Unilever

OVERALL
Owned	GBR/NLD
Rating

Food, personal care and home care

One of the worlds largest consumer products makers. Unilever is made up of the Netherlands-based Unilever N.V. and UK-based Unilever PLC. Bought Alberto Culver in 2010.

Unilever	UK		website	email

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PRAISE	CRITICISM	INFORMATION
Unilever
Palm oil supply chain This company received a score of 8 out of a possible total of 9 in the WWF Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard 2011. This report measures if major retailers and consumer goods manufacturers are acting responsibly in terms of palm oil use and sourcing. [Source] Dark green rating (91/100) at ClimateCounts.org Climate Counts compares companies on their commitment to reducing their climate impact. This company received the 'Soaring' rating, for demonstrating exceptional leadership on climate change. [Source] Carbon Performance Leadership Index 2012 This company is listed in the Global 500 Carbon Performance Leadership Index 2012. Performance points are awarded for actions considered to contribute to climate change mitigation, adaptation and transparency. [Source] Global 100 The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list is an extensive data-driven corporate sustainability assessment. The ranked companies are leaders in the field of a sustainable business approach. The efficiency of a company's energy, water, CO2 and waste management is measured in relation to its total sales volume. The disclosure of that information is a pre-condition for the assessment. This company ranked #51 in the 2012 Global 100. [Source] Sustainability strategy Deloitte developed a Zero Impact Growth Monitor that was used in 2012 to assess and rank 65 different companies' attempts to become more sustainable. Six companies reached the “Ecosystem” level: Puma, Nike, Nestle, Natura, Unilever and Ricoh. These pioneering companies have not only set measurable and ambitious mid- to long-term targets (beyond 2020), but have also embedded their sub-policies in a holistic strategic vision of their attempt to minimize their negative environmental and societal impacts. [Source] Forest Footprint Disclosure The Forest Footprint Disclosure Project engages with private sector companies to ask them to disclose their current understanding of their 'forest footprint' based on exposure to five key commodities - soy, palm oil, timber, cattle products and biofuels - in their operations and/or their supply chains. All of these commodities have the potential to be sourced from recently deforested land. This company was named as the Packaged Foods & Meats sector joint leader (with Marfrig Goup) in the FFD 2012 annual review. [Source] 61.3% in Newsweek Green Rankings 2012 This company received a score of 61.3/100 in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2012, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on their environmental footprint, management (policies, programs, initiatives, controversies) and reporting practices, using data from Trucost and Sustainalytics. [Source] 100% on Corporate Equality Index This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America. [Source] Cage-free eggs commitment In Feb 2011 Unilever became the first major food manufacturer to announce that it will switch to 100% cage-free eggs for all products it produces worldwide. [Source] Sustainable Food Laboratory participant The Sustainable Food Lab is a network of business, public sector, and civil society leaders from around the globe who are working together to accelerate sustainability in mainstream food and agriculture. [Source] 'B' rating at rankabrand.org Rank a Brand searches the websites of brands for the answers to carefully targeted questions. From this they calculate sustainability scores based on the themes of environment, climate, labor issues, and transparency. Brands owned by this company received a 'B'. [Source]	Worker exploitation in Kenya This 2011 report by the Ecologist reveals how the Kericho tea estate in Kenya, operated by Unilever, is at the centre of controversy over allegations of 'rampant' discrimination and sexual harassment of women, poor housing conditions, casualisation of labour, violations of employment regulations and low wages. [Source] BPA policy The Seeking Safer Packaging 2010: Ranking Food Companies on BPA report by U.S. nonprofit organization, As You Sow, rates companies on their corporate efforts to eliminate BPA from their canned food and beverage products. BPA has been linked to serious diseases and has been the focus of increasing consumer concern and regulatory restrictions. This company received an 'F' Grade in the report. [Source] Worker exploitation in India and Kenya This 2011 report by SOMO and ICN reveals workers picking tea for Unilever in India and Kenya are subject to precarious working conditions and labor rights violations, even though this tea carries the Rainforest Alliance certificate. [Source] Animal