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  • Overall approach
    4/14
    • Overarching commitment on deforestation
      2/6
      Deforestation commitment
      Zero net deforestation
      2/6
      "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with four commodities: palm oil, soy, paper and pulp, and beef."
      Open source document
    • Signatory to an initiative tackling deforestation
      1/1
      Signatory
      Yes
      1/1
      New York Declaration on Forests; Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 partner; UN Global Consumer Goods Forum; Other intiative
      Unilever states it is signatory to the Tropical Forest Alliance, the UN Consumer Goods Forum, the Sustainable Trade Initiative and Global Forest Watch. It is also a signatory for the New York Declaration on Forests.
      Open source document Open source document
    • Awareness of the value of forests
      1/1
      Awareness
      Yes
      1/1
      "Forests are essential to life. They are the lungs of our planet and help to regulate our climate. They’re second only to oceans as the largest global store of carbon. Up to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and more than 1 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods."
      Open source document
    • Target to reduce emissions from land-use change
      0/3
    • Reporting on emissions from land-use change
      0/3
  • Commodity score
    53/86
    • Palm oil
      74/86
      • Commitment Strength
        33/36
        • Commitment to protect priority forests
          13/15
          • Commitment details
            Forest-related commitment
            6/8
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Forest-related commitment
            6/8
            Certification schemes mentioned: RSPO
            Type of commitment: Zero net deforestation; Certification
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Target date
            2020
            1.2/1.3
            Target date
            2020
            1.2/1.3
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            "Unilever's environmental targets for 2020 include [achieving] zero net deforestation associated with [...] palm oil", as well as ensuring that all palm oil is RSPO or other third-party certified by 2019.
            Open source document Open source document
        • Commitment to protect High Carbon Stock areas and/or peatlands
          11/11
          • Commitment details
            Yes
            4/4
            Commitment to protect High Carbon Stock areas and/or peatlands
            Yes
            4/4
            Type of commitment: HCS; Peat
            "Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            "Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            "Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            2019 Total Physical Certified (RSPO MB, SG or equivalent) 100%
            Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            "Unilever’s zero net deforestation 2020 target involves [...] protecting HCV, high carbon stock and tropical peat forests".
            Open source document
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          10/11
          • Commitment details
            downstream company, traces to Processing Facility, checks compliance
            4/4
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            downstream company, traces to Processing Facility, checks compliance
            4/4
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders." At the processing facility, "adherence to the RSPO Principles & Criteria and New Planting Procedure is accepted as a form of compliance verification with" their Palm Oil Policy.
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            No
            0/1
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            No
            0/1
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
            Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            "Unilever is committed to 100% traceability for all of the crude palm oil and derivatives that we buy. [...] From end 2018, all of the palm oil we source will be traceable back to a known catchment area that is attached to a mill, including dedicated plantations, plasma smallholders and independent smallholders."
      • Reporting and Implementation
        25/34
        • Reporting against commitments
          4/6
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            In 2018, " For palm oil only, we achieved 81% from physically certified sources".
            Open source document
          • Commitment to protect High Carbon Stock areas and/or peatlands
            No
            0/2
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            2/2
            "In the first half of 2018, we were able to trace 88% of our palm oil back to the mill it originated from."
            Open source document
        • Reporting is independently verified
          3/4
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            certification
            Unilever report on certification to RSPO through an annual ACOP. 
            Open source document
          • Commitment to protect High Carbon Stock areas and/or peatlands
            No
            0/1.3
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            certification
            Unilever report directly to RSPO through an annual ACOP.
            Open source document
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          "Underpinning our RSP is the process of due diligence and compliance assurance, which includes third-party audits where our suppliers have been assessed as a potential high risk. Service suppliers that we classify as high risk undergo a desktop auditing assessment, provided by an industry-recognised third-party organisation."
          Open source document
        • Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          "Our approach is always to engage with our supplier if a grievance has been raised against them, and where we can, to help them address any weaknesses in their policy or practices. Unilever will take any proven breaches by our suppliers seriously and where a supplier refuses to remediate the breach, Unilever will take appropriate steps to address this".
          Open source document
        • Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          Unilever publicly reports their supplier list.
          Open source document
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Both
          Unilever have a grievance mechanism which is available to all, solely for reporting grievances with their palm oil processes.
          Open source document
        • Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          Attending & contributing to meetings
          "We also work to drive the Tropical Forest Alliance, a global public-private partnership in which partners take voluntary actions, individually and in combination, to reduce the tropical deforestation associated with sourcing palm oil, soy, beef, and paper and pulp."
          Open source document
        • Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          Unilever report to RSPO through the 2017 ACOP that they use 1,309,828 Metric Tonnes of palm oil, of which 742,682 Metric Tonnes is compliant.
