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Environmental Record

Unilever is a major multi-national corporation in the world which owns many consumer product brands which we use today in foods, beverages, and in personal care. Unilever's product manufacturing sites and its consumers are distributed globally. Therefore, its contribution to the environmental equilibrium is extensive. According to Covalence, ethical quotation system, Unilever was ranked number one out of twenty global companies in 2007 with Best EthicalQuote Score, which is a score based on environmental impact on production, waste management and anti-corruption policy, and eco-innovative product. This is a moment where Unilever’s environmental policy was largely praised. In 2008, Unilever took a major step towards preventing world wide rain forest deforestation. Speaking at the May Day Climate Change Summit held at the UK, Unilever CEO Patrick Cescau announced that his company is working closely with RSPO, which is Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, in order to use only sustainable palm oil for Unilever food products. He further mentioned that Unilever is planning to track all the sources of palm oil that are being used in Unilever-Europe by 2012, and to only use palm oil that are certified as being harvested from sustainable plantations that don’t contribute to deforestation. He also warned palm oil suppliers who indulge in illegal deforestation pursuits that Unilever is looking to penalize their actions. For example, Unilever will deny supplies from Indonesia in the near future where rain forests are heavily destroyed in order to make grounds for palm oil plantations. Unilever’s effort was also praised by Greenpeace. Moreover, some Unilever plantations are applying eco-friendly methods in reaching their corporate goals. The following story certifies the above claim. The Unilever Rexdale, Ontario plant consumes a huge amount of energy where its energy cost accounts for 15% of its operating costs. Therefore, an Energy Team was created to analyze energy cost reduction. The Energy Team pointed out methods such as facilitating energy management activities and fuel monitoring. Also an initiative called Watt Watchers was launched to reduce energy costs and to educate employees about energy costs and consumption patterns. Further actions have been taken such as insulating steam pipes and switching off lights and others as complex as installing condensing economizers. A significant progress is that millions of pounds of waste vegetable oil are used to fuel some of the plants’ boilers. Unilever Canada’s energy savings exceeded approximately $3.2 million by this program. By 2003, natural-gas consumption had decreased by 46% and electricity by 24 %. The company has trimmed down its water use by 48%, air use by 26%, and steam use by 50%. Unilever is now applying basics of the Watt Watch program at other plants. As a result, Unilever’s Rexdale plant was the recipient of the 2002 CCME Pollution Prevention Award and the National Resources Canada Energy Efficiency Award. Also, Unilever can be seen frequently working with other major corporations hand-in-hand in order to ensure public awareness regarding environmental protection. For example, in June, 2007, Unilever and Wal-Mart launched an environmental awareness campaign in Brazil called 'Casa do Bem' (Sustainable House) to enlighten consumers about the topic. As part of the campaign, ‘sustainable model houses’ were demonstrated in Brazilian Wal-Mart stores. Each such house had a garden, kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Customers who stepped inside the house heard messages and tips on how to live a more environmentally-friendly life. They were also able to play interactive games to learn about recycling, natural resources and environmental conservation. The houses were built from recycled and environmentally-friendly substances. Aquas ink was used to paint houses, recycled mayonnaise containers were used to make flowers and bamboo viscose were used to make fabric. The furniture and floors were made from recycled tooth paste tubes. The household woods were inspected by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA). Moreover, Unilever encourages students who pursue environmental studies in college to contribute more to the society through their prospective professions by honoring their academic achievements in college. For example, The Unilever Canada Graduate Award in Environmental Studies is an annual award given to support a graduate student who has a good academic performance and who need financial need. Therefore, it is evident that the Unilever global corporation is heading towards an eco-friendly future becoming a precedent in linking environmental and entrepreneurial prosperity.