Testing Record of testing products on animals. Listed on PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals, USA) 'Companies that test on animals' factsheet. [Source] Human rights abuse from palm oil supplier German NGO Rainforest Rescue launched a campaign against Unilever in August 2011. Unilever is one of world's largest buyers of palm oil. One of its major suppliers, Wilmar, is notorious for illegal logging and human rights violations, and has been criticised for hiring a paramilitary combat unit in Sumatra, Indonesia to intimidate indigenous people and peasants, destroy their homes and drive them off their land in order develop giant palm oil plantations. [Source] Fined for 'anti-competitive' behaviour In March 2011 Kraft Foods, Unilever and Dr. Oetker were fined US$53.2m for illegally sharing 'competition-relevant information' by German competition authorities. [Source] Price fixing Consumer goods giants Unilever and Procter & Gamble were fined 315.2 million euros ($A436 million) by EU regulators in Apr 2011 for fixing washing powder prices in eight EU countries. [Source]	Use of microplastics This company uses microplastics (polyethylene microbeads) in some of its personal care products. These particles are not retained by wastewater treatment so end up in the ocean. While microplastics aren't thought to be a health hazard to consumers, they are a threat to the marine environment. [Source] Possible GE in US brands This company has products rated RED in the Centre for Food Safety's True Food Shopper's Guide (USA). Products on the RED list contain ingredients that come from the most common GE crops (corn, soy, canola, cotton). Companies with products on this list have confirmed that their products may have or are likely to be made with GE ingredients, or have not denied using GE foods when given the opportunity to do so. [Source] Skin Deep profile - product score range (0-10) Skin Deep is an online safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products, with over 54,000 products rated from 0 (low concern) to 10 (higher concern). [Source] Tax havens This company has been criticised by ActionAid for having subsidiaries in tax havens. One of the main reasons companies have subsidiaries in tax havens is to dodge their taxes. Developing countries lose more to tax dodging than they receive in aid each year. [Source] Palm Oil breakthrough Thanks to the staggering public support for Greenpeace's Dove campaign in April 2008, Unilever has now agreed to play their part in saving the Paradise Forests of South East Asia. As the biggest single buyer of palm oil in the world, Unilever has a special responsibility to help clean up the industry that's behind so much forest destruction. [Source] Sustainable sourcing of paper packaging Unilever has committed to sourcing 75 per cent of its paper and board packaging from sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by 2015, rising to 100 per cent by 2020. [Source] Good Egg Award 2008 (UK) Compassion in World Farming is a UK-based organisation which works with the European food industry to encourage and reward commitment, transparency, performance and innovation in the field of animal welfare. This company won their Good Egg Award in 2008 for converting their flagship mayonnaise brands Amore, Hellmans and Calve, to use free-range eggs only across the EU. [Source] UN Global Compact participant The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values. [Source] Labour rights in Vietnam This 2013 Oxfam report is a study of labour issues in Unilever's Vietnam operations and supply chain. The report, based on research in Vietnam, explores the reality on the ground in Unilever's operations and wider supply chain, and compares the findings with the company's high-level policy commitments. Unusually, the company co-operated fully with the study, providing access to its staff, operations, data and suppliers. [Source] Agricultural sourcing Oxfam's 2013 Behind the Brands Scorecard assesses the agricultural sourcing policies of the world's 10 largest food and beverage companies. It exclusively focuses on publicly available information that relates to the policies of these companies on their sourcing of agricultural commodities from developing countries. This company scored 49% (some progress). [Source] Knowmore.org profile A full profile on this US company can be seen at 'Knowmore' website. Follow source link for details on company record and involvements. [Source] Responsible Shopper profile A full profile on this US company can be seen at 'Responsible Shopper' website. Follow source link for details on company record and involvements. [Source] BOTTOM Rating - 44/100 for Good Shopping Guide rating Brands in 'soup' category received BOTTOM Rating; with a score of 44 out of a possible score of 100 in the Ethical Company Organisation's 2009 'Good Shopping Guide' (UK), which evaluates brands with regard to their environmental, animal welfare and human rights records. [Source]