          Open source document
      • Social Considerations
        16/16
        • Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          "We will also implement the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) in our supply chains, which requires Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments involving indigenous people and small-scale farmers dependent on forest resources."
          Open source document
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          ILO; Discrimination; Forced Labour; Child Labour; Freedom of association
          Unilever commit their suppliers to ensure their workers' rights to have freedom of association, and to be free from discrimination, forced labour, and child labour.
          Open source document
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Unilever state: "Our current and future priorities include: Promoting respect for women’s rights and safety in supplier operations and the communities where we operate; Enabling women farmers, particularly smallholders, to improve their skills and capabilities; Ensuring blue collar jobs in our operations are as open and attractive to women as to men; Enhancing women’s land rights to enable greater access to finance and ability to invest to improve productivity and incomes; Increasing the diversity of our supply base by sourcing from more women-owned and women-operated businesses." 
          Open source document
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          4/4
          Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          4/4
          "We aim to support 25,000 farmers by sourcing or buying RSPO certificates directly from independent smallholders, and by working with NGO partners to help and incentivise smallholders to adopt sustainable management and agricultural practices."
          Open source document
    • Soy
      51/86
      • Commitment Strength
        18/36
        • Commitment to protect priority forests
          18/21
          • Commitment details
            Forest-related commitment
            8/10.7
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Forest-related commitment
            8/10.7
            Certification schemes mentioned: RTRS
            Type of commitment: Zero net deforestation
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Target date
            2020
            1.8/2
            Target date
            2020
            1.8/2
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            2/2
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            2/2
            "Soy is one of four commodities at the heart of our commitment through the Consumer Goods Forum to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020 [...] Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved, and not converted to farmland or destroyed by other activities in our supply chains."
            Open source document Open source document
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          0/15
      • Reporting and Implementation
        21/34
        • Reporting against commitments
          3/6
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            3/3
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            3/3
            "Soy is one of our priority crops and we maintained 72% of our soy oil from sustainable sources in 2018. This includes Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) certified soy oil, RTRS certificates and self-verified soy oil in the US."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/3
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/3
            Open source document
        • Reporting is independently verified
          2/4
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            certification
            "Soy is one of our priority crops and we maintained 72% of our soy oil from sustainable sources in 2018. This includes Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) certified soy oil, RTRS certificates and self-verified soy oil in the US."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/2
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/2
            certification
            Open source document
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          "Underpinning our RSP is the process of due diligence and compliance assurance, which includes third-party audits where our suppliers have been assessed as a potential high risk. Service suppliers that we classify as high risk undergo a desktop auditing assessment, provided by an industry-recognised third-party organisation."
          Open source document
        • Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          "Any failure to comply with this [Responsible Sourcing Policy] of which the supplier is aware should be reported to Unilever as soon as possible [...] Unilever will investigate any concern raised and discuss findings with the supplier [...] If remediation is required, the supplier will devise and inform Unilever of their corrective action and implementation plans and timeline to effectively and promptly resolve the breach."
          Open source document
        • Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          "We believe that transparency helps us to build a more sustainable supply chain. In July 2019, we published details of direct suppliers accounting for in excess of 99.9% of Unilever’s soy oil purchases in 2018."
          Open source document
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Both
          Suppliers, their employees, workers, contractors or the public may report actual or suspected breaches of Unilever's Responsible Sourcing Policy by phone or online.
          Open source document
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          17,000 tonnes
          Unilever reports soybean oil usage annually to RTRS.
          Open source document
      • Social Considerations
        12/16
        • Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          "We will also implement the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) in our supply chains, which requires Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments involving indigenous people and small-scale farmers dependent on forest resources."
          Open source document
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          ILO; Discrimination; Forced Labour; Child Labour; Freedom of association
          Unilever commit their suppliers to ensure their workers' rights to have freedom of association, and to be free from discrimination, forced labour, and child labour.
          Open source document
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Unilever state: "Our current and future priorities include: Promoting respect for women’s rights and safety in supplier operations and the communities where we operate; Enabling women farmers, particularly smallholders, to improve their skills and capabilities; Ensuring blue collar jobs in our operations are as open and attractive to women as to men; Enhancing women’s land rights to enable greater access to finance and ability to invest to improve productivity and incomes; Increasing the diversity of our supply base by sourcing from more women-owned and women-operated businesses." 
