Student Name: Sakif Hossain Chowdhury.

University ID: 4225539

Module Name:
“BM6175 Sustainability and Globally Responsible Leadership"
Intake Name: IDO SEM1-2 -2022/23

BA(Hons) Business Management and Strategy

Level 6
IDM
University of Gloucestershire

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Sustainability
&
Globally
Responsible
Leadership
Report

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Table of Contents

1) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................4
2) INTRODUCTION......................................5
 Overview of the company......................5

 Mission and vision................................6

 Relationships........................................7
3) SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS..........7
4) UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL
COMPACT (UNCG)......................................9
5) CONCLUSION.........................................11
6) RECOMMENDATION............................12
7) REFERENCE...........................................13

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Unilever is a multi-national producer of consumer goods and has a long history of
commitment to sustainability. The company has established a number of challenging
sustainability objectives, such as a pledge to source all of its agricultural raw materials
sustainably, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance the health and well-being of over one
million people around the world.

CEO Alan Jope stated during a speech at a global virtual event: “The Unilever sustainable
living plan will end up being a game-changer for our industrial organization.” We have
achieved some objectives and fallen short of others, but trying has made us a better company.
To get where we are now, a great deal of creativity, devotion, and cooperation were needed.
“Despite the fact that we have made excellent progress, there is still work to be done.”

One of the key ways that Unilever is working towards sustainable sourcing is by investing in
smallholder farmers and working to improve their livelihoods. The company has set a goal to
reach five million smallholder farmers by 2020 and has implemented a number of programs
to help them improve crop yields, increase their earnings, and become stronger in the face of
global warming.

Unilever has set a target to become carbon positive by 2030 and to start removing more
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to implementing a variety of energy efficiency measures, such as investing in
renewable energy sources, the company has developed technology for emissions reduction
from its operations and supply chain.

Unilever has a variety of programs in place to enhance the health and wellbeing of people
everywhere. For example,
The company has committed to improving the nutrition of over one billion people by 2020
and is working to expand the availability of sanitary facilities and fresh water in developing
nations. Unilever's sustainability efforts are not only focused on its own operations but also
on its products and packaging, ensuring that they do not harm the environment.

Unilever has committed to a number of sustainability initiatives, such as lowering emissions

of greenhouse gases, purchasing agricultural materials sustainably, and improving the health
and well-being of people around the world. The organization has implemented a variety of
initiatives to aid in the accomplishment of a number of ambitious goals.

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2. INTRODUCTION
Overview of the company
Unilever is a multinational company that produces a wide range of products, which include
food, beverages, cleaning agents, and personal care products. The company was first
established in 1930 through the loan consolidation of Lever Brothers, a manufacturer of soap,
and a margarine machine. The Unilever business expansion and a new venture were launched
in Latin America in 1930. They are simply and invariably raising their prices to provide more
intense, measurable development. Five laboratories operated by Unilever around the world
examine potential improvements. The goal of Unilever is to set the highest standards of
organizational behavior for everyone they work with, and it now operates in more than 190
countries across the globe. Unilever is best known for its renowned brands, which include
Lifebuoy, Dove, Sunsilk, Knorr, Lux, Sunlight, Rexona/Degree, Axe/Lynx, Ben & Jerry's,
Omo/Persil, Heartbrand (Wall's) ice creams, Hellmann's, and Magnum.

Unilever is one of the biggest and most diversified consumer goods companies in the world.
It has a portfolio of over 400 brands spanning 14 categories of personal care, foods, and home
products. Unilever's products are consumed by over 2.5 billion people every day, making it
one of the largest FMCG companies in the world. It operates through a decentralized
structure with four core business segments: personal care, home care, foods and refreshment.
More than 400 brands, including 11 "billion-dollar brands" with annual sales exceeding €1
billion, are owned by Unilever.

The company is committed to sustainability and has set a number of ambitious goals in areas
such as sustainable sourcing, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and changing the health and
well-being of people around the world.

