Unilever Brazil grows more than 60% and 36% reduces the water consumption from 2008 to 2014

After four years of the launch of the sustainability plan, announced globally in 2010, Unilever Brazil celebrates achievements which enhance its overall commitment to double in size, until 2020, while halved the environmental footprint and increases the positive impact in society. Between 2008 and 2014, period of measurement of results, the company has grown more than 60% (the billing was R $ 10,29 bi to R $ 16.7 billion), tallied 36% reduction in water consumption and 35% in greenhouse gas emissions over the same period. The company also celebrated the marks of Zero Landfill in all its 15 factories and distribution centers in the country. In addition, the actions of reducing salt level reached 28.4% of your entire portfolio of retail foods.
"With 7 billion people on our planet, natural resources are under immense pressure. The elevation of temperature, water shortages, energy more expensive, the uncertainties in the food supply and the increasing disparity between rich and poor are imposing to society major challenges, "said Fernando Fernandez, President of Unilever Brazil. Companies have an important role in the solution of these problems. That's why we bring sustainability into the heart of our business model, in addition to the creation of marks and to the process of innovation, consumer industry essences ", Fernando Fernandez, President of Unilever Brazil.
Among the commitments announced by the company worldwide is the reduction of water consumption in half by 2020. In 2014, all measures of rational use of water in Unilever factories totaled a consumption reduction of 78,612 m3, representing an economy enough for 108 thousand people kill the headquarters daily year-round.
Part of the positive results of reduction also comes from the strong investment in concentrated platform, which brings benefits throughout the life cycle. The brands Comfort concentrate and Omo Super concentrate liquid, saved in 2014, during the manufacturing process, more than 100 million litres of water – the equivalent of the daily use of a million people. This is because the products contain less water in their formula: in the case of Omo Super concentrated, there is a 40% saving of water compared to a regular unit of the same, in addition to assist consumers to use less water and generate less waste.
Among its efforts to halve the impact of greenhouse gases of the life cycle of their products until 2020 is the use of "clean" energy. Currently, about 40% of the energy consumed in the factories come from renewable sources such as biomass, vegetable oil, ethanol and biodiesel.
Another significant advance of the sustainability plan is the conquest of 55% of agricultural raw materials procured globally from sustainable sources-until 2020, the goal is to achieve 100%. Also, currently, 90% of the 13 most ingredients used by Knorr brand products in the world originate from certified sources to achieve these numbers, Unilever has in his visits to producers, strategy advice for improvements in production and working conditions, audits the use of soil and water, climate, local biodiversity, among others.
For a better future for the next generations
The Mission of promoting the health and well-being of more than 1 billion people by 2020, Unilever invests heavily in nutritional improvement of its portfolio of food and in actions to bring quality information to society. As a result, in addition to the actions of salt level reduction from 2014, 100 percent of children's ice cream contains up to 110 kcal in each serving and more than 1.5 million homes were impacted by the movement "Love Heart", Becel brand, in partnership with the Incorporation and the HCor – initiative that raises awareness about population eating habits capable of preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Sustainability is at the heart of Unilever's business. "We are guided by the principle that we must work to create a better world every day. This is not only reducing the environmental impact, but also helping people to have better working conditions, health and feel good and we are doing this through more sustainable brands, such as Chlorine, OMO Gel CAME, Lifebuoy, Becel, Kibon, Brilliant, among others. ", says Fernandez.
In the Brazilian semi-arid region, more than 450 thousand children suffer from the absence of toilets or treated water in schools. I launched, in partnership with UNICEF, a project to transform the lives of more than 450 thousand children and young people of semi-arid, improving sanitation and access to treated water in schools. Already, Lifebuoy, with the Pastoral da Criança, impacted more than 916 thousand teaching children the importance of hand washing – a change of habits that contributes to a reduction of diarrhoea and respiratory diseases.
Kibon and the Abrinq Foundation, one of the leading child support institutions in the country, launched the campaign "every kid born to Be Happy", that has as main objective to save and improve the lives of thousands of children in Brazil. The action is part of a comprehensive partnership between the Foundation Unilever, Kibon and Save The Children which will take health care for 2 million children around the world.
Already Brilliant clothes detergent brands of Unilever, launches in may a pioneering initiative in Brazil, the Brilliant Cycle project, which aims to collaborate with the professional improvement of women. According to a survey carried out by IBOPE *, 75% of women dream of undertaking, however, only 7% of them actually do.
The sustainability plan
Based on the study of the social, economic and environmental impact of various life cycle of their products, this sustainability plan establishes three global targets to be achieved by 2020:
the Help more than 1 billion people to take initiatives to improve their health and well-being;
the halve the environmental footprint of its products;
and improve the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of people as we doing the business grow.
The Brazilian operation has a fundamental role in the fulfillment of this goal and his advances are reported in 2014 sustainability report. Released yesterday, is the 12th report of the company, again based on the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
To learn about the advances of Unilever in all pillars of the sustainability plan, go to:
http://www.unilever.com.br/aboutus/estrategiadesustentabilidade/relatoriodesustentabilidade/
About Unilever
Present in Brazil for 86 years, Unilever is one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world. Manufacturer of personal hygiene and cleaning products, foods and ice cream, the company has operations in 190 countries. Is present in 100% of Brazilian homes, and, over the course of one year, their products reach, monthly, 46 million households. Every day, 2 billion people use at least a Unilever product somewhere in the world.
There are more than eight decades of the mercadoconstruindo brands such as Omo, Comfort, sugar, silk, TRESemmé, Lux, Kibon, Hellmann's, Arisco, Knorr, Becel, cornstarch, AdeS, Dove, Axe and Rexona, Closeup, among others. Each year, the Unilever renews about 70% of its portfolio.