          Open source document
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/4
    • Beef
      38/86
      • Commitment Strength
        18/36
        • Commitment to protect priority forests
          18/21
          • Commitment details
            Forest-related commitment
            8/10.7
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Forest-related commitment
            8/10.7
            Type of commitment: Zero net deforestation
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all operations
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1.5/1.5
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            2020
            1.8/2
            Target date
            2020
            1.8/2
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            2/2
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            2/2
            "In 2010, Unilever together with members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) committed to help achieve zero net deforestation associated with [...] beef by 2020. Our highest priority will be to ensure that: High Conservation Value (HCV) forests, forests with High Carbon Stocks (HCS), and tropical forests on peat soil are conserved."
            Open source document
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          0/15
          • Commitment details
            No traceability commitment
            0/5.3
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            No
            0/1.5
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1.5
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            No monitoring
            0/1.5
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            No
            0/1.5
          • Target date
            No deadline
            0/2
          • Target is quantifiable
            No
            0/2
      • Reporting and Implementation
        8/34
        • Reporting against commitments
          0/6
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            No
            0/3
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/3
        • Reporting is independently verified
          0/4
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            No
            0/2
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/2
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          "Underpinning our RSP is the process of due diligence and compliance assurance, which includes third-party audits where our suppliers have been assessed as a potential high risk. Service suppliers that we classify as high risk undergo a desktop auditing assessment, provided by an industry-recognised third-party organisation."
          Open source document
        • Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          "Our approach is always to engage with our supplier if a grievance has been raised against them, and where we can, to help them address any weaknesses in their policy or practices. Unilever will take any proven breaches by our suppliers seriously and where a supplier refuses to remediate the breach, Unilever will take appropriate steps to address this".
          Open source document
        • Publishing supplier lists
          No disclosure
          0/4
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Accessible grievance mechanism
          Yes
          4/4
          Both
          Suppliers, their employees, workers, contractors or the public may report actual or suspected breaches of Unilever's Responsible Sourcing Policy by phone or online.
          Open source document
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Report volumes of commodity
          No reporting
          0/4
      • Social Considerations
        12/16
        • Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          "We will also implement the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) in our supply chains, which requires Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments involving indigenous people and small-scale farmers dependent on forest resources."
          Open source document
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          ILO; Discrimination; Forced Labour; Child Labour; Freedom of association
          Unilever commit their suppliers to ensure their workers' rights to have freedom of association, and to be free from discrimination, forced labour, and child labour.
          Open source document
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          "Our current and future priorities include:¡ Promoting respect for women’s rights and safety in supplier operations and the communities where we operate¡ Enabling women farmers, particularly smallholders, to improve their skills and capabilities¡ Ensuring blue collar jobs in our operations are as open and attractive to women as to men¡ Enhancing women’s land rights to enable greater access to finance and ability to invest to improve productivity and incomes¡ Increasing the diversity of our supply base by sourcing from more women-owned and women-operated businesses."
          Open source document
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/4
    • Pulp & Paper
      52/86
      • Commitment Strength
        21/36
        • Commitment to protect priority forests
          12/15
          • Commitment details
            Forest-related commitment
            6/8
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Forest-related commitment
            6/8
            Type of commitment: Zero deforestation; Certification
            If Other, specify here: Unspecified
            Certification schemes mentioned: FSC; PEFC; Other (specify)
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1
            Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1
            "This includes folding cartons, customer packaging, aseptics, and ice cream sticks, but does not include flexibles, labels or tea bags"
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            2020
            1.2/1.3
            Target date
            2020
            1.2/1.3
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            "Unilever is committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chain. By 2020, we are committed to sourcing all the paper and board packaging we buy from certified sources."
            Open source document
        • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
          10/11
          • Commitment details
            Yes
            4/4
            Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            4/4
            Type of commitment: Recycled content
            "Since 2015, we have aimed for all our paper and board packaging to be sourced sustainably (recycled, or certified virgin). [...] In 2016 we set a new ambition to accelerate the volume of certified recycled products we purchase by 2019 and to source the recycled fibre from suppliers with third-party certification."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            Yes
            1/1
            "Since 2015, we have aimed for all our paper and board packaging to be sourced sustainably (recycled, or certified virgin). [...] In 2016 we set a new ambition to accelerate the volume of certified recycled products we purchase by 2019 and to source the recycled fibre from suppliers with third-party certification."