Unilever is also famous for its strong corporate social responsibility and corporate
governance, regularly ranking top in indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the
Forbes Global 2000, and the FTSE4Good Index.

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Mission and vision
The main purpose of Unilever is to make sustainable living commonplace. It's why they come
to work. It's why they are in business. It's how they inspire exceptional performance.

Unilever’s Mission Statement

The corporate mission of Unilever is to "meet basic needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal
care with brands that improve people's appearance, wellbeing, and quality of life." This
corporate mission statement has data on what the consumer goods business does and what it
needs to do to meet its purpose. The following are some of the main points of Unilever’s
corporate mission:
1. Goods for daily use
2. Various aspects of consumers’ lives
3. positive effect on quality of life
The mission statement shows clearly that Unilever sells everyday goods. The business
produces products for hygiene, nutrition, and personal care. These goods are not only
intended for consumption but also to enhance consumers' quality of life by assisting them in
"looking good, feeling confident, and getting more satisfaction from life."

Unilever’s Vision Statement

To "be the global leader in sustainable business, we will demonstrate how our purpose-led,
future-fit business model drives superior performance, consistently delivering financial
results in the top third of our industry," is the company's stated corporate vision.
This corporate vision statement leads the company to be a prominent consumer goods
business, especially in terms of sustainability. Some of the main ideas in Unilever's corporate
vision include the following:
1. Leadership in sustainability
2. model that is purpose-driven and future-ready
3. Superior business performance
The vision statement sets business development toward leadership in sustainability, in spite
of the strong competitive pressure shown in Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Unilever. To
develop its corporate vision, the company considers the threats posed by consumer goods
companies like Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Johnson & Johnson, and General Mills, as well as
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Red Bull.

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Relationships
Unilever is a founding member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which it
continues to chair. They engaged with Greenpeace to build an international coalition of
companies, banks, and NGOs to break the link between deforestation and the cultivation of
oil palm.
Unilever worked with Tesco to carry out the Consumer Goods Forum, a global alliance of
300 leading manufacturers and retailers, to work together to end deforestation.
They did some amazing works like:
 collaborating with Greenpeace on environmentally friendly refrigerants through the
Refrigerants Naturally alliance.
 participated in a 2008 event hosted by Wal-Mart on water stewardship, sharing
expertise on decreasing water use at all steps of a product lifecycle.
 took part in an initiative with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), the UK
Department for International Development, and Wageningen University to train small
scale farmers in sustainable tea cultivation.

3. SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS

Sustainability refers to the development of specific programs. It has to have the capability of
satisfying the current society’s requirements without endangering their present and future
lifestyles. Sustainability could as well be broken down in either natural or economic terms,
which results in different definitions of the same. Effective development with a primary focus
on the non-decreasing parameters is a component of the entire process.

Sustainability encompasses environmental, social, and economic dimensions. A widely

accepted definition of sustainability is: “meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland Report,
1987)

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 Unilever practices sustainability awareness in various ways. Some of the examples are:

1. Communication: The company regularly communicates about its sustainability efforts and
goals through different channels, such as its website, social media, annual reports, and
sustainability reports. This helps to increase awareness about the significance of sustainability
within the company. It is also aware of its customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

2. Employee engagement: The company engages its employees in sustainability efforts by

giving them training and education on sustainability issues, as well as by encouraging them to
participate in sustainability-related activities. This helps foster a culture of sustainability
within the company and ensures that employees understand the importance of sustainability
and their role in contributing to it.

3. Community engagement: Unilever also engages with local communities to raise awareness
about sustainability issues and enhance their participation in its sustainability efforts. For
example, the company partners with local NGOs to provide education and training on
sustainable agriculture, clean water, and sanitation in developing countries.

4. Collaboration: Unilever also joins forces with the government, other companies, NGOs,
and stakeholders to spread knowledge and best practices and support the development of
sustainable policies and regulations.

5. Product and Packaging: It also makes sure that their products and packaging are designed
with sustainability in mind. For example, Unilever's ambition is to make all of their plastic
packaging 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025 and decrease their greenhouse
gas emissions across their value chain by 30% by 2030.

