.
how we would achieve all our goals. But we knew it
would not be easy. Looking back, it has been quite The Unilever Compass builds on the past ten years of
some journey with many achievements that we can be the USLP: the successes, the failures and the lessons
proud of. learnt. It lays the pathway for us to lead the movement
of sustainable business globally – and to prove once
Take improving the health and hygiene of well over a
and for all that sustainable business drives superior
billion people. Or the progress we’ve made on reducing
business performance.
the environmental footprint of our factories. And our
social programmes focused on women and under-
represented groups, which have positively impacted the
lives of millions across our wider value chain.
Rebecca Marmot
Despite the many highlights which are outlined in this
Unilever Chief Sustainability Officer
report, our USLP journey has also presented us with
many hurdles. We didn’t achieve all our targets but
learnt that we have to focus on systems change as
well as individual programmes to ensure long term,
sustained impact. Our lessons are summarised on the
following pages.

3
 Unilever Sustainable Living Plan: Summary of 10 years’ progress
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

IMPROVING HEALTH AND By 2020 we will help more REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT by By 2030 our goal is to halve the Enhancing livelihoods for By 2020 we will enhance the

half
WELL BEING for more than than a billion people take environmental footprint of the livelihoods of millions of people as

1 billion .
action to improve their health
and well-being.
.
making and use of our products
as we grow our business. millions . we grow our business.

Contributing to the following SDGs: Contributing to the following SDGs: Contributing to the following SDGs:

HEALTH AND HYGIENE. NUTRITION. Greenhouse gases. Water. Waste. Sustainable Fairness in the Opportunities Inclusive business.
By 2020 we will help more than We will continually work to improve Our products’ lifecycle: Halve the Our products in use: Our products: Halve the waste sourcing. workplace. for women. By 2020 we will have a positive
a billion people to improve their the taste and nutritional quality of all greenhouse gas (GHG) impact Halve the water associated with the associated with the disposal of our By 2020 we will source 100% of By 2020 we will advance human By 2020 we will empower impact on the lives of 5.5 million
health and hygiene. This will our products. The majority of our of our products across the consumer use of our products products by 2020. our agricultural raw materials rights across our operations and 5 million women. people.
help reduce the incidence of products meet, or are better than, lifecycle by 2030. by 2020.^ sustainably. extended supply chain.  We enabled access to
life-threatening diseases like benchmarks based on national
–10% -34%† 2.63 MILLION† initiatives aiming to improve 
diarrhoea. nutritional recommendations. Our
commitment goes further: by 2020,
0% our waste impact per consumer 67% †
83% †
women enabled to access agricultural practices or
our greenhouse gas impact per our water impact per consumer increase incomes for
1.3 BILLION we will double the proportion of our
portfolio that meets the highest consumer use has decreased by use has not changed since 2010.
use has reduced by around 34%
since 2010
of agricultural raw materials
sustainably sourced by end of
of procurement spend through
suppliers meeting our
initiatives aiming to promote
their safety, develop their skills
people reached by end of 2020. nutritional standards, based on around -10%  since 2010 2020. Responsible Sourcing Policy or expand their opportunities. 832,000†
globally recognised dietary Our manufacturing: By 2020 water Our manufacturing: By 2020 total smallholder farmers and
We continued to embed human
guidelines. This will help hundreds Our manufacturing: By 2020 CO2 abstraction by our global factory waste sent for disposal will be at or rights, focusing on eight salient
of millions of people to achieve a
healthier diet.
emissions from energy from our
factories will be at or below 2008
network will be at or below 2008
levels despite significantly higher
below 2008 levels despite
significantly higher volumes.
issues in our Human Rights
Report.
1.83 MILLION†
levels despite significantly higher volumes. small-scale retailers
61%† volumes.
-96%† Our Total Recordable Frequency
of our portfolio by volume -49% †
Rate for safety reached 0.63† per
met Highest Nutritional -75%† reduction in water
reduction in total waste 
per tonne of production
million hours worked, 70% less
than in 2008
Standards in 2020 reduction in CO2 from abstraction per tonne since 2008.
energy per tonne of of production since 2008.
production since 2008.
Sustainable palm oil. Build a gender-balanced
organisation with a focus on
Reduce diarrhoeal and Paper and board. management
respiratory disease
through handwashing. Soy beans and soy oil. Promote safety for women in
communities where we operate
Provide safe drinking Tea.
water. Enhance access to training Improve livelihoods of smallholder
Fruit.
and skills farmers
Improve access to sanitation. Vegetables.
Expand opportunities in our retail Improve incomes of small-scale
Improve oral health. Cocoa. Implement UN Guiding Principles value chain retailers
Improve self-esteem. on Business and Human Rights.
Reduce waste from manufacturing: Sugar.
Help improve skin healing. Zero non-hazardous waste to Source 100% of procurement
Sunflower oil. spend in line with our Responsible
Reduce salt levels. Become carbon positive in Reduce water use in the laundry landfill.
Rapeseed oil. Sourcing Policy
manufacturing: process: Reusable, recyclable
Saturated fat: Source all energy renewably Create framework for fair
Products that use less water. or compostable plastic packaging. Dairy.
Reduce saturated fat. Source grid electricity renewably compensation
Increase essential fatty acids. Reduce water use in agriculture. Reduce packaging. Fairtrade Ben & Jerry’s.
Eliminate coal from energy mix Improve employee health, nutrition
Reduce saturated fat in more Recycle packaging: Cage-free eggs. and well-being. KEY
products. Make surplus energy available to
communities. Increase recycling and Increase sustainable sourcing Reduce workplace injuries and
Remove trans fat. recovery rates. ^ In seven water-scarce countries
Reduce GHG from washing clothes: of office materials. accidents Achieved by target date.
Reduce sugar. Increase recycled content.
Reformulation. representing around half the world’s
Tackle sachet waste. Target ongoing. population
Reduce calories: Reduce GHG from transport.
In children’s ice cream. Eliminate PVC. Target nearly achieved *. † Subject to PwC assurance. For details
Reduce GHG from refrigeration. and the basis of preparation, see
In more ice cream products. Reduce office waste:
Reduce energy consumption in our Target not achieved . www.unilever.com
Provide healthy eating offices. Recycle, reuse, recover.
information Reduce paper consumption. * Within 10% of the target by the
Reduce employee travel. Eliminate paper in processes. end date

4
 Key learnings
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

As well as the many highlights, we’ve also learnt a lot. Here we share four of the most valuable lessons.

1. Make sustainable living effortless 2. Business must drive systems change

Important as sustainability is for many consumers, it is often An individual company can change how it operates but
just one deciding factor among many. Which is why the it can’t change the system as a whole. We have seen this
way that we design and deliver our products has to make play out in our efforts to push forward renewable energy.
sustainable living as easy and enjoyable as possible. Unilever is not a power generation company. But, we
can – and do – produce our own renewable energy on
We underestimated how challenging it would be to help
our manufacturing sites.
the majority of consumers change their behaviours to
embrace more sustainable ways of living. We’ve learnt many We’ve also come to realise that we have to play a role in
lessons about making environmental behaviours easier advocating for even more systems change in other industries
and more attractive to consumers – all of which help inform – such as power generation. Our approach to advocacy rests
our brands’ ongoing efforts to ‘nudge’ people to use our on showing market demand for sustainable solutions so
products more sustainably. that policymakers have the confidence to take action.

Lessons for the future Lessons for the future

B
 e clear and consistent in why behaviour  aximise the potential of emerging
M
change is important and what changes we technologies, alternative production methods
are asking consumers to make. and new business models to reduce the direct
impact of our operations.
D
 emonstrate that sustainable living can
be good for consumers as well as good for  trengthen market signals for renewable
S
the planet. power and other sustainability solutions
by working with others to increase private
I ncrease our work through cross-sector
sector demand.
collaborations and advocacy to transform
the systems in which our products are used.  ontinue to push for the transformation of
C
sustainability-critical systems through our
involvement in progressive policy advocacy
groups and initiatives.

5
 Key learnings
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

3. New ways of measuring social impact 4. Be ready to move fast

When we set our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan targets In 2010, things looked very different. The targets we set
ten years ago, we didn’t realise how hard it would be to ourselves were based on our best assessment of existing
measure our progress. information and trends at the time. Even so, some issues
have accelerated faster than anyone could have imagined,
Finding an impact indicator that works across all our
while others have come to the fore in ways no one
initiatives has proved especially difficult. As the data we
anticipated.
have on our social programmes improves, so will our ability
to enhance the areas where our impact is high and to We’ve had to adapt quickly, listen and in some cases break
modify those areas where they are less so. Having an impact from the status quo – even if it felt uncomfortable. We’ve
is our primary goal, not measuring it. But to achieve the seen this with our commitment to reduce virgin plastic – one
former, we need to get better at the latter. of the first to do so in our sector at the time, but now fast
becoming an industry norm.

Lessons for the future

Lessons for the future
C
 onsider additional or alternative
metrics to ‘people reached’.  isten to those outside our circles to
L
spot the early signs of rapid change.
E
 xamine bespoke social indicators
for specific interventions.  espond quickly and decisively in the
R
face of fast-moving trends.
E
 ncourage the standardisation of
measurement tools, indicators  sk ourselves the hard ‘what if’ questions
A
and benchmarks. more often and more rigorously.

6
 Improving health and wellbeing
We will help more than a
billion people take action
to improve their health
and wellbeing.
In this section:
Health and hygiene page 8
Nutrition page 11

7
 Health and hygiene
KEY
Achieved by target date
Improving health and wellbeing

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment programmes but also mass scale TV advertising can be Day & Night campaign and school programmes had
effective in changing behaviour. reached more than 107 million people.
By 2020, we will help more than a billion people
to improve their health and hygiene. This will help Lifebuoy is by far the biggest contributor to our Dove has been running its programmes since 2005
reduce the incidence of life-threatening diseases overall commitment and runs one of the world’s and today the Dove Self-Esteem Project is the world’s
like diarrhoea. largest behaviour-change programmes to promote biggest provider of self-esteem education. Dove has
handwashing. It set out to achieve its hugely ambitious over-achieved its targets, reaching more than 69 million
Our performance goal of reaching a billion people by 2020, which it young people by 2020. It continues to advocate social
W
 e achieved our target two years ahead of attained in 2018. By 2019, it had reached 1.07 billion change and has set out new plans to reach 250 million
schedule. By the end of 2020 we had reached people across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Due to people by 2030.
over 1.3 billion people, over 625 million through Covid-19, our on-ground programmes were put on hold
in 2020. We decided not to count TV reach in 2020 as In 2017, Vaseline set a target to help heal the skin of
on-ground programmes and over 715 million
this was counted as a one-off in 2019.2 5 million people by 2020 through the Vaseline® Healing
through TV commercials.1
Project, its partnership with Direct Relief to reach
Our portfolio of brands gives us the opportunity to Pureit is the world’s most advanced home water people living in poverty or emergency situations. It
improve health, hygiene and wellbeing at scale. We purification system, producing water that’s as safe as achieved this milestone a year ahead of schedule and
set ourselves ambitious targets to do so and are proud boiled water without the need for boiling or electricity. by 2020, had reached over 6 million people.
to have achieved our overall Health and Hygiene Although we fell short of our target of 150 billion litres,
through our Pureit water purifiers we provided over 121 We could not have achieved our targets without our
commitment two years ahead of schedule. We also
billion litres of safe drinking water by the end of 2020. partners. Partnering with organisations who share our
achieved all but one of our six brand-led targets.
ambitions is critical to our programmes achieving a
Providing quality, affordable products is only part of In 2014 we introduced a new target to enable 25 million positive impact on a large scale. We continue to work
the solution though. A big part of our work has been people to gain improved access to a toilet through our with partners in many ways, including: joint advocacy
encouraging people to adopt healthy habits and we’ve Domestos brand. Domestos achieved its target a year programmes to raise the profile of issues; scaling
used our behaviour change model, Unilever’s Five early, and by 2020, it had reached 29 million people.3 up existing programmes; piloting initiatives; and
Levers for Change, to guide our programmes to make a securing additional funding to increase the impact
Smile (our oral care brand which encompasses Signal, of our joint investment.
lasting impact. Coupled with our expertise in marketing
Pepsodent, Mentadent, Aim Prodent and P/S) also set
and in delivering campaigns at mass scale, it’s helped
out an ambitious target to reach 50 million people
us catalyse enduring change in everyday behaviours.
through programmes designed to encourage children
We’ve demonstrated, too, that not only on-ground
and their parents to brush their teeth. By 2020, its Brush