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1
            Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1
            "This includes folding cartons, customer packaging, aseptics, and ice cream sticks, but does not include flexibles, labels or tea bags"
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Open source document
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            Yes
            1/1
            "Since 2015, we have aimed for all our paper and board packaging to be sourced sustainably (recycled, or certified virgin). [...] In 2016 we set a new ambition to accelerate the volume of certified recycled products we purchase by 2019 and to source the recycled fibre from suppliers with third-party certification."
            Open source document
          • Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            Target date
            Current
            1.3/1.3
            "Since 2015, we have aimed for all our paper and board packaging to be sourced sustainably (recycled, or certified virgin). [...] In 2016 we set a new ambition to accelerate the volume of certified recycled products we purchase by 2019 and to source the recycled fibre from suppliers with third-party certification."
            Open source document
          • Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Target is quantifiable
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            "Since 2015, we have aimed for all our paper and board packaging to be sourced sustainably (recycled, or certified virgin). [...] In 2016 we set a new ambition to accelerate the volume of certified recycled products we purchase by 2019 and to source the recycled fibre from suppliers with third-party certification."
            Open source document
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          0/11
          • Commitment details
            No traceability commitment
            0/4
          • Commitment applies to all sourcing regions
            No
            0/1
          • Commitment applies to all operations
            No
            0/1
          • Commitment applies to all direct suppliers
            No
            0/1
          • Commitment applies to all indirect suppliers
            No
            0/1
          • Target date
            No deadline
            0/1.3
          • Target is quantifiable
            No
            0/1.3
      • Reporting and Implementation
        19/34
        • Reporting against commitments
          4/6
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            2/2
            "98% of our paper and board came from certified sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by end 2018."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            2/2
            "98% of our paper and board came from certified sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by end 2018."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/2
        • Reporting is independently verified
          3/4
          • Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Commitment to protect priority forests
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            certification
            "98% of our paper and board came from certified sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by end 2018."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            Commitment to reduce use of virgin wood fibre
            Yes
            1.3/1.3
            certification
            "98% of our paper and board came from certified sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by end 2018."
            Open source document
          • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            No
            0/1.3
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          Monitoring and verification of supplier compliance
          Non-specific monitoring statement
          2/4
          "Underpinning our RSP is the process of due diligence and compliance assurance, which includes third-party audits where our suppliers have been assessed as a potential high risk. Service suppliers that we classify as high risk undergo a desktop auditing assessment, provided by an industry-recognised third-party organisation."
          Open source document
        • Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/4
          "Any failure to comply with this [Responsible Sourcing Policy] of which the supplier is aware should be reported to Unilever as soon as possible [...] Unilever will investigate any concern raised and discuss findings with the supplier [...] If remediation is required, the supplier will devise and inform Unilever of their corrective action and implementation plans and timeline to effectively and promptly resolve the breach."
          Open source document
        • Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          Publishing supplier lists
          Discloses supplier list
          4/4
          Unilever publicly report their direct paper and board suppliers. 
          Open source document
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          No
          0/4
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          Report volumes of commodity
          Full
          4/4
          1,050,000 tonnes
          Reported to CDP 2018: 1.05 million tonnes bought/used. 829500 Metric tons certified FSC or PEFC (79%)
      • Social Considerations
        12/16
        • Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          Commitment to ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes
          4/4
          "We will also implement the Unilever Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) in our supply chains, which requires Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments involving indigenous people and small-scale farmers dependent on forest resources."
          Open source document
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          4/4
          ILO; Discrimination; Forced Labour; Child Labour; Freedom of association
          Unilever commit their suppliers to ensure their workers' rights to have freedom of association, and to be free from discrimination, forced labour, and child labour.
          Open source document
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          Gender equality in the supply chain
          Equality and Inclusion of women in the supply chain
          4/4
          "Our current and future priorities include:¡ Promoting respect for women’s rights and safety in supplier operations and the communities where we operate¡ Enabling women farmers, particularly smallholders, to improve their skills and capabilities¡ Ensuring blue collar jobs in our operations are as open and attractive to women as to men¡ Enhancing women’s land rights to enable greater access to finance and ability to invest to improve productivity and incomes¡ Increasing the diversity of our supply base by sourcing from more women-owned and women-operated businesses."
          Open source document
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/4
  • Commitment strength
    22/36
    Avg. score
  • Reporting and Implementation
    18/34
    Avg. score
  • Social considerations
    13/16
    Avg. score