6. Transparency: Unilever is clear about its sustainability efforts, regularly publishing

sustainability reports that detail its progress towards its goals as well as the challenges it faces
and the actions it is attempting to address them.

In short, Unilever practices sustainability awareness by increasing awareness of sustainability

within the company, encouraging employee engagement, involving local communities,
collaborating with other stakeholders, designing sustainable products and packaging, and
being transparent about their working system.

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4. UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT (UNGC)

The United Nations Global Compact is an initiative that was started by the United Nations in
the year 2000. It encourages businesses and organizations around the world to adopt
sustainable and responsible practices. The initiative includes 10 principles in the areas of
human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption, and members commit to aligning
their operations with these principles to contribute to global goals such as the Sustainable
Development Goals. Those who participate in the initiative voluntarily provide yearly
updates on their progress in implementing the principles and are evaluated independently.

 Unilever is addressing the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) "environment" area
directly through a number of initiatives and goals. Here are a few examples:

1 Carbon Positive: Unilever has set a target to become Carbon Positive by the year 2030.
This means that the company intends to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it
emits. To accomplish this goal, Unilever has implemented various initiatives, such as
investing in renewable energy, decreasing emissions from their operations and supply chain,
and encouraging sustainable transportation.

2. Sustainable Agriculture: Unilever has established a target to acquire 100% of its

agricultural raw materials in a sustainable manner by 2020. To achieve this, the company has
invested in smallholder farmers and implemented a number of programs to help them
improve crop yields, increase their incomes, and become more resilient to climate change.

3. Water Stewardship: Unilever is committed to improving water stewardship in its

operations and in the communities where it operates. The company is undertaking efforts to
lower its water usage, enhance the quality of water, and expand access to clean water and
sanitation in countries that are still developing.

4. Zero Deforestation: Unilever has pledged to attain zero deforestation in its supply chain
before 2020. The company is working to achieve this goal by using satellite monitoring to
track suppliers and by promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

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5. Green Energy: Unilever has a goal of sourcing 100% of its energy from renewable sources
by 2020 and making sure their products and packaging are designed with sustainability in
mind.

Unilever is making progress towards achieving these goals, and its progress can be tracked in
its annual sustainability reports.
In summary, Unilever is addressing the UNGC "environment" area directly through a number
of initiatives such as becoming carbon positive, sustainable agriculture, water stewardship,
zero deforestation and green energy.

 Unilever is addressing the United Nations Global Compact’s (UNGC) "human rights"
area through a number of initiatives and policies. Here are a few examples:

1. Labor rights: Unilever is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of workers in its supply
chain. The company has put in place a number of policies and procedures to ensure that
workers are treated respectfully and with dignity, while also receiving appropriate pay and
safe working conditions. Unilever also participates in initiatives such as the Ethical Trading
Initiative (ETI) to promote and improve labor rights in its supply chain.

2. Gender equality: Unilever is devoted to attaining gender equality both within the
organization as well as in the communities in which it operates. The corporation has
established a target to have 50% women in leadership roles by 2025 and and it has put in
place a variety of programs to help women develop and succeed in the workplace.

3. Human rights due diligence: In line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights of the United Nations, Unilever has established a robust process for assessing and
managing human rights risks across its operations and supply chains to identify, prevent, and
address potential human rights impacts.

4. Community engagement: Unilever engages with local communities to understand and

respect their rights, cultures and customs. As part of its sustainable living initiative, Unilever
has set a goal to positively impact the health and well-being of over a billion people before
2020.

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5. Human Rights Policy: Unilever has a human rights policy that sets out its commitments
to respect human rights and its approach to addressing human rights risks. The company
regularly reviews and updates its policy to ensure that it aligns with international human
rights standards.

6. Transparency: Unilever is transparent about its human rights performance, regularly

publishing information on its website and in its sustainability reports in order to help
stakeholders understand its approach and performance.