8
 Health and hygiene
Improving health and wellbeing

Reduce diarrhoeal and respiratory disease In 2021, we’ll look at kick-starting our €30 million initiative to
encourage more children to adopt handwashing habits for life. Two in three people in the world are at risk of sickness and
through handwashing disease because they don’t have access to a clean, safe toilet.
And one in three schools around the world don’t have a usable
By 2020 our Lifebuoy brand aims to change the hygiene Provide safe drinking water toilet, meaning many children are reluctant to use toilets because
behaviour of 1 billion consumers across Asia, Africa and Latin they aren’t clean.
America by promoting the benefits of handwashing with soap Through our range of water purifiers, we aim to provide
at key times. 150 billion litres of safe drinking water by 2020.5 Sanitation is one of the most complex areas of development,
so we’re working with partners to roll out quality sanitation
 e achieved our 2020 target in 2018, reaching 1 billion
W Pureit provided over 121 billion† litres of safe drinking water programmes. We’ve learned we need to change how people think
people. By 2020, we’d reached 1.07 billion people: by 2020. and feel about having a toilet, or access to one, as well as teach
486 million people through on-ground programmes and them how to keep it clean so they feel comfortable using it.
587 million through TV commercials.4
Pureit is the world’s most advanced home water purification We became the first company to make a commitment to improve
system, producing water that’s as safe as boiled water. Without sanitation at scale. By 2020, Domestos had helped over 29 million
According to UNICEF, every 23 seconds a child somewhere in the the need for boiling, it uses our unique GermKill Kit™ to remove people gain improved access to a toilet7.
world dies from either pneumonia or diarrhoea. Yet we know that harmful viruses, bacteria, parasites and other impurities from
handwashing with soap can reduce incidences of pneumonia by water, in line with strict international standards. We rolled out our Cleaner Toilets, Brighter Futures programme
23%, and diarrhoea by up to 45%. in schools in 2018. We’re working with janitors, teachers and
It’s available in 12 countries including India, China, Indonesia, children so that once toilets are clean and usable, they can be
For more than a century, our Lifebuoy soap brand has been Ghana, Kenya and Brazil. Between 2005 and 2020, we provided kept that way. And we’re teaching children how handwashing
on a mission to change handwashing behaviours. Through more than 121 billion litres of safe drinking water through our and using appropriate toilet manners go together. Between
Lifebuoy’s Social Mission programmes and communications, Pureit water purifiers. This is short of our 150 billion target, in 2018 and 2020 the programme helped schools serving more
we’ve helped over a billion people develop better handwashing part due to the fact that in some markets, rapid scale-up proved than 213,000 children.
habits, improving hygiene, protecting against illness and helping challenging so we adapted our strategy to focus on more
to prevent childhood deaths. We’re proud to have reached our We’ve worked in partnership UNICEF on sanitation issues since
sustainable business growth.
milestone two years early. 2012. When people buy a specially marked bottle of Domestos,
We’re continuing to reach low-income households through they’re supporting UNICEF’s work to help every child have access
The events of 2020 reaffirmed our commitment to working with partnerships with micro-finance institutions in several Indian to a cleaner, safer toilet. For each bottle of Domestos bought, 5%
education experts to make handwashing a lifelong habit. We’re states and remain committed to providing safe drinking water is donated to UNICEF’s sanitation improvement programmes in
advocating greater emphasis on hand hygiene education through through Pureit and our Truliva water purification brand which is India. Funds raised through purchases of Domestos bottles have
a movement to fundamentally change the way the alphabet is available in China. been used to strengthen and sustain UNICEF’s support to the
taught – H must stand for Handwashing. government of India on the Swachh Bharat Mission, a nation-wide
Covid-19 significantly disrupted our usual activities and data programme to eliminate open defecation in India.
collection and we had to make significant changes to our on-
Improve access to sanitation
ground programmes. This meant we could not measure our reach
By 2020 we will help 25 million people gain improved access to
according to our Basis of Preparation and so we did not formally
a toilet by promoting the benefits of using clean toilets and by
count any on-ground reach for 2020. But as planned and as we
making toilets accessible.
did in 2019, we used an average of three previous representative
years as the input for our TV reach for 2020. The 2020 results  e achieved our target in 2019. Between 2012-2020,
W
above are therefore the same as we reported in 2019. we helped over 29 million people gain improved access
to a toilet.6
9
† Independently assured by PwC
 Health and hygiene
Improving health and wellbeing

Improve oral health Improve self-esteem Help improve skin healing

We will use our toothpaste and toothbrush brands and oral With our Dove brand we are helping millions of young people The Vaseline® Healing Project is a global aid effort in
health improvement programmes to encourage children and to build up positive body confidence and self-esteem through partnership with the humanitarian organisation Direct Relief.
their parents to brush day and night. We aim to reach 50 million educational programmes. By 2015 we aimed to help 15 million Though our Vaseline Healing Project, we aim to help heal the
people by 2020. young people. In 2016 we extended our target to help another skin of 5 million people by 2020.
20 million young people – to reach a total of 40 million by 2020.
We achieved our target early. By 2020, we had reached over We achieved our target a year early. By 2020, we had
107 million people. We achieved our 2015 and 2020 targets early. By 2020, we’d reached over 6 million people.
reached over 69 million young people.

The Smile family of toothpaste brands (Signal, Pepsodent, Our skin is the barrier between our bodies and the outside world
Mentadent, Aim Prodent and P/S) share a common purpose: ‘to Women and girls are more anxious about their bodies than ever. – and keeping it healthy is essential to our overall wellbeing. Skin
unleash the power of healthy smiles by eradicating oral disease And when they lose confidence in their body image, many lose is especially at risk for people living on the frontlines of poverty
for everyone.’ Oral disease affects around half the world’s confidence in themselves. Dove, our largest Beauty & Personal and disaster. If painful cracks, cuts or burns are left untreated
population and in many countries, toothache is the number Care brand, has been working to improve young people’s body they can lead to discomfort, infections or the inability to work.
one cause of children missing school. Poor oral health not only confidence and self-esteem since 2005. Dove’s Self-Esteem Project Since 2015, Vaseline has worked with Direct Relief to support a
damages children’s teeth, it can also lower their self-esteem. has grown to become the world’s biggest provider of self-esteem network of health centres and clinics that provide affordable,
education. It’s consistently exceeded its targets, reaching over comprehensive services to those who need it most, helping
The solution is simple: brushing teeth regularly with fluoride
60 million people by 2019. And by the end of 2020 it had reached to heal the skin of people affected by poverty or emergencies
toothpaste reduces the occurrence of cavities by 90% compared to
more than 69 million young people. More than 2.4 million parents around the world through product donations, dermatological
not brushing teeth at all. Research shows that long-term brushing
and mentors have used our content, and over 570,000 teachers care and training for healthcare professionals.
habits are best forged during childhood, so our aim is to instil
have delivered a Dove self-esteem workshop.
good habits from an early age. Over 2015-2020, the Vaseline Healing Project reached more
Our three-year partnership with UNICEF will help a further than 6 million people. This includes over 20,000 dermatological
For over 25 years, we’ve been running programmes such as
10 million young people gain self-esteem and body confidence evaluations provided through healing missions in countries
Brush Day & Night – educational school programmes that are
through new educational modules. The modules are being where access to this care is inadequate. To make this impact
proven to improve oral care habits. Our Brush Day & Night 21-day
implemented as part of UNICEF’s wider adolescent life skills sustainable, from 2015 to 2019, the Vaseline Healing Project
programme teaches schoolchildren the importance of good oral
programmes for 10-18-year-olds in Brazil, India and Indonesia. trained 1,956 community healthcare professionals. In 2020,
health, to brush day and night with a fluoride toothpaste and the
It’s just one of the initiatives we’re running as part of our next we launched virtual dermatology training to reach more
correct toothbrushing technique. A 25% improvement in twice-
goal: to reach 250 million people by 2030. healthcare workers.
daily brushing has been observed in children after taking part
in the programme. Dove is also working to create broader systemic change through
advocacy. As a co-founder of the CROWN (Creating a Respectful
Worldwide, we’ve reached 107 million people through our Brush
and Open World for Natural Hair) Coalition, we’re working to
Day & Night educational programme, free dental checks and TV
pass legislation that bans hair discrimination in schools and
adverts promoting the importance of oral health and hygiene.
workplaces in the US and UK. We’ve also introduced the Dove
No Digital Distortion Mark as a stamp to assure people that the
image they’re looking at has not being digitally altered to fit
the ideals of what beauty is and isn’t. And for use by the media
and advertising industries, we’ve launched Project #ShowUs, an
image library created and curated exclusively by women, female-
identifying and non-binary individuals.
10
 Nutrition
KEY
Achieved by target date
Improving health and wellbeing

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment We achieved our earlier targets for reducing calories and
eliminating trans fats. And in 2020, we exceeded our salt
We will continually work to improve the taste and
reduction target by ensuring 77% of our portfolio was
nutritional quality of all our products. The majority of our
compliant with our 5 g of salt per day target. In 2020, 99.7%
products meet, or are better than, benchmarks based on
of our portfolio carried full nutrition labelling on-pack. We
national nutritional recommendations. By 2020, we will
made good progress in reducing sugar levels by 23% across
double the proportion of our portfolio that meets our
all our sweetened tea-based beverages, but just missed our
Highest Nutritional Standards (HNS), based on globally
2020 target of 25%.
recognised dietary guidelines. This will help hundreds of
millions of people to achieve a healthier diet.⁸ Through our bold new Future Foods commitments, we’ve
set ourselves even more stretching targets to ensure that
Our performance 70% of our Foods portfolio meets WHO-aligned nutritional
By the end of 2020, 61%† of our portfolio by volume standards by 2022. We’ve also committed to more stringent
met our Highest Nutritional Standards, based on reductions for sugar and calories in our ice creams by 2025
globally recognised dietary guidelines. and further salt reductions across our Foods portfolio by
2022. We’re also doubling the number of products delivering
We exceeded our target of doubling the proportion of our positive nutrition and offering more plant-based meat and
portfolio meeting our World Health Organization (WHO) dairy alternatives.
aligned Highest Nutritional Standards. That equates to
around three-quarters of all the servings we sell reaching
these standards.

Our benchmarks are based on globally recognised dietary

recommendations and meeting our HNS is a significant
commitment. It involves reformulating our products – with
limited amounts of sugar, salt, saturated fat and calories
– to make great-tasting foods and beverages that people
will love.

11 † Independently assured by PwC

 Nutrition
Improving health and wellbeing

Reduce salt levels Reduce saturated fat Remove trans fat

Our first milestone was to reduce salt levels to 6 g per day by We are committed to improving the fat composition of our By 2012, we will have removed from all our products any trans
the end of 2010. This required reductions of up to 25%. In 2010, products by reducing saturated fat as much as possible and fats originating from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
we stated that our ambition was to reduce salt by a further increasing levels of essential fats. By 2012, our leading spreads
 y 2012, 100% of our portfolio by volume did not contain
B
15–20% on average, to meet the target of not more than 5 g salt will contain less than 33% saturated fat as a proportion of
trans fats originating from partially hydrogenated
per day. In 2013, we clarified our commitment, by 2020, 75% of total fat.
vegetable oil.10
our Foods portfolio will meet salt levels to enable intakes of 5 g
By 2012, 92% of our leading spreads by volume contained
per day.
less than 33% saturated fat as a proportion of total fat.
We met our target to eliminate trans fat originating from partially
In 2020, 77% of our Foods portfolio was compliant with the
hydrogenated vegetable oil from our products worldwide in 2012.
5 g target.
A daily portion will provide at least 15% of the essential fatty Since then, we’ve carried out regular reviews of our products to
acids recommended by international dietary guidelines. ensure we remain compliant. If products with trans fat originating
We exceeded our target, reaching 77% in 2020. But as excess salt from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil are found, they are
 y 2012, 92% of our leading spreads by volume provided
B
intake remains a significant health challenge, we’re extending reformulated. Our position on trans fats details our approach.
at least 15% of the essential fatty acids recommended by
our reduction ambitions: by 2022, 85% of our global Foods
international guidelines. As one of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA)
portfolio will help consumers reduce their salt intake to no more
member companies, we align with the WHO recommendation
than 5 g per day.
that industrially produced trans fat should not exceed 2 g per
By 2017, 90% of our complete global portfolio of soft vegetable
We always improve our foods based on scientifically sound 100 g of total fat or oil in all foods. We’re committed to achieve
oil spreads9 will contain no more than 33% fat as saturated fat
benchmarks and reduce salt in a variety of ways. We’ve achieved this worldwide by 2023 at the latest.
and at least 67% as good unsaturated fat. In tropical areas,
this target by continuously reducing salt as we renovated existing
without chilled distribution, the maximum saturated fat
products; new products must also enable an intake of 5 g per day.
We’ve also found that cutting salt and replacing it with aromas,
content will be set at 38%, as a slightly higher saturated fat Reduce sugar
level is required to maintain stability of the spreads.
spices and herbs can actually enhance the salty taste and flavour,
 y 2017, 80% of our global portfolio of soft vegetable oil
B Prior to 2010, we had already reduced sugar levels in our ready-
and make products more nutritious. This can be combined with
spreads contained no more than 33% saturated fat and at to-drink teas. By 2020, we will remove an additional 25% sugar
using the natural salt replacer, potassium salt.
least 67% good unsaturated fat. in ready-to-drink teas. In 2014, we extended this target to
We’re continuing our engagement with governments, health include our powdered ice tea and milk tea products.11
authorities and healthcare professionals to help address the
By 2020, we reached 23% sugar reduction across all our
triggers and barriers that people experience in adopting healthier We retired this target following the sale of our Spreads business
sweetened tea-based beverages (against a 2010 baseline).
habits. A good example is Brazil, where the government sought in July 2018. By the end of 2017, the proportion of our global
the food industry’s help with its target to reduce people’s salt portfolio of soft vegetable spreads that met this target prior to
intake from 12 g to 5 g per day. In response, in 2020, we created the sale date was 80%.⁹ Sugary beverages are heavily scrutinised for their sugar content,
Brazil’s first zero salt and monosodium glutamate-free bouillon, and more people than ever before are health-conscious and
Knorr Zero Sal. seeking ‘better for you’ products. We’ve been reformulating our
ready-to-drink ice teas for a number of years and made good
progress against our target, but fell short in the final year.