Profile

Unilever is one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, with operations across a wide range of market segments. The company has over 400 brands, including many household names such as Lipton, Knorr, Dove and Hellman’s. Its range of products leaves it exposed to a variety of forest risk commodities, however its use of palm oil is particularly noteworthy. Unilever used over 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil and its derivatives in 2015, making it one of the largest users in consumer goods.

Sector
Industry sector 
Cosmetics & personal care, Home care, Packaged Food
Segments
Manufacturer
HQ
HQ 
United Kingdom
Company Type
Company type 
Public listed
Collective Commitments
Consumer Goods Forum member
New York Declaration on Forests signatory

Top Brands

Alberto Balsam, Baby Dove, Ben & Jerrys, Bertolli, Breyers, Brylcreem, Carte Dor, Cif, Colmans, Comfort, Cornetto, Cup a Soup, Domestos, Dove, Flora, Graze, Hellmanns, Impulse, Knorr, Lipton, Love Beauty & Planet, Lynx, Lyons, Magnum, Maille, Marmite, Neutral, Nexxus, Persil, Pg Tips, Pot Noodle, Pukka, Pure Leaf, Radox, Simple, Solero, Sure, Surf, Swedish Glace, Toni & Guy, Tresemme, Unbranded, Vaseline, Vo5, Vienetta, Walls

How we assess the Forest 500

To ensure deforestation free supply chains, companies need to adopt and implement timebound and measurable policies for forest risk commodities.

All assessments use policies published on company websites, some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Full corporate sector performance data Forest 500 assessment methodology

More companies

Unicharm Corporation
44%
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0%
SC Johnson & Son Inc
45%
GlaxoSmithKline Plc
30%
Guangzhou Liby Enterprise Group Co Ltd
1%
Amazon
9%

Disclaimer

This assessment has been carried out following the methodology developed for the Forest 500 project, available here. Please see our disclaimer applicable to all information contained within this site and our terms and conditions for use of data presented on this site.

All assessments use policies published on company and financial institution websites, and while we endeavor to keep them updated some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Please contact us with any concerns or feedback about this or other assessments included in the Forest 500.