In summary, Unilever is addressing the UNGC’s "human rights" area by implementing

policies and procedures to ensure that workers are treated with respect and dignity, promoting
gender equality, implementing a robust human rights due diligence process, engaging with
local communities, having a human rights policy, and being transparent about its human
rights performance.

5. CONCLUSION
Unilever is a large conglomerate that operates in various sectors including personal care,
home care, food and beverage. The company has been recognized for its efforts to promote
sustainability in its operations, including reducing its environmental impact, promoting
responsible sourcing, and improving the livelihoods of the communities in which it operates.
Unilever has established several ambitious sustainability objectives, such as reducing the
greenhouse gas emissions of its products by 50%, sourcing 100% of its agricultural raw
materials in a sustainable manner, and aiding over one billion people to improve their health
and well-being. However, some critics have also pointed out that Unilever's efforts may not
go far enough, and that more needs to be done to address issues such as deforestation, water
scarcity, and human rights in its supply chains.
Overall, Unilever is considered a progressive leader in sustainable business practices, but the
journey to fully achieve a sustainable future is still in progress.

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6. RECOMMENDATION
There are a number of ways that Unilever, or any company, can improve its sustainability.

Here are a few examples:

 Minimize their products' negative environmental effects: This can be done by using
more sustainable raw materials, improving production processes to conserve energy
and resources, and developing products that have a lower environmental impact.

 Promote the use of renewable energy: This can be accomplished by investing in

alternative energy sources such as solar or wind power, or by buying credits for green
energy.

 Cut back on emissions of greenhouse gases: This can be done by implementing more
efficient production processes, investing in carbon offset projects, and promoting
sustainable transportation options for employees.

 Promote sustainable practices throughout the supply chain: Encourage suppliers to

adopt sustainable practices by setting targets and implementing auditing and reporting
processes.

 Invest in sustainable solutions: Invest in new technologies, business models, and

initiatives that promote sustainable development.

 Transparency and engagement: communicate regularly and transparently about

sustainability efforts and progress with employees, customers, suppliers, and other
stakeholders.

 Setting ambitious sustainability goals: Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan, for

instance, comprises targets for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, procuring
sustainable ingredients, and enhancing the well-being of people within their supply
chain.

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The above-mentioned points show how Unilever can improve its sustainability. There are
numerous other ways to accomplish this objective. The important thing is to take a
comprehensive and long-term view and continuously improve sustainability efforts.
7. REFERENCE
 https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2020/unilever-celebrates-
10-years-of-the-sustainable-living-plan/
 https://studybayhelp.co.uk/blog/executive-brief-summary-of-unilever/
 https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/profile-unilever
 https://www.annreports.com/unilever/unilever-ar-2021.pdf
 Bocken, N. M., Harsch, A., & Weissbrod, I. (2022). Circular business models for the
fastmoving consumer goods industry: Desirability, feasibility, and viability. Sustainable
Production and Consumption, 30, 799-814.
 Derqui, B., Fayos, T., & Occhiocupo, N. (2022). The virtuous cycle of trust. Unveiling
clues to successful innovation in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry. European
Journal of Innovation Management, 25(6), 1036-1056.
 Fitzsimmons, A. B., Qin, Y. S., & Heffron, E. R. (2022). Purpose vs mission vs vision:
Persuasive appeals and components in corporate statements. Journal of Communication
Management, 26(2), 207-219.
 Larranaga, A., & Valor, C. (2022). Consumers’ categorization of eco-friendly consumer
goods: An integrative review and research agenda. Sustainable Production and
Consumption, 34, 518-527.
 ien, J., & Trainer, T.1993c. A vision of Sustainability. In J. Fien (Ed.), Environmental
Education: A Pathway to Sustainability (pp. 24 – 42). Geelong: Deakin University Press.
 Lovins, A., Lovins, H., & Hawken, P.1999. A roadmap for Natural Capitalism. Harvard
Business Review, 77(3), pp. 145-158.
 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

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