With fewer people eating out or on-the-go due to Covid-19, we

saw a drop in sales for some ready-to-drink teas. This in turn had
12
 Nutrition
Improving health and wellbeing

an impact on meeting our target which is based on sales volume: We’re continuing to expand the proportion of our portfolio and stimulate the industry to reformulate towards healthier
we reached 23% of the 25% we were aiming for. containing no more than 250 kilocalories. In 2020, 93% of our products. In addition to providing nutritional information on pack,
packaged ice creams reached this level. we also offer information via our branded digital platforms and
Nevertheless, we made good progress in reducing sugar levels in
consumer carelines.
many existing products and launched new products with lower In addition to maintaining our calorie limit for children’s ice
sugar content in many markets in 2020. cream, we’ve set new ice cream goals to reach by 2025: 95% of
packaged ice cream will contain no more than 22 g total sugar,
Across Europe, we reduced sugar in several ready-to-drink Lipton
and 95% will contain no more than 250 kilocalories per serving.
products by up to 50% to offer low-calorie choices. Across the
These targets are ambitious as we’ll need to reformulate our most
Middle East, we reformulated and launched new lower sugar
indulgent brands. We’re investigating solutions to reduce sugar
products, all meeting our Highest Nutritional Standards. In
and calories without impacting consumers’ experience.
addition to reformulations, we introduced several new zero-sugar
Lipton iced teas across Europe, such as Green Tea Lemon.

We’re continuing to reduce sugar levels in our tea-based

Provide healthy eating information
beverage portfolio, and to offer beverages and innovations
Our aim is to provide clear, simple labelling on our products to
with lower sugar content, while maintaining the taste that
help people make choices for a nutritionally balanced diet.
consumers enjoy.
By 2015, this will be extended to cover all our products globally.
We will include energy per portion on the front of pack, plus
Reduce calories eight key nutrients and % Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) for
five nutrients on the back of pack.
By 2014, 100% of our children’s ice creams will contain
Our targets will respect local or regional industry agreements
110 kilocalories or fewer per portion. 60% will meet this level
as well as the law in each market.
by 2012.12 13
 6% of our portfolio had full nutrition labelling on pack in
8
100% of our children’s ice creams have contained
line with our commitment by the end of 2015. By 2020, we
110 kilocalories or fewer per portion since 2014.
had reached 99.7%.14

By 2015, 80% of our packaged ice cream products will not

We did not achieve our 2015 target due to regulatory changes
exceed 250 kilocalories per portion.12 13
ongoing in two countries at the time, which meant that we did
 1% of our packaged ice cream by volume have contained
9 not fully implement our labelling approach that year. However, by
250 kilocalories or fewer per portion since 2015. In 2020 we 2020, 99.7% of our portfolio carried full nutrition labelling. We’ve
had extended this to 93% of our ice creams. put in place a global governance model and extensive monitoring
activities to check nutrition labelling product by product.

We were one of the first global companies to ensure that all our As several countries develop their preference for a front-of-pack
children’s ice creams are responsibly developed, and maintaining labelling system, we’re continuing to engage with governments,
our record remains important. We continuously review our NGOs and other stakeholders as we want to work towards
portfolio, combined with a responsible approach to marketing globally harmonised, transparent labelling systems. We believe
and advertising to children. We reached our children’s ice creams that any front-of-pack nutrition labelling schemes should be
target in 2014, with 100% of our children’s ice creams containing portion based or product group specific. This is the best approach
110 kilocalories or fewer per portion. to help consumers make healthier food and beverage choices
13
 Reducing environmental impact
We will halve the environmental
footprint of the making and use
of our products as we grow our
business.
In this section:
Greenhouse gases page 15
Water page 18
Waste and packaging page 20
Sustainable sourcing page 24

14
 Greenhouse gases
KEY
Achieved by target date
Reducing environmental impact

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment products. However, emissions in our Beauty & Personal
Care Division have increased by 10%, driven primarily by the
Halve the greenhouse gas impact of our products across acquisition of brands with high greenhouse gas emissions
the lifecycle by 2030.15 associated with consumer hot water use, including hair and
bath/shower products.
Our performance
Since we launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan
In 2020, our greenhouse gas impact per consumer
in 2010, we have learned a lot about the areas we can
use reduced by around 10% versus 2010.
influence and those we cannot, and which areas need wider
Our brands are working to halve the greenhouse gas (GHG) action from other players, such as the shift in the energy
footprint of a cup of tea, a laundry load or a hair wash by grids towards more renewable sources. Technology and
the end of this decade. Through innovation, R&D expertise, innovation play a critical part in addressing climate change
and partnerships with suppliers, we are finding lower- and in opening up the business opportunities that a low-
carbon solutions for everyday products, such as our Love carbon economy will bring.
Beauty and Planet hairspray bottles that reduce carbon
We’re using our knowledge and resources
emissions by using compressed air.
in innovation, research and development to
Our goal to halve the GHG impact of our products across bring people the products they enjoy but which
the lifecycle by 2030 is one of our science-based targets. respond to the challenge of climate change,
Progress has been slower than expected. Since 2010, our while creating business growth opportunities.
greenhouse impact per consumer use has reduced by 10%
against a restated baseline.16

We are making good progress, particularly in Foods &

Refreshment and Home Care where we have reduced
emissions by 30% and 37% respectively since 2010, mainly
due to disposals, portfolio changes and, in the case of
Home Care, the reduction of phosphates in our laundry

15
 Greenhouse gases
Reducing environmental impact

Become carbon positive in manufacturing 

We are focusing on sourcing 100% of our energy across our Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
operations from renewable sources and supporting the
development of local renewable energy markets.
washing clothes
By 2020 CO2 emissions from energy from our factories will be
at or below 2008 levels despite significantly higher volumes Reformulating our products to reduce greenhouse gas
(equivalent to a reduction of around 40% per tonne of emissions by 15% by 2012.
In 2020, our factory sites reduced CO2 emissions from energy
production measured against a baseline of 145.92 kg of CO2
by 27% per tonne of production compared to 2019 and 75%† per
emissions from energy use per tonne of production in 2008). Over 95% (by volume) of our laundry powders in our top
tonne of production compared to 2008, despite having already
14 countries were reformulated, resulting in a reduction of
 e achieved our target in 2016. By the end of 2020, we had
W achieved our target of 40% per tonne of production in 2016, four
15% in greenhouse gas emissions by end 2012.
reduced CO2 from energy by 75%† versus 2008, to 36.94† years ahead of schedule. Overall, we have reduced our total
of CO2 from energy in kg per tonne of production. This is energy use by 31% per tonne of production since 2008.
2,068,484† fewer tonnes than in 2008. Liquid laundry detergents have a lower greenhouse gas (GHG)
In 2020 we achieved our target of sourcing 100% of the
footprint than powders. We are driving market development
grid electricity used in our manufacturing operations from
through liquids: we grow faster in liquids wherever powders,
We will source 100% of our energy across our operations from renewable sources. In 2020 we met 51.9% of our global energy
bars and liquids are present. Many of our liquids are now sold
renewable sources by 2030. needs for our manufacturing operations from renewable sources
in concentrated form which reduces GHG emissions. They also
(e.g. onsite biomass, solar, wind, hydro – as well as renewable
I n 2020, 51.9% of our total energy use in our manufacturing provide great cleaning performance at lower temperatures.
grid electricity), achieving our 2020 interim target of sourcing
operations was generated from renewable resources, 50% of our energy across our manufacturing operations from Through our eco-design programme, we are reformulating
compared to 15.8% in 2008. renewable sources. products to use fewer but higher-performing ingredients. We
are taking this approach in both laundry powders and liquids
By the end of our 2020 reporting period (1 October 2019 –
We will source all our electricity purchased from the grid from to reduce the levels of conventional surfactant – our most GHG
30 September 2020), three of our factories used direct coal
renewable sources by 2020. intensive class of ingredients – by up to 50%. Our phosphate
(coal used on Unilever sites) and six used indirect coal (purchased
reduction has reduced CO2 emissions by up to 50% per single use
100% of all grid electricity used in our manufacturing energy generated from the grid generated by coal). We removed
by consumers. We’re continuing to investigate technologies that
operations was generated from renewable resources. 100% direct coal from our original factory portfolio. The three
could help us create more zero-phosphate products in the future.
factories using direct coal were acquired by Unilever in 2020. One
of the challenges with several of the sites that use indirect coal is Our concentrated liquid laundry detergents from brands such as
We will eliminate coal from our energy mix by 2020. that legislation currently prevents the move to renewable energy. Persil, Omo and Surf Small & Mighty and Seventh Generation’s
 2020, 734,758 GJ of the energy used in our manufacturing
In We have plans in place to eliminate the use of direct coal by the ultra-concentrated EasyDose™ enable people to wash their
was generated from coal. At the end of our 2020 reporting end of 2021 at the three factories we acquired in 2020, and we are clothes at lower temperatures and reduce GHG emissions by up
period (1 October 2019 – 30 September 2020), nine out of our exploring the options available to eliminate indirect coal. to 50% per load.
290 manufacturing sites used energy generated from coal. Since we set our greenhouse gas emissions target, we have
extended our focus beyond our manufacturing sites to apply to
In order to achieve our target of carbon positive by 2030, we our global operations. Our ambition has evolved from becoming
intend to directly support the generation of more renewable carbon positive to achieving zero emissions from our operations
energy than we consume and make the surplus available to the by 2030. To achieve this, we are building on our longstanding
markets and communities in which we operate. work across our global factory network to reduce our energy use,
transition to renewable grid electricity, phase out coal and move
to 100% renewable energy across our operations.

