x_An overview of our impacts

An overview of our impacts

We use our understanding of consumers’ everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care to create high-quality branded products that are safe to use, competitively priced and accessible even to the remotest consumers.

In our own operations, where we have direct control, we are reducing our impacts, such as using less water and energy in our factories. In our extended supply chain, where we have influence rather than direct control, we are working with suppliers to help them meet our standards and address sustainability issues.

The area of our value chain where we have least control – but perhaps the greatest potential to make a difference – is in the way consumers use our brands. Here products, such as detergents that require less water and campaigns to promote behaviour change can help to reduce impacts. Inspiring people to take small, everyday actions can add up to a big difference for the world.

Understanding consumer needs

Our aim is to meet consumers’ everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care.

What we do:

• make high-quality products that are safe to use
• make products affordable and accessible to consumers
• understand the environmental constraints, such as water scarcity, within which consumers use our products.

Innovation & R&D

Through our investment in research and development, we aim to meet the diverse and changing needs of consumers in all our markets.

What we do:

• enhance the nutritional quality of our foods
• minimise the adverse environmental impacts of our products
• integrate social, economic and environmental factors into the innovation and development plans of our major brands
• research and promote alternatives to animal testing
• collaborate with academic and business partners around the world.

Suppliers

We aim to encourage sustainability practices in our supply chain. Through responsible sourcing, we seek to raise standards in line with the requirements set out in Unilever’s Supplier Code and Sustainable Agriculture Code.

What we do:

• strive to ensure fair working conditions in the supply chain and respect for human rights
• ensure suppliers meet standards on health, safety and environmental protection
• work with other companies to create a common approach to supplier assessment and to share performance data
• work with our agricultural suppliers and growers to move towards more sustainable growing practices.

Production & manufacturing

We seek to manage the impacts of our operations on society and the environment.

What we do:

• protect the health and safety of employees at work
• protect the health and safety of consumers who buy our products 
• respect employees’ fundamental rights and encourage a strong performance culture
• invest in local communities and contribute to local economic development
• improve the eco-efficiency of our manufacturing sites and set ambitious targets, particularly for CO2 emissions.

Distribution & retail

Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for our customers and to ensure that consumers have ready access to our products through different distribution channels.

What we do:

• work in collaboration with other manufacturers and retailers on sustainability issues
• support retailers in educating consumers on health and sustainability issues
• reduce environmental impacts resulting from distribution of our products
• ensure consumers everywhere have access to our products.

Marketing, consumption & disposal

We communicate responsibly with our consumers through our advertising and marketing.

What we do:

• take a responsible approach to marketing and advertising
• help consumers make healthier choices in their diet
• work to ensure consumer confidence in chemicals used in our home and personal care products
• help consumers to reduce their environmental impacts and to dispose of our products and packaging responsibly.