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Alberto Shampoo All Clear Shampoo Andrew Collinge Shampoo Becel Margarine Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Bertolli Margarine Best Foods Salad Dressing/Mayonnaise Blue Ribbon Ice Cream Bovril Stock Brylcreem Mens Grooming Bushells Tea Chicken Tonight Pasta Sauce Chicken Tonight Sauces Clear Shampoo Colman's Condiments Comfort Fabric Softener Continental Gravy Continental Soup Continental Packet Meals Continental Sauces Continental Stock Dimension Shampoo Domestos Multi-Purpose Cleaners Domestos Disinfectant Domestos Bathroom Cleaners Domestos Toilet Cleaners Dove Deodorant Dove Shampoo Dove Hand Wash Dove Soap Dove Tanning Lotions Dove Bodywash/Shower Gel Dove Skin Care Dove Men Mens Grooming Drive Laundry Detergent Five Brothers Pasta Sauce Flora Margarine Fruitrience Shampoo Hellman's Salad Dressing/Mayonnaise I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Margarine Impulse Deodorant Jif Multi-Purpose Cleaners Jif Scourers, Sponges & Wipes Keratinology Shampoo

Lan Choo Tea Lifebuoy Hand Wash Lipton  Tea Lipton Iced Tea Lux Bodywash/Shower Gel Lux Soap Lynx Deodorant Lynx Mens Grooming Magnum  Ice Cream Maille Condiments Maille Sauces Olivio Margarine Omo Laundry Detergent Pears Shampoo Pears Soap Pears Hand Wash Pears Bodywash/Shower Gel PG Tips  Tea Ponds Skin Care Radox Bodywash/Shower Gel Raguletto Pasta Sauce Rexona Deodorant Rexona Men Mens Grooming Simple Soap Simple Skin Care Simple Shampoo Slim-Fast Weight Loss St Ives Skin Care Streets Ice Cream Sunsilk Shampoo Sunsilk Hair Styling Surf Laundry Detergent Timotei Shampoo Toni&Guy Shampoo Toni&Guy Hair Styling TRESemme Hair Styling TRESemme Shampoo Vaseline Lip Care Vaseline Skin Care Vaseline Mens Grooming Vo 5 Shampoo Vo 5 Hair Styling

Related News

Unilever buys Alberto Culver
27th Sep 2010 — Unilever is buying hair and skin care products maker Alberto Culver for US$3.7 billion. Brands include TRESemme, VO5 and St Ives.   [source]

Unilever commits to sustainable sourcing of paper packaging
5th Jul 2010 — Unilever has committed to sourcing 75 per cent of its paper and board packaging from sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by 2015, rising to 100 per cent by 2020. Unilever is the first global FMCG company to commit to sourcing all of its paper and board packaging from sustainably managed forests or recycled material within a clearly defined timeframe.  [source]

Unilever palm oil victory
11th Dec 2009 — Unilever has altered it's palm oil supply chain after Greenpeace presented them with a new report on Sinar Mas, an Indonesian conglomerate with extensive interests in both the palm oil and pulp and paper sectors. A Unilever spokesman said that the claims were 'too serious for us to ignore' and they have stopped buying palm oil from Sinar Mas.   [source]

Unilever sells Miracle to Peerless
17th Nov 2005 — (FOREIGN >> AUST) Unilever sold retail brands of Miracle, Copha, Fairy and Kremelta to Australian owned company Peerless Holdings. In addition, Unilever brands such as Flora, Flora Proactiv, Olivio, Bertolli, and Becel are now manufactured by Peerless for Unilever under a long-term supply contract.   [source]

Unilever sells John West Foods to Simplot
1st Oct 2005 — Ally, John West & Seakist brands of canned fish are now owned by Simplot Australia   [source]

Unilever sells Aim, Close-Up and Huggie to Pental Products
11th Aug 2004 — (FOREIGN >> AUST) Symex announced that Pental Products, which it wholly owns, had acquired the rights to toothpaste brands Aim and Close-Up, as well as fabric softener Huggie, from Unilever for an undisclosed amount.   [source]

Unilever sells Brut and Norsca to Pharmacare
1st Sep 2003 — (FOREIGN >> AUST) Previously owned by Unilever, the two brands were sold to a smaller company, Pharmacare (Australian Owned), in 2003 as part of Unilever's strategy to pare down its product portfolio and focus only on a core range of global brands.   [source]

Unilever sells Rosella to Stuart Alexander
22nd Aug 2002 — (FOREIGN >> AUST) Unilever Australia has sold the Rosella brand to Stuart Alexander, as a part of a decision to concentrate on its core brands.  [source]