16 † Independently assured by PwC

 Greenhouse gases
Reducing environmental impact

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions The climate-friendly hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants we use in our We are continuing to make savings through our real estate
freezers have a substantially lower global warming potential programme, with office relocations to more energy-efficient
from transport compared to previously used hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which facilities and have continued to save energy through using our
have a global warming impact thousands of times greater than PC power management tool and a focus on the optimisation of
By 2020, CO2 emissions from our global logistics network will
the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. The refrigerant change our building management systems.
be at or below 2010 levels despite significantly higher volumes.
alone makes our freezers around 10% more energy efficient. It
This will represent a 40% improvement in CO2 efficiency.
is mandatory that any new freezers we purchase use HCs rather
We will achieve this by reducing truck mileage; using lower than HFCs. Reduce employee travel
emission vehicles; employing alternative transport such as rail
or ship; and improving the energy efficiency of our warehouses. We are continuing to roll out climate-friendly HC freezers and We are investing in advanced video conferencing facilities
make our freezers more energy efficient. Our purchased freezers to make communication easier while reducing travel for
43% improvement in CO2 efficiency since 2010. are 50% more energy efficient compared to our 2008 baseline, our employees. By 2011 this network will cover more than
with the most energy-efficient models going even further. We are 30 countries.
working on innovations to make more improvements in freezer
We are increasingly using non-road forms of transport such as rail 54 countries were covered by end 2011.
energy efficiency, including piloting the use solar panels to power
and sea to move goods. For journeys still undertaken by road, we our cabinets.
are exploring technologies such as liquefied natural gas (LNG),
compressed natural gas (CNG) and biofuels as alternative fuels, We have continued to invest in implementing Microsoft Teams as
electric vehicles, thermal blanket technology for temperature- Reduce energy consumption in our offices well as advanced video facilities to reduce our travel footprint.
controlled trucks and hydrogen technologies. And we are working
By 2020 we will halve the energy (kWh) purchased per occupant This has substantially reduced our need to travel to meetings, and
with our partners to accelerate the adoption of the above
for the offices in our top 21 countries versus 2010. our carbon emissions. It delivers clear benefits such as cost and
technologies.
time savings for the business and cuts down on tiring travel for
Through innovation and developing bottom-up carbon reduction 56.5% reduction in energy (kWh) purchased per occupant our employees.
projects, we are sharing best practices to ensure we continue since 2010.
building efficiency into our transportation logistics.
We set a challenging 2020 target to reduce energy purchased per
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions occupant at our in-scope sites and exceeded our target by the
end of 2020 through multiple energy efficiency activities.
from refrigeration
For example, we conducted energy audits at three of our
As the world’s largest producer of ice cream, we will accelerate largest sites to identify how we could further reduce our energy
our roll-out of freezer cabinets that use climate-friendly consumption. We implemented building management systems as
natural (hydrocarbon) refrigerants. We will purchase a further well as increasing the capacity of the existing systems to reduce
850,000 units by 2015. energy consumption (e.g. lighting motion sensors, intelligent
HVAC units), expanded our Metering, Monitoring and Targeting
In 2013 we exceeded our target of purchasing 850,000 platform to additional sites and implemented more LED projects
climate-friendly freezers, reaching a total of around 1.5 in sites with conventional lighting.
million. In 2018 our total increased to around 2.9 million
hydrocarbon freezers.

17
 Water
KEY
Achieved by target date
Reducing environmental impact

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment Significant behaviour change is needed to reduce water

consumption when our products are used in people’s
Halve the water associated with the consumer use of
homes. Furthermore, despite some progress, our efforts
our products by 2020.17
to launch more water-smart product innovations have not
been sufficient, at this stage, to significantly reduce our
Our performance
water impact per consumer use and encourage consumer
In 2020, our water impact per consumer use was the behaviour change. Because of this, we are developing
same as it was in 2010. innovative products that deliver the benefits people need
and provide the same performance with less water.
We didn’t achieve this challenging target by the end of
2020 partly because progress has been counterbalanced by For example, our Love Beauty and Planet range, which uses
changes in our product portfolio since 2010. Our portfolio fast-rinse technology in its conditioners, is helping people use
is now made up of more products that have a higher than less water as they need less water to work effectively. And our
average water footprint compared to 2010 and our biggest Love Home and Planet dry wash spray is made with only
water impact – over 99% – occurs when consumers shower, 0.02% of the water used in a normal UK laundry load. We’re
bathe and wash clothes with our products. also developing products which use no water at all, such as
our hair care brand, ‘the good stuff’. The good stuff’s range
We did see water savings in some of our product categories includes six no-rinse conditioners.
since 2010. This was most notable in Skin Cleansing (e.g.
growth of Lifebuoy hand soap sales in Asia) and Fabric
Solutions (e.g. growth of Rin and Wheel laundry detergents
in Asia), which together account for 76% of the total water
footprint. These changes were in part due to water-smart
innovations such as our Rin detergent bar which uses
SmartFoam technology and up to halves the water needed
for rinsing, making the washing process easier and quicker
for consumers in water-scarce regions.

18
 Water
Reducing environmental impact

Reduce water abstracted by Reduce water use in the laundry process water management decisions of their farmers to drive water use
efficiency and conservation. In India, for example, we’re working
manufacturing sites with processor Varun Agro, in Maharashtra state, to enable
We will reduce the water required in the laundry process by
providing 50 million households in water-scarce countries with over 5,000 smallholder farmers to grow tomatoes for our Kissan
By 2020, water abstraction by our global factory network
laundry products that deliver excellent results but use less ketchup. These farmers cover approximately 9,000 acres of land
will be at or below 2008 levels, despite significantly higher
water by 2020. and all these fields now use drip irrigation.
volumes (equivalent to a reduction of around 40% per tonne
of production measured against a baseline of 2.97 m3 of water In 2016, One Rinse products were used in 4.9 billion washes An important step in our sustainable sourcing programme was
abstracted per tonne of production in 2008). in over 59 million households worldwide. the launch of the renewed Sustainable Agriculture Code in 2018,
which contained clear guidance on all aspects of Climate Smart
 e achieved our target in 2018. By the end of 2020, we had
W
Agriculture, including water management. Impacts of climate
reduced water abstraction by 49%† per tonne of production Since achieving our target, we have continued to develop change on agriculture will be different in different parts of the
versus 2008, to 1.52 m3† of water abstracted per tonne of innovative products which deliver the benefits people need, but world. Climate risk modelling for the various crops is helping
production. This is 27.1† million fewer cubic metres of water use less water. For example, our Rin fast-rinse laundry detergent, us to understand where we must focus our efforts to support
than in 2008. which is available in Asia, is helping people to use less water, as suppliers and farmers to adapt to and mitigate contributions
they require less water to work effectively. We are also developing to climate change.
We achieved – and surpassed – our 2020 target two years ahead laundry products that use no water at all, such as our Love Home
and Planet dry wash spray, which is made with only 0.02% of the To further support farmers in their understanding of water
of schedule. The reduction equates to around saving 3.5 litres of
water used in a normal UK laundry load. management on their farms, we developed an online Water
water for every person on the planet. We achieved this despite
Footprint Calculator with the Cool Farm Alliance. This feature,
growth in our production volume since 2008.
which went live in 2018, complements the Carbon Footprint
Our progress has been driven by continuous improvement Reduce water use in agriculture Calculator and the Biodiversity Effectiveness assessment tool.
initiatives at all sites to reduce, reuse and recycle water. We
have achieved this through a combination of low-cost and no- We will develop comprehensive plans with our suppliers and
cost techniques and behaviours, and a water-specific capital partners to reduce the water used to grow our crops in water-
investment programme. scarce countries.

We will continue to track and drive improvements in water  ater management is an integral part of our Sustainable
W
performance as a component of our overall water strategy. Agriculture Code. Close to 100% of our vegetable suppliers,
Water efficiency has demonstrated strong financial paybacks, including tomato suppliers, now comply with our Code.
reduces our dependency on water resources and supports Almost all, when using irrigation, have water management
process innovation. plans in place and report on water used in irrigation.

We have been collecting irrigation data from our suppliers

as part of the implementation of our Sustainable Agriculture
Code since 2011. We are close to 100% coverage now in
key crops like vegetables and tomatoes. Suppliers are also
adopting an additional set of farm practices in their uptake
of the Sustainable Agriculture Code. These include ensuring
that water infrastructure, such as pipes and canals, is readily
maintained, as well as encouraging suppliers to influence the
19 † Independently assured by PwC
 Waste and packaging
KEY
Achieved by target date
Reducing environmental impact

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment Our ‘less plastic, better plastic, no plastic’ framework will
continue to guide everything we do. It’s underpinned by goals
Halve the waste associated with the disposal of
to halve our use of virgin plastic, to ensure all our packaging
our products by 2020.18
is reusable, recyclable or compostable and increasing the use
of recycled plastics.
Our performance
Our consumer waste footprint has reduced by We’re also supporting better waste infrastructure to collect
34%† since 2010. and process plastic packaging. This goal requires us to
help collect and process around 690,000 tonnes of plastic
We have made solid year-on-year progress towards this annually by 2025. We continue to work with many partners,
challenging target. Our total waste footprint per consumer with programmes in multiple countries including Brazil, India,
use has reduced by 34%† since 2010. We have made good Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, UK
progress in areas where we have direct control such as and US.
reducing waste in our own operations and alternative
packaging design following our ‘less plastic, better plastic,
no plastic’ framework.

However, in the areas beyond our direct control, progress was

slower. We have seen some infrastructure improvements in
recycling and recovery, but these have been slower than we
expected despite active lobbying.

Innovation and new business models are radically changing

the way we use in plastic, and we’re supporting global
efforts to eradicate plastic waste. Our 2025 goals, which will
be continued as part of the Unilever Compass, build on the
progress we made towards our Unilever Sustainable Living
Plan commitment to reduce our waste footprint.

20 † Independently assured by PwC

 Waste and packaging
Reducing environmental impact

Reduce waste from manufacturing Our focus on zero non-hazardous waste to landfill is a non- container and refill it over and over again. We’ve learnt there
negotiable. That’s why we have recommitted to this goal as part is no one-size-fits-all solution. We’ve appointed dedicated in-
By 2020 total waste sent for disposal will be at or below 2008 of the Unilever Compass. house teams to build expertise, test, learn and refine different
levels despite significantly higher volumes (equivalent to a approaches. Together with major supermarkets, we’re trialling
reduction of around 40% per tonne of production measured refill projects in Colombia, France, Indonesia, the Philippines,
against a baseline of 7.91 kg of total waste disposed per tonne
Reusable, recyclable or compostable Vietnam and the UK. We are also experimenting with home refill
of production in 2008). plastic packaging solutions.

 e achieved our target in 2012. By the end of 2020 we

W We’re sharing the lessons that we’ve learnt along the way, with
By 2025 all of our plastic packaging will be designed to be fully
had reduced waste sent for disposal by 96%† per tonne of the aim of bringing everyone on board – including governments,
reusable, recyclable or compostable.
production versus 2008, to 0.34† kg of total waste disposed retailers, manufacturers, delivery services, civil society
per tonne of production. This is 144,428† fewer tonnes of  2% of our plastic packaging was reusable, recyclable
5 organisations and, of course, consumers.
total waste than in 2008. or compostable, in practice and at scale (i.e. actual
recyclability) in 2020.
Reduce packaging
By 2015 all manufacturing sites will achieve zero non-
hazardous waste to landfill. We were the first company in our industry to commit to ensuring By 2020 we will reduce the weight of packaging that we use by
that 100% of our plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or one-third through:
 e achieved zero non-hazardous waste to landfill across
W compostable by 2025.
our global factory network by the end 2014 and maintained lightweighting materials
this in every subsequent year, including in 2020. Our total plastic packaging footprint is 690,000 tonnes. Of this,  optimising structural and material design
52% was reusable, recyclable or compostable in practice and at
scale in 2020. We now have accurate data for around 80% of the developing concentrated versions of our products
We have continued to make significant progress since achieving sales volume in scope for plastic packaging reporting and we’re eliminating unnecessary packaging
our waste disposal target in 2012. We achieved our target of zero working to increase this further.
non-hazardous waste to landfill one year early, at the end of The weight of our packaging (per consumer use) has
2014 and we believe this was a first for a company of our scale in There are plenty of technical challenges that we’re tackling in our decreased by 18% since 2010.
our industry. better plastic journey. Magnum became the first ice cream brand
to use recycled polypropylene (rPP) plastic in its packaging. We
Our focus since has been on maintaining zero non-hazardous used an innovative recycling process that transforms the plastic Over the last decade we’ve cut the weight of our packaging by
waste to landfill. In 2020, we maintained zero-waste to landfill. waste into a resin with the same characteristics as virgin food- nearly a fifth through better and lighter designs – short of our
11 sites disposed of a small amount of non-hazardous waste grade resin. The advanced recycling technology – which makes original target. However, acquisitions and the introduction of
to landfill, but this did not exceed our permitted threshold.19 this possible – transforms previously unrecyclable plastic waste products into new markets have impacted our progress.
While the amounts were small, we take any lapses very seriously. into a valuable resource. Reducing the amount of material in a product by just a few grams
Over 90% of the non-hazardous waste sent to landfill was from
We’re continuing to make progress on technical recyclability (i.e. can make a huge difference across an entire product range. Our
manufacturing sites that we acquired in 2020. We are currently
packaging designed for recycling but not yet recycled at scale). As results show that our efforts over the last few years to reduce
developing recycling pathways at these sites to divert the non-
recycling infrastructure improves across the markets we operate packaging through innovations, lightweighting – reducing the
hazardous waste from landfill.
in, we expect an increase in our actual recyclability which will weight – and material switching are now visible.
By replicating our zero-waste model in other parts of our close the gap on what is technically recyclable. We’re helping to This includes packaging reduction initiatives such as the
business, nearly 400 additional non-manufacturing sites have stimulate investment through our collection and processing goal. lightweighting of aerosol deodorant cans. We have also
also eliminated non-hazardous waste to landfill.
We’re working on ways that will allow shoppers to buy one commercialised the MuCell™ moulding technology, which has
21 † Independently assured by PwC
 Waste and packaging
Reducing environmental impact

allowed us to reduce the plastic component in bottles by up to Whenever we use plastic, we make sure we’re choosing better Tackle sachet waste
15% versus the previous bottle. Other examples of reduction options – that means recycled and recyclable plastics.
initiatives include the use of compression injection technology in Our goal is to develop and implement a sustainable business
Recycling and recovery is a challenging target because we
many of our tubs, conversion of bottles to flexible refill pouches model for handling our sachet waste streams by 2015.
are reliant on public policy, infrastructure and consumer
and smart use of design strategy and technology, enabling us to
engagement. Despite good progress since setting our recycling  rogress has been slower than we originally anticipated,
P
reduce layers within many of our sachets.
and recovery target and getting over two-thirds of the way there, but we are continuing to investigate the potential of new
We’re continuing our efforts to reduce the weight of our we missed our target owing to the slowdown in global recycling business models, materials and technologies to reduce our
packaging through our ‘less plastic, better plastic, no plastic’ rates. But through our commitment to help collect and process dependence on multi-layer sachets.
framework. We’re encouraging customers to think of bottles of more plastic packaging than we sell, we aim to kickstart more
our cleaning and laundry products, for instance, refill at home recycling of the materials that are important to us.
innovations from OMO and Cif. Ultra-concentrated products help Single-use plastic sachets allow low-income consumers in
We’re keeping plastics in the system, and out of the environment developing countries to buy small amounts of quality products
us give consumers the same products but with much less plastic
by buying post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. In 2020 that would otherwise be unaffordable to them. These products
and smaller packaging. Comfort’s ultra-concentrated laundry
(measured 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020), around 11% (76,000 tend to provide hygiene or nutrition benefits. The problem is,
formulas offer a smaller dosage than any other product on the
tonnes) of our total plastic packaging footprint consisted of these multi-layer flexible sachets are not currently recycled
market.
recycled plastic – a significant increase compared to last year and have little or no economic value, so they leak into the
and strong progress towards our goal to use at least 25% recycled environment.
Recycle packaging plastic by 2025. We’re stepping up how much recycled plastic we
use across many of our brands. For instance, Dove has introduced We want to reduce our dependence on multi-layered sachets
Working in partnership with industry, governments and NGOs, 100% recycled plastic bottles in North America and Europe. and improve their collection and recyclability, particularly in our
we aim to increase recycling and recovery rates on average by markets across Asia. We’re learning there are no easy solutions.
We want to use far more PCR plastic in the future and recapture It’s a technical challenge, along with different local regulations
5% by 2015 and by 15% by 2020 in our top 14 countries. For some
our own packaging. The biggest challenge is the limited on collection, sorting and recycling.
this means doubling or even tripling existing recycling rates. We
availability of high-quality recycled waste materials – owing to
will make it easier for consumers to recycle our packaging by Some of the solutions we’re exploring include business model
a high demand on the market – particularly in developing and
using materials that best fit the end-of-life treatment facilities innovations to reuse packaging and increase collection, and
emerging markets.
available in their countries. material innovations such as biodegradable solutions. We’re also
To address this, we are working with others to develop the exploring how we can make sachets from single materials instead
 round 11% increase in recycling and recovery rates in 2020,
A
recycling industry. This will help to ensure better quality recycled of multiple layers, making them easier to recycle.
over the 2010 average Recycling and Recovery Index (RRI),
materials come into the marketplace. We’re also working
across our top 14 countries. In Indonesia we’re piloting new technology to recycle multi-
with others to tackle wider infrastructural issues such as local
collection and sorting facilities – and to build the technical and layered sachets. In Europe we’re members of CEFLEX, a
By 2025 we will increase the recycled plastic material content commercial viability of reprocessing them at scale. consortium aiming to make flexible packaging in Europe circular
in our packaging to 25%. This will act as a catalyst to increase by 2025. We contributed to an industry roadmap and guidelines
recycling rates. exploring solutions.

We are committed to finding a solution for flexible packaging and

 pproximately 11% (76,000 tonnes) of our total plastic
A we’re accelerating our efforts in this area within our ‘less plastic,
packaging footprint consisted of recycled plastic in 2020. better plastic, no plastic’ framework

22
 Waste and packaging
Reducing environmental impact

Eliminate PVC waste reduction efforts beyond our top 21 countries and an
additional 33 sites are now zero waste to landfill.
We will eliminate PVC (polyvinyl chloride) from all packaging By the end of the target period in 2015, 73% of our transactions
by 2012 (where technical solutions exist). (excluding financial reporting and employee expense processes)
99% of PVC packaging removed from our portfolio by were completed electronically. Since then we’ve transitioned
end 2012. to paperless expense processing. We remain committed
to eliminating paper in our business and financial services
processes despite the fact that some countries do not yet allow
We have made very good progress in eliminating PVC from our electronic invoicing.
packaging, including from the acquisitions we have made in
recent years. We have a robust system in place to ensure that
any PVC entering the business through acquisitions is swiftly
dealt with.

Reduce office waste

In our top 21 countries, at least 90% of our office waste will
be reused, recycled or recovered by 2015 and we will send zero
waste to landfill by 2017.

 00% of our office waste was reused, recycled or

1
recovered and we sent zero waste to landfill in our top
21 countries in 2017.

By 2015 we will reduce paper consumption by 30% per head in

our top 21 countries.

We achieved our target in 2013 with paper consumed per

occupant 37% lower than 2010.

We will eliminate paper in our invoicing, goods receipt,

purchase order processes, financial reporting and employee
expense processing by 2015, where legally allowable and
technically possible.

By 2015, 73% of our in-scope Business and Finance Services

processes were completed electronically.

Following the achievement of our target of zero waste to landfill

at our in-scope sites in our top 21 countries, we extended our
23
 Sustainable sourcing
KEY
Achieved by target date
Reducing environmental impact

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment Despite missing our target to source all agricultural raw In 2020 we introduced our new People and Nature
materials sustainably, for the 12 priority crop groups cross-commodity policy – superseding our individual
By 2020 we will source 100% of our agricultural raw that make up around two-thirds of our total volume commodity policies – making clear our supplier
materials sustainably. of agricultural raw materials, 92% were sustainably requirements and expectations to achieve a zero
sourced in 2020. deforestation supply chain, and to respecting and
Our performance promoting human rights.
Our commitment to 100% sustainable sourcing of
67%† of our agricultural raw materials were our key agricultural crops will continue beyond 2020.
sustainably sourced by the end 2020, including We want to empower a new generation of farmers
59% as physical sustainable sources and 8% in and smallholders in our supply chain to protect and
the form of certificates for palm, soy and sugar. regenerate nature through programmes based on our
This compares to 62% sustainability sourced new Regenerative Agriculture Principles. These are
in 2019 and just 14% when we launched our agricultural practices focused on delivering positive
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan in 2010. outcomes in terms of nourishing the soil, increasing
farm biodiversity, improving water quality and
Following an in-depth review of our sustainable
improving livelihoods.
sourcing strategy over 2016–2017 we concluded that
we would not reach our target by 2020 despite the Alongside this focus, we’re committed to achieving
considerable advances we’ve made since 2010. This a deforestation-free supply chain by 2023 for our key
was partly because of our lack of scale to achieve raw materials, which are palm oil, paper and board,
sufficient change across all crops that we source. And tea, soy and cocoa. One of the ways through which
partly because the length and complexity of some we’re aiming to achieve a deforestation-free supply
supply chains make it very difficult to develop a line chain is through greater transparency. We believe that
of sight on the farmers at the very beginning of that combining certification efforts with focused sourcing,
supply chain, and thus to reassure ourselves that their traceability and technology to enable smallholder
practices are sustainable. inclusion will help us create a deforestation-free supply
chain. We’re investing in satellite data, geolocation,
We refocused our sustainable sourcing efforts on a set
blockchain and AI, working with major tech firms
of 12 priority crops which are not only crucial to our
and innovative start-ups to build new approaches to
brands, but also where we can have most impact within
monitoring and traceability.
their agricultural sectors. These are palm oil, paper
and board, soy, sugar, tea, dairy, rapeseed, cereals,
vegetables, cocoa, herbal infusions and vanilla.

24 † Independently assured by PwC

 Sustainable sourcing
Reducing environmental impact

Sustainable palm oil Sustainable paper and board Sustainable soy

We will purchase all palm oil from physically certified We will source 75% of the paper and board for our packaging We will source sustainably all soy beans by 2014 and all soy oils
sustainable sources by 2019. from certified sustainably managed forests or from recycled by 2020.
material by 2015. We will reach 100% by 2020.
95% of our palm oil volumes were from physically certified 100% soy beans purchased from sustainable sources by the
sustainable sources by 2019.20 In addition, we sourced over  6% of our paper and board came from certified
9 end of 2014.
4.5% of our volumes through independent smallholder sustainably managed forests or from recycled materials
certificates to reach a total of 99.5% palm oil volumes by the end of 2020.
100% soy oil was from sustainable sources by the end
sustainably sourced. By the end of 2020, 94.4% of our palm
of 2020.
oil volumes were from physically certified sources, with a
We use paper and board for items like folding cartons, customer
further 5.2% through independent smallholder certificates to
packaging, aseptic cartons and ice cream sticks.
reach a total of 99.6% palm oil volumes sustainably sourced. Soybean oil is a crucial ingredient in many of our food products,
Our aim is to buy paper packaging that comes either from well- such as mayonnaise, and we purchase large volumes mostly
managed forests or from recycled material. 96% of our paper and from growers in the US and Brazil, where there is significant
We are one of the largest buyers of palm oil in the consumer
board came from certified sustainably managed forests or from stakeholder interest in the sustainability of the crop.
goods industry. It’s an important raw material for many of our
recycled materials by the end of 2020. We narrowly missed our
brands and is found in our food, beauty and household cleaning In 2020, we increased soy oil from sustainable sources to 100%,
target, owing to a combination of supplier data challenges and
products. up from 80% in 2019. Our total comprises 26% physical certified
the small uncertified virgin fibre that is in uncertified recycled
oil and 74% in the form of credits and includes Round Table on
In 2020 we sourced 94.4% of our palm oil and palm kernel oil packaging products.
Responsible Soy (RTRS) certified soy oil, self-verified soy oil in
from physically certified sources – RSPO Mass Balance, RSPO
Sometimes we need to source virgin paper and board – for the US and RTRS certificates. This builds on the achievement of
Segregated or an equivalent standard that is independently
example, because of safety regulations. When we do, we buy from our target to source 100% of our soy beans sustainably by 2014
verified by a third party. 5.2% of our volumes were from the
certified sources with a full ‘chain of custody’ from the plantation (through the physical purchase of RTRS certified beans).
purchase of RSPO independent smallholder certificates. We did
to us. That is achieved either through certifications schemes like
not reach our original target in 2019 partly because we faced a We believe transparency will help us to build a more sustainable
the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or other national schemes
bottleneck in supply of RSPO-certified materials in Africa. and deforestation-free supply chain. In July 2019, we published
under the framework of the Programme for the Endorsement of
details of our direct suppliers accounting for more than 99.9% of
Looking ahead, with an agricultural footprint of 3 million hectares Forest Certification (PEFC). In 2020, 36.7% of our total volume was
our soy oil purchases in 2018.
for the crops with high deforestation risk (palm oil, paper and from certified recycled sources with full chain of custody.
board, tea, soy and cocoa), we have a responsibility to preserve
To make our supply chain more transparent, in July 2019, we
land for future generations. To end deforestation, we need
published details of direct suppliers accounting for over 99.5% of
visibility on sourcing origins. Simplifying our supply chain and
the wood fibre-based materials purchased in 2018.
working with more focused partnerships, for example, allows us
to better manage traceability and risk.

25
 Sustainable sourcing
Reducing environmental impact

Sustainable tea Sustainable fruit and vegetables Sustainable cocoa

By 2015 we aim to have the tea in all Lipton tea bags sourced We will purchase 100% of our fruit from sustainable sources We will source cocoa sustainably for our Magnum ice cream by
from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ estates. by 2015. 2015. All other cocoa will be sourced sustainably by 2020.

Since 2015, 100% of the tea in our Lipton tea bag blends has  0% of our fruit was from sustainable sources by the end of
3  8% of cocoa for Magnum was sustainably sourced through
9
come from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ sources. 2020. This was down from 67% in the previous year in line Rainforest Alliance certification by the end of 2015. We
with our strategy to focus on priority crops. reached 99% sustainable sourcing of cocoa for Magnum
by the end of 2020. 100% of all other cocoa was sourced
By 2020, 100% of Unilever’s tea, including loose tea, will
sustainably by the end of 2020.
be sustainably sourced. We will purchase 50% of our top 13 vegetables and herbs from
sustainable sources by 2012 and 100% by 2015. This accounts for
 6% of tea was from sustainable sources by the end of
8 over 80% of our global vegetable and herb volume. Cocoa is one of our priority crops and is essential to Magnum,
2020: 64% was Rainforest Alliance Certified™ and 22% was
our biggest ice cream brand which is on sale in 52 countries.
trustea Verified. 95% of our top 13 vegetables and herbs were from
We’re now able to source Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa
sustainable sources by the end of 2020.
for all but two of these countries. We reached 99% sustainably
We are the world’s biggest tea company and buy around 10% of sourced cocoa for Magnum in 2020, but our challenge remains in
the world’s black tea. We source tea from our own tea estates, Fruit and vegetables are a complex portfolio of materials with purchasing Rainforest Alliance Certified™ cocoa in Venezuela and
from our suppliers and from smallholder farmers across four a very large and diverse supply base. This made it difficult to Israel where the availability of certified beans remains extremely
continents. We were the first major tea company to commit to achieve our 100% target across the entire portfolio by 2015. limited.
sustainably sourcing tea on a large scale. We joined the Cocoa & Forests Initiative in 2018, signing its
We buy significant quantities of tomatoes, onions, pumpkins,
We have progressed substantially since setting our target, leeks, green beans, mushrooms, potatoes, celeriac, peas and statement of intent to collaborate pre-competitively to help end
reaching 86% sustainable sourced tea by the end of 2020. This is a carrots, as well as herbs such as basil, parsley and chives. Most deforestation and forest degradation in the cocoa supply chain.
slight drop compared to 2019, when 90% of all our tea came from of the vegetables we buy are used in the soups, sauces and other We’ve been mapping our direct cocoa supply chain to improve
certified sustainable sources. Our India business was not able food products made by our Knorr brand. By the end of 2020, 95% traceability and in March 2020 published a full list of our Tier 1
to purchase sufficient quantities of sustainably sourced tea for of our top 13 vegetables were sustainably sourced. and 2 direct cocoa suppliers.
domestic consumption due to Covid-19.
As part of our review of sustainable sourcing across 2016-2017 we
We’re working hard to bring the tea industry into the 21st century decided to focus on a set of priority crops which are important to
by taking action to improve people’s health, particularly through our brands and where we can drive greater positive impact within
protecting women’s safety and promoting better diets, to improve these agricultural sectors. There are a small number of crops –
their livelihoods and to nurture the land through sustainable including fruit – where our purchased volumes are low and where
agricultural practices. we are unable to significantly impact the market. As a result, we
reduced our purchase of sustainable sourced volumes in 2020,
In September 2019, we took an important step forward by missing our target.
publishing a list of all our global suppliers of black and green tea
– a list we update annually.

26
 Sustainable sourcing
Reducing environmental impact

Sustainable sugar impact the market. In line with this strategy, we did not reach perspective, a first for the dairy industry. In 2019 the Sustainable
our target. However, we’re continuing to work with our suppliers Dairy Partnership was launched: a ‘business-to-business’
We will source all sugar sustainably by 2020. to find industry-wide solutions to boost supplies of sustainable sustainability model built on the DSF Framework. The Partnership
sunflower oil. also requires all milk processors to address the prevention of
100% of sugar was sustainably sourced by the end of 2020. deforestation, the protection of animal welfare and human rights,
and compliance with local legislation.
Sustainable rapeseed oil
Sugar is one of our priority crops. We verify sugar beet primarily
against our Sustainable Agriculture Code (SAC) and mainly use We will source all rapeseed oil sustainably by 2020. Fairtrade Ben & Jerry’s
Bonsucro certification for sugar cane.
98% of rapeseed oil was sustainably sourced by the end
All flavours of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will be Fairtrade certified
100% of our sugar supplies were sustainably sourced by the end of of 2020.
by 2013.
2020. We increased the proportion of self-assessed and physical
certified sugar from 46% to 48% – covering both sugar beet and 77% of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavours achieved Fairtrade
Rapeseed oil is one of our priority crops. In 2020, 98% of our
sugar cane. We achieved the remainder with Bonsucro credits certification in 2013. We reached 100% in 2014.
volumes were sustainably sourced, an increase from the previous
(52%).
year but just short of our target, owing to the challenges
Our long-term goal is to help create a global supply of surrounding the sourcing of small volume purchases of rapeseed Ben & Jerry’s was the first ice cream brand to use Fairtrade
sustainable sugar. We believe the best way to achieve this is to oil sustainably. ingredients in 2005. By the end of 2011, we achieved Fairtrade
harmonise the sustainable sourcing codes of the food and drink certification for all our products produced and distributed in
We continue to work with our suppliers and other partners,
industries and forge them into a single standard, which can have Europe.
including on a joint approach with our partner Bunge in Canada,
an impact at scale. That’s why we have helped develop the Farm
where around 200 farmers have signed up to our Sustainable In 2012, due to issues around quality and availability, we found
Sustainability Assessment through the Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture Code programme. we could not source all the Fairtrade-certified ingredients we
Initiative (SAI) Platform, which has been agreed by many
needed for a global conversion. So we revised our target from our
businesses and gives farmers a single, simplified sustainability
previous ‘all ingredients’ to ‘all flavours’ certified.
framework to work to. Sustainable dairy
We identified that by using Fairtrade ingredients for the five major
We will source all dairy produce sustainably by 2020. commodities in all our base mixes and for our chunks and swirls,
Sustainable sunflower oil and following proper Fairtrade derogation procedures, all our ice
79% of dairy produce was sustainably sourced by the end
cream flavours would qualify for Fairtrade certification by 2013.
We will source all sunflower oil sustainably by 2020. of 2020.
We reached 77% in 2013.
25% of sunflower oil was sustainably sourced by the end of
In 2013 we also decided to source only non-GMO ingredients
2020, in line with our strategy to focus on priority crops. Dairy produce is one of our priority ingredients, and while we by seed source. As this added complexity to our conversion
increased our sustainable supply to 79%, we have not reached programmes, we delayed our plans, achieving Fairtrade
our target. This is because in some countries, for example Russia certification for all our flavours in 2014.
We carried out an in-depth review of our strategy in 2016-2017 to
and Pakistan, sustainable dairy practices are not yet sufficiently
optimise our approach to sustainable sourcing. As a result, we’re
widespread to produce a reliable supply. Similarly, the variety
focusing on a set of key crops which are important to our brands
of dairy products we buy come from many suppliers, making it
and where we can drive greater positive impact within these
difficult to achieve a sustainable supply at scale. However, there
agricultural sectors.
has been some progress in challenging regions, such as Turkey.
Sunflower oil is one of a small number of crops that we purchase
We’re continuing to work with the Dairy Sustainability Framework
in very low volumes and where we are unable to significantly
(DSF), which is looking at sustainability from a regional
27
 Sustainable sourcing
Reducing environmental impact

Cage-free eggs Sustainable sourcing of office materials

We aim to move to 100% cage-free eggs for all our products,21 By 2013 we will source all paper-based office materials for our
including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Hellmann’s, Amora and top 21 countries from either certified sustainable forests or
Calvé mayonnaises. recycled sources.

68% of eggs were cage-free by the end of 2020. 100% of paper-based materials were from certified
sustainable forests or recycled sources by end 2013.

We take animal welfare seriously as a social and ethical concern

We achieved our target in 2013, when 100% of our paper-based
and were one of the first global companies to work with suppliers
office materials (e.g. printer paper, notebooks and envelopes)
to start sourcing cage-free eggs for our products.
for our top 21 countries came from either certified sustainable
Our research shows that consumers prefer products made forests or recycled sources. All our suppliers sign a certificate
with cage-free eggs. However, the conditions in which eggs of compliance, and we monitor compliance. We extended our
are produced vary widely around the world. We committed to ambition from the top 21 countries to all other countries in
extending sourcing cage-free eggs across all our brands which Europe and Latin America, reaching 100% compliance by the end
use egg products throughout Europe and the US by the end of of 2015. We continue to drive greater use of sustainable paper
2020. In Europe, all our brands, including Hellmann’s, Amora and across our business.
Calvé, use 100% cage-free eggs. 99% of all eggs used in Ben &
Jerry’s ice cream worldwide are also cage-free.

Although we have made progress, we fell short of our target but

we’re continuing the change to cage-free eggs in our products.
We’re committed to converting all our egg supplies to cage-free
by 2025.

We’re aware of concerns about breeders of egg-laying hens

eliminating male chicks, following methods that are included
in EU Directives and American Veterinary Medical Association
guidelines. While this is standard practice in egg production – and
although we use only a small percentage of eggs produced in the
market – we take these concerns seriously. We’re closely following
the development of alternative options to current practice. We’ve
also committed to supporting the market introduction of these
technologies once they are available to our suppliers.

28
 Enhancing livelihoods
We will enhance the
livelihoods of millions
of people as we grow
our business.
In this section:
Fairness in the workplace page 30
Opportunities for women page 33
Inclusive business page 36

29
 Fairness in the workplace
KEY
Achieved by target date
Enhancing livelihoods

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment Our safety performance (measured as Total Our Framework for Fair Compensation outlines how the
Recordable Frequency Rate) improved further to various elements of our compensation packages deliver
By 2020, we will drive fairness in the workplace by 0.63† accidents per million hours worked in 2020. fair compensation for our workforce. In line with the
further building human rights across our operations Framework, 100% of our direct employees were paid at
and advancing human rights in our extended supply We continue to respect and promote human rights or above a living wage by the end of 2020. In early 2021,
chain, developing a continuous improvement and the effective implementation of the UN Guiding we extended our living wage ambition by committing
roadmap and promoting best practice. We will Principles (UNGPs) across our operations and in our to ensure that everyone who directly provides goods
create a framework for fair compensation, and business relationships. The UNGPs are the global and services to Unilever will earn at least a living wage
help employees take action to improve their health standard on the business responsibility to respect or income by 2030. To achieve this vision, we’ll build
(physical and mental), nutrition and wellbeing. We human rights and we’ve used them to form our on the work we’ve already done and work with others
will reduce workplace injuries and accidents in our approach. Our work on human rights has underpinned to change the global systems that currently hold back
factories and offices. our new Unilever Compass commitments on raising people’s incomes and opportunities.
living standards, tackling harmful social norms,
Our performance pioneering new employment models, and being a Covid-19 meant we had to run our Lamplighter
beacon of diversity and inclusion. employee health programme at reduced capacity.
I n 2020, we carried out a series of Despite this, we reached around 32,000 employees
implementation activities to continue In 2020, we continued to focus on our eight salient across 42 countries. Our Employee Assistance
embedding the UN Guiding Principles on issues (i.e. those at risk of the most severe negative Programme also supported employees through
Business & Human Rights throughout impact through Unilever’s activities or business the pandemic.
Unilever’s operations.† relationships) as described in our Human Rights
Report 2020. We also engaged and trained our As well as ensuring Covid-safe work environments,
In 2020, 83%† of our procurement spend
employees in human rights and continued our work we continued to focus on ensuring the safety of our
was through suppliers meeting the
with others to raise awareness of important issues such people and contractors in everyday work situations. Our
Mandatory Requirements of our Responsible
as women’s safety. accident rate improved further to 0.63† accidents per
Sourcing Policy.
million hours worked, a reduction of 70% that surpassed
We created our Framework for Fair We’re continuing to roll out our Responsible Sourcing our target to reduce the number of accidents by half.
Compensation† in 2015. It outlines how Policy, which sets standards on human and labour
the various elements of our compensation rights, to all Unilever suppliers. In 2020, 83%† of our
packages deliver fair compensation. In 2020 procurement spend was through suppliers meeting
all our employees were paid a living wage. these requirements. While this falls short of our
2020 target, partly due to slower progress during
42 countries ran our Lamplighter employee the Covid-19 pandemic, we remain committed to
health programme in 2020. increasing supplier compliance.

30 † Independently assured by PwC

 Fairness in the workplace
Enhancing livelihoods

Implement UN Guiding Principles on women and girls in Kenya, Tanzania and Assam, India. improvement in 2020 due to factors related to Covid-19, we’re
stepping up our work on performance in 2021 and continuing
Business and Human Rights Our work on human rights has underpinned the new
toward our goal of 100% compliance.
commitments in the Unilever Compass.
We will implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business In 2021, we plan to relaunch our RSP with an expanded focus on
and Human Rights throughout our operations and report on climate and nature. We’re also rolling this out to our suppliers
progress publicly. Source 100% of procurement spend in line beyond Tier 1 (those who directly invoice us), preparing them

I n 2020, we carried out a series of activities to continue

with our Responsible Sourcing Policy for our future requirements and encouraging the embedding
of rights into more flexible employment models such as the gig
embedding the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human
We will source 100% of our procurement spend through economy. Working with our suppliers to ensure they meet the
Rights throughout our operations.†
suppliers who commit to promote fundamental human rights RSP’s requirements remains an ongoing goal within our Unilever
as specified in our Responsible Sourcing Policy. Compass commitment to respect human rights.
Implementing the UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs) means the 83%† of procurement spend through suppliers meeting
ongoing embedding of the Principles into our policies and
processes. In doing this, we focus on the eight salient human
the Mandatory Requirements of our Responsible Sourcing Create a framework for fair compensation
Policy in 2020.
rights issues we’ve identified for our business.
We will create a framework for fair compensation, starting
In 2020, we carried out a series of activities to continue with an analysis in 180 countries by 2015. We will work with
In 2020, we spent around €32 billion on goods and services from
embedding the UNGPs.† These activities included: reviews of external organisations, including our social partners, referring
nearly 56,000 suppliers across 150 countries. These suppliers are
policies, codes and legal requirements; training; risk assessment, to approaches such as living wage methodologies.
central to driving sustainable growth: it’s crucial that every single
remediation and mitigation; and remediation and mitigation of
one of them helps us create the value, capacity and capability we We achieved our target in 2015 when we created the
specific business issues.
need to deliver our products in the most responsible way possible. Framework for Fair Compensation.†
In January 2021 we published our 2020 Human Rights Report. This
Ensuring that everything we source meets the standards set out
outlines the work we’ve done since 2014 to embed the respect
in our Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) is a complex task, given We created our Framework for Fair Compensation in 2015† to
and promotion of human rights into every function, role and
our scale. We’ve made significant progress in raising standards provide a structured way to outline how the various elements
part of our business. It also explains how we plan to continue
across our supply base by driving compliance with our RSP and of our compensation packages deliver fair compensation to our
this momentum. Despite the progress we’ve made, we recognise
ensuring suppliers remediated identified issues. employees. The Framework was subsequently rolled out in 2016.
that there is more to do and that our work on human rights is an
ongoing process. In 2020, 83%† of our procurement spend was through suppliers We fulfilled the Framework’s living wage element by the end of
meeting the Mandatory Requirements of the RSP, as validated 2020. This meant that worldwide, all our direct employees were
Our Human Rights Report details our continued focus on our eight
through our auditing protocols. We reached a total of 92% of paid at or above a certified living wage. We use the Fair Wage
salient issues, describing our progress, lessons learned and the
spend through suppliers who’d taken the first step towards Network to provide a global database of relevant living wage
challenges we still face. Alongside the Report, we published our
our standards by making a commitment to meet the RSP’s benchmark data for each country in which we have operations.
Supplier Audit Update which details the findings from operating
requirements. This enables us to compare non-management employees’ lowest
our Responsible Sourcing Policy.
fixed earnings levels against relevant living wage benchmarks.
However, we fell short of our target, partly due to the impact of
During 2020, we ran internal training for Human Resources and
Covid-19 which initially meant we could not audit our suppliers Our Framework has been instrumental in helping us review the
Procurement, including on safety for women and the responsible
on-site, until we put in place a virtual auditing programme to average pay differences between genders at both a country
employment of migrant workers focusing on the effects of
replace on-site visits. Virtual audits will continue to be used at level, and at each work level within each country. We continue to
Covid-19. We also supported women’s rights organisations on
least until conditions relating to the pandemic allow us to return improve our gender balance, and relevant gender pay gaps, at
awareness-raising initiatives on Covid-19 and on violence against
to our standard practices. Following a slow-down in performance various levels and in various countries throughout the business.
31 † Independently assured by PwC
 Fairness in the workplace
Enhancing livelihoods

As part of our Unilever Compass, in 2021 we announced new We ran Lamplighter at reduced capacity in 2020 due to the Health and safety is one of the eight salient human rights issues
commitments to raise living standards beyond our own business, constraints of Covid-19. Despite this, we reached nearly 32,000 we’ve identified for our business and we’re driving improvements
including a goal to ensure that everyone who directly provides employees across 42 countries. through our Vision Zero strategy: zero fatalities; zero injuries; zero
goods and services to Unilever earns at least a living wage or motor vehicle incidents; zero process incidents; and zero tolerance
The programme has helped thousands of our people manage
income by 2030. of unsafe behaviour and practices. Sadly, two contractors
pressure, offering practical advice on how to focus and practise
and one employee lost their lives in this reporting period. One
mindfulness techniques, to feel more empowered and to work in
died in a lightning strike at a tea estate in Tanzania; one on a
Improve employee health, nutrition an agile manner. Our mental wellbeing resources came into their
construction site at a newly acquired business in Romania; and
own in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially our global
and wellbeing one in a road accident stepping out of a shuttle bus on his way
Employee Assistance Programme for employees, and in many
home in India. When fatalities occur, our policy is to have a global
instances their families, which is available 365 days a year. We
Our Lamplighter employee programme aims to improve the stand-down across our operations to pay our respects and reflect
saw use of this programme increase in 2020, particularly through
nutrition, fitness and mental resilience of employees. By 2010 on the learnings. We’ve put in place new measures around field
family members engaging with our mental health support.
it had already been implemented in 30 countries, reaching safety during thunderstorms, construction safety and safe travel
35,000 people. In 2011 we aimed to extend the reach of We’re building a network of mental health champions, with on buses.
Lamplighter to a further eight countries. We will implement more than 1,600 in place in 2020. And we’ve built a company-
Covid-19 meant we had to quickly introduce measures to support
Lamplighter in an additional 30 countries between 2012 and wide mindfulness movement by training people to deliver
global and national efforts to help tackle its spread. Our first
2015. Our longer-term goal is to extend it to all the countries mindfulness sessions and taking our leaders through an
priority was to keep our people safe wherever they were working,
where we operate with over 100 people. extensive training programme.
and to keep our factories running to supply essential hygiene
 e achieved our target early. Our Lamplighter programme
W products such as soap and bleach. Managing the demand for
reached 91,000 employees in 70 countries by 2014 and Reduce workplace injuries and accidents health, hygiene and food products meant scaling up production
since then we’ve continued to offer support to employees safely and bringing our fleet of drivers to the fore to ensure our
through the programme. We aim for zero workplace injuries. By 2020 we will reduce the products continued to reach those who needed them.
Total Recordable Frequency Rate (TRFR) for accidents in our
factories and offices by 50% versus 2008.
We will implement a mental wellbeing framework globally.
 0% reduction in TRFR achieved by 2020, down to 0.63†
7
I n 2015 we completed the two-year roll-out of our new
accidents per 1 million hours worked, compared to 2.10
module for mental wellbeing and established a global
in 2008.
steering committee to monitor progress.

We set out to reduce our accidents by half by 2020 compared

Our Lamplighter employee health programme is key to
to 2008, but in fact achieved a reduction of 70%. Our Total
addressing the top three health risks across our business: mental
Recordable Frequency Rate (measured 1 October 2019 to
wellbeing; lifestyle factors (such as exercise, nutrition, smoking,
30 September 2020) improved further in 2020, reducing to 0.63†
obesity); and ergonomic factors (such as repetitive strain injury).
accidents per million hours worked. This result was affected in
Lamplighter helps to safeguard employees’ health, improve part by the fact that due to Covid-19, many field staff were off-
productivity and reduce costs. By the end of the initial target road and most of our offices were closed, with around 67,000
period, it had reached 91,000 employees across 70 countries. people working from home.

32 † Independently assured by PwC

 Opportunities for women
KEY
Achieved by target date
Enhancing livelihoods

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment We’ve learned that to achieve women’s empowerment and
business growth, we need entire systems change, driven
By 2020, we will empower 5 million women by by our own business activities and initiatives alongside
advancing opportunities for women in our operations; multi-sector collaboration at global and national levels. In
promoting safety; providing up-skilling; and expanding tandem with advocacy for system change, we’re continuing
opportunities in our retail value chain. to look for the best approaches to develop programmes
that can make the most meaningful impact.
Our performance
As part of our new Unilever Compass, we’ve set out
 e reached gender balance in our management
W to achieve an equitable and inclusive culture through
in 2019 and maintained the proportion of female progressive practices and policies which eliminate any
managers at 50%† in 2020. In partnership with bias and discrimination. As one of the world’s biggest
others, by 2020 we had enabled 2.63 million† 22 advertisers, we’ve committed to help tackle the stereotypes
women to access initiatives aiming to promote that are often perpetuated through advertising. And beyond
their safety, develop their skills or expand our own business, we’re increasing our spend with diverse
their opportunities. suppliers.
Our approach to empowering women is based on rights,
skills and opportunities. Women’s rights must be respected
and women need to be given the skills and opportunities to
succeed.

We’ve made good progress towards gender equality

in our workforce, hitting our gender balance target at
management level one year early and maintaining it at
50%† in 2020.

Since 2014, we’ve been working across our brands and with
external partners to advance opportunities for women.
Brands such as Sunsilk, TRESemmé, Radiant and Glow &
Lovely have developed their purpose to focus on skills and
confidence-building. Despite their significant efforts, we did
not meet our goal of reaching 5 million women by 2020.

33 † Independently assured by PwC

 Opportunities for women
Enhancing livelihoods

Build a gender-balanced organisation with Promote safety for women in communities Enhance access to training & skills
a focus on management where we operate
We will enhance access to training and skills across our
We will build a gender-balanced organisation with a focus We will promote safety for women in the communities where value chain.
on management. we operate. By 2020, we had enabled 2.45 million† women to access
 e achieved gender balance in management one year
W By 2020, we had enabled around 11,400† women to access initiatives aiming to develop their skills.
early. The percentage of women managers in Unilever was initiatives that aimed to promote their safety.
50%† in 2020. This target was the biggest contributor to our goal of reaching
We introduced a target on women’s safety in 2014 following 5 million women by 2020 and was principally delivered through
We’ve made significant progress over many years through our our study in Kenya which confirmed safety as a critical issue brand-led training and skills programmes. Brands such as Sunsilk,
commitments to empowering women, to fair workplace practices for women in the communities where we operate tea estates. TRESemmé, Radiant and Glow & Lovely have developed tailored
that aim to tackle discrimination and bias and to gender balance. Through targeted interventions, by 2020 we had reached 11,400 skills- and confidence-building programmes.
We set a clear ambition to have 50% women in management women on our tea estates in Kenya. Access is one of the major barriers to women participating in
positions by 2020, from a baseline of 38% in 2010. We reached this training. So our training is designed to encourage the full and
Our approach to this issue is systematic and inclusive and we
important milestone in 2019. equal participation of women, for example, by being held at
now work alongside communities in areas where we source our
However, there is still more to do to achieve a balanced tea as well as those on our own tea estates. For example, we convenient times in accessible locations or by providing online
representation of women, particularly at senior management started a global partnership with UN Women in 2016. As a result courses with a simple registration process. We’re also working
level where women are still under-represented. In 2020, 31% of of joint work on tea estates in Assam, India and Kericho, Kenya, with partners, which helps us reach more women and encourages
our Unilever Leadership Executive were women. And 22% of our in December 2018, a Global Women’s Safety Framework in Rural mutual learning.
senior management (those reporting to our Unilever Leadership Spaces was published, followed the next year by Implementation We did not achieve our target by 2020. Female empowerment is
Executive) were women. Guidance to facilitate its wider take-up. complex and multi-layered and no single intervention can deliver
In 2020, we launched a new coaching programme run online by We continue to partner with expert external organisations to everything that women need, which is why we often run a number
specialist INSEAD coaches to help women leaders progress their further strengthen this work by raising awareness and providing of programmes simultaneously. However, to avoid the risk of
careers. And through our new Unilever Compass goals that we information. In 2020, we supported women’s rights organisations double counting we choose not to count them twice. We also
announced in early 2021, we’ve committed to accelerate diverse on awareness-raising initiatives on Covid-19 and on violence struggled to scale up some of our smaller programmes to deliver
representation at all levels of leadership, looking at race and against women and girls in Kenya, Tanzania and Assam. We also the impact we wanted.
ethnicity as well as gender. extended our women’s safety programme to Rwanda. Women’s economic empowerment and gender equity remain
At the same time, we also announced our commitment to achieve Our latest initiative is in India, where we’ve started a new central to our Unilever Compass commitments to build a fairer
an equitable culture by eliminating any bias and discrimination partnership with IDH – the Women’s Safety Accelerator Fund – to and more socially inclusive world.
in our practices and policies. Through our new Equity, Diversity help create a safe and empowering workplace for women in its
and Inclusion strategy, we’re removing barriers and bias in tea sector. This Fund builds on our partnership with UN Women.
recruitment and retention, establishing leadership accountability
for supporting employees to excel in their roles, and aiming to
achieve a workforce that is fundamentally representative of the
communities we operate in.

34 † Independently assured by PwC

 Opportunities for women
Enhancing livelihoods

Expand opportunities in our retail We’re also continuing to explore new models that deliver a
positive social impact, including through public–private models
value chain that support social entrepreneurship, such as TRANSFORM,
a joint initiative between Unilever and the UK’s Foreign,
We will expand opportunities for women in our retail
Commonwealth & Development Office (formerly the Department
value chain.
for International Development).
 e had enabled around 168,500† women to access
W
Through our latest Unilever Compass commitments, we’re
initiatives aiming to expand their opportunities in our retail
continuing to build a fairer and more socially inclusive world
value chain by the end of 2020.
for women.

We will increase the number of Shakti entrepreneurs that we

recruit, train and employ from 45,000 in 2010 to 75,000 in 2015.23


70,000 Shakti micro-entrepreneurs were selling our products
in India by end 2015. By the end of 2020 this had expanded
to 131,000.

We believe that gender equity and women’s empowerment are

powerful enablers for human development and economic growth.
Our initial aim was to create opportunities to generate income for
those engaged in our retail value chain, particularly women.

We developed the Shakti programme in 2000 to empower female

micro-entrepreneurs, especially in communities where the
norm was traditionally for men to be responsible for any sort of
commercial enterprise. Shakti ‘ammas’ (‘mothers’) have been
distributing our brands to many thousands of villages across
India for nearly 20 years. In return, we’ve provided training on
basic accounting, sales, health and hygiene and relevant IT
skills. We have also equipped them with smartphones containing
a mini Enterprise Resource Package to help them run their
business efficiently.

By 2020, our Shakti network in India had grown to around 131,000

women entrepreneurs. Shakti has become our model to reach
rural consumers in developing and emerging markets such as
South-East Asia, Africa and Latin America. For example, Project
Zeinab, launched in Egypt in 2014, has provided training to more
than 2,000 women and helped them establish their own grocery
businesses while Shakti Nigeria incorporates nutrition and
hygiene education.

35
† Independently assured by PwC
 Inclusive business
KEY
Achieved by target date
Enhancing livelihoods

Target ongoing
Target nearly achieved

Target not achieved

Our pillar commitment employees at least a living wage, and we want to

secure the same for more people beyond our workforce,
By 2020, we will have a positive impact on the lives specifically focusing on the most vulnerable workers
of 5.5 million people, by improving the livelihoods of in manufacturing and agriculture. We’ll work with our
smallholder farmers and improving the incomes of suppliers, other businesses, governments and NGOs
small-scale retailers. – through purchasing practices, collaboration and
advocacy – to create systemic change.
Our performance
We have enabled around 1.83 million† small-scale
 y 2020, we had enabled around 832,000
B † 22
retailers in our distribution network to access initiatives
smallholder farmers and 1.83 million† 22 small-
aiming to increase their incomes, principally through
scale retailers to access initiatives aiming to
Perfect Store, Kabisig Summits in the Philippines
improve their agricultural practices or increase
and Shakti in India and a number of other markets,
their incomes.
including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria, Colombia,
Through our commitment to sourcing sustainably – in Guatemala and El Salvador. We do not report all our
particular cocoa, tea, palm oil, vanilla and vegetable small-scale retailer initiatives due to data availability
crops – we continue to provide training to improve and quality issues. However, we have fallen short of
smallholder farmers’ agricultural practices. By working our target.
with our suppliers and partners, we’ve enabled around
Building on the lessons we’ve learned from our small-
832,000† smallholder farmers to access initiatives
scale retailer initiatives, we set ourselves a new goal
aiming to improve their agricultural practices.
to help 5 million small and medium-sized enterprises
In 2021, as part of the Unilever Compass, we set a in our retail value chain grow their business through
new goal to improve living standards for low-paid access to skills, finance and technology by 2025.
workers: we will ensure that everyone who directly
provides goods and services to Unilever earns at least
a living wage or income by 2030. We already pay our

36 † Independently assured by PwC

 Inclusive business
Enhancing livelihoods

Improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers Improve incomes of small-scale retailers

Our goal is to engage with at least 500,000 smallholder We will create and improve the incomes of 5 million small-scale
farmers in our supply network. We will help them improve retailers in our distribution network.
their agricultural practices, and thus enable them to become
 etween 2015 and 2020 we enabled around 1.83 million† 22
B
more competitive. By doing so, we will improve the quality of
small-scale retailers in our distribution network to access
their livelihoods.
our initiatives with the aim of growing their incomes.
 y 2020, we had enabled around 832,000† 22 smallholder
B
farmers to access initiatives aiming to improve their
A business like ours needs a thriving distribution network. The
agricultural practices.
small-scale retailers who run independent stores, outlets and
kiosks, or set up as micro-entrepreneurs making sales in the
Between 2011 and 2020 we reached around 832,000† smallholder streets or house-to-house, bring our products to millions of
farmers through our programmes, helping them improve their consumers every day and their success is directly linked with
yields and increase the quality and consistency of the crops they our own. While programmes such as our Kabisig Summits in the
grow. In doing so, we provided them with the platform to increase Philippines and our Shakti programme in India are making a
their incomes, while giving us the visibility and security of supply difference to small retailers at a local level, they have not been
we need. at a sufficient scale to help us achieve our target of reaching 5
million small-scale retailers by 2020.
We recognise that smallholder farmers often face other barriers
to growth and improved incomes – from lack of access to Although we have piloted several new approaches to equipping
markets, financial support, and information and training. Other retailers with skills, we have not yet taken these to scale. Since
factors can also hold them back – such as poor diet, gender we set this target, we have adapted and refined our programmes
inequalities and health problems, including those caused by and our newer initiatives now focus on providing retailers with
inadequate sanitation. access to finance and technology, not just on building their skills.
However, these new initiatives do not fit our original definition
These barriers must be addressed holistically and systematically.
(which related only to skills building), so they are not included in
We’re working to do this in a number of ways: directly with
our 2020 result. These factors contributed to missing the target.
smallholders, with a range of partners such as the Global Alliance
for Improved Nutrition, and through certification and other We’ve reflected on the lessons learned from running these
programmes. And through our latest commitments, we’ve set out programmes to promote more inclusive business. Our new
a number of initiatives that will further raise living standards. Unilever Compass goal is to help 5 million small and medium-
sized enterprises in our retail value chain grow their businesses
through access to skills, finance and technology by 2025. This
supports our aim to help transition retailers to the world of digital
commerce – by providing them with tools and solutions that will
make their businesses ‘future-fit’ and become more financially
resilient.

37 † Independently assured by PwC

 Endnotes
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan 2010 to 2020

1 Of our total of 1.3 billion people reached, include traces of trans fats from partially 1. A revision of our estimates about the 18 Our waste footprint target is expressed
PwC have independently assured the number hydrogenated vegetable oil that may be amount of hot water used by consumers against a baseline of 2010 and on a ‘per
of people reached on a cumulative basis found in some flavours or emulsifiers. when using our products, such as shower consumer use’ basis. This means a single use,
by an intervention through our on-ground gels, shampoos and washing up liquid. portion or serving of a product.
11 Our sugar reduction target applies to all
programmes for: handwashing; self-esteem;
ready-to-drink teas, powdered ice tea and 2. The inclusion of the GHG emissions from 19 We aim to maintain our achievement of zero
sanitation; oral health; skin healing; and safe
milk tea products, liquid concentrates, retail the biodegradation of fossil-fuel derived non-hazardous waste to landfill across our
drinking water; plus TV reach from oral health.
and foodservice, and any new formats that ingredients at the end of a product’s life in manufacturing sites worldwide. However,
This total was 729 million† by the end of 2020.
are sweetened for the total time period of our Home Care and Beauty & Personal Care incidents can occur where small amounts of
2 The evidence that TV drives handwashing 2010 to 2020. portfolio. non-hazardous waste are sent to landfill in
behaviour change comes from a proof of error or because of operational changes, e.g.
12 Our children’s ice cream target was assessed 3. Errors in the GHG emissions from certain
principles study in India. Covid-19, acquisitions or supplier issues. We
at the end of Q4 2014; our packaged ice Savoury products.
consider zero non-hazardous waste to landfill
3 Results are reported by UNICEF in accordance cream reporting assessed progress from Q4
Relative to the revised 2010 baseline (50.5g is maintained when less than 0.5% of non-
with its methodology and includes reach from 2015 to Q3 2016. We continue to measure
CO2e per consumer use), our restated GHG hazardous waste is disposed to landfill in the
direct and indirect initiatives over 2012-2020; progress against our targets for transparency
performance was: 12-month period.
and also includes Cleaner Toilets, Brighter
13 A portion is defined as: a pre-packed,
Futures reach over 2018-2020 of 213,000. – 2018: 48.8g CO2e per consumer use, -3% 20 Since 2017 we have reported only core
single-serve ice cream product meant to be
versus 2010 (compared to +6% in the 2019 volumes of palm oil. Core volumes exclude
4 The evidence that TV drives handwashing consumed in one go, or 100 ml when sold
Annual Report and Accounts) derivatives of palm fatty acid distillates
behaviour change comes from a proof of in packaging aimed at multi-consumption
(which are by-products of the refining
principles study in India. moments like tubs. – 2019: 46.7g CO2e per consumer use, -8%
process), tail ingredients and materials
versus 2010 (compared to +2% in the 2019
5 We revised our target in 2014 to focus on the 14 These figures are based on global sales processed by third-party manufacturers.
Annual Report and Accounts)
ongoing consumption of safe drinking water. volumes from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020
21 Where allowed by local legislation.
It improves on our previous metric of people of our Foods & Refreshment Division. They – 2020: 45.6g CO2e per consumer use, -10%
reached (which contributed 55 million people include those parts of the Pepsi Lipton versus 2010. 22 Around 592,000 women accessed initiatives
to our overall Health and Hygiene pillar business where Unilever is responsible for under both the Inclusive Business and the
While the GHG footprint results reported in
by 2013). marketing and distribution as well as the Opportunities for Women pillars in 2020.
the 2020 Annual Report and Accounts differ
products from Unilever Food Solutions. They
6 See footnote 3. from those stated in the 2019 Annual Report 23 In 2016 we merged this target with our retail
exclude products marketed through other
and Accounts, the direction of change over value chain target.
7 See footnote 3. joint ventures and DOBs (distributor own
the past three years remains the same.
brands) and the Spreads business, which was
8 To measure our progress in nutrition, we use
sold in July 2018. 17 Our water footprint target is expressed
a reporting period that runs from 1 October
against a baseline of 2010 and on a ‘per
to 30 September. See our Highest Nutritional 15 Our GHG footprint target is expressed against
consumer use’ basis. This means a single
Standards. a baseline of 2010 and on a ‘per consumer
use, portion or serving of a product. We are
use’ basis. This means a single use, portion or
9 For all other products in our Spreads reporting against our six water-using sub-
serving of a product.
portfolio, including our mélanges, we categories (Hair Care, Home & Hygiene,
strive for the lowest saturated fat level 16 We continuously review our GHG footprint Fabric Solutions, Fabric Sensations, Oral Care
possible without compromising on product estimations to ensure we are using the best and Skin Cleansing) in seven water-scarce
performance and consumer and customer available data and thus improve the accuracy countries: China, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
expectations. of our GHG emissions reporting. These South Africa, Turkey and the US.
changes can affect both the 2010 baseline
10 We published our definition and approach
and the annual emissions that we report. In
to removing trans fats from partially
2020 we concluded that the changes required
hydrogenated vegetable oil in Melnikov S &
in certain estimations were sufficiently
Zevenbergen H. ‘Implementation of removing
material to require us to formally restate prior
trans fatty acids originating from partially
years’ reported changes in GHG emissions per
hydrogenated vegetable oils’. New Food
consumer use. The impact of the new data
2012; 5: 44–46. This approach focuses on the
was primarily in relation to the 2010 baseline
main ingredients in our recipes and doesn’t
and was due to the following factors:
38
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