Unilever, one of the world?s leading FMCG companies and owner of global brands such as Lipton, Lifebuoy, and Dove has announced the most recent results of its Unilever MENA Sustainable Living Plan in an event held at Dubai Chamber, Deira on May 25^th 2015.

The ?Unilever MENA Sustainable Living Plan?(launched in 2012) calls for growing Unilever?s business, while reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its positive social impact. The plan has so far delivered growth for Unilever?s brands that have a social purpose, and delivered savings via cost avoidance by reducing the environmental impact of its operations and enhancing the livelihoods of those within its value chain.  

The Unilever MENA Sustainable Living Plan is a way of driving business growth in a responsible manner that also creates socio-environmental change.

Unilever has made considerable progress towards their 2020 goals of improving the health & hygiene of 50 million people, halving their environmental impact and improving the livelihoods of thousands in collaboration with their Sustainability Partners.

Since the introduction of the Plan in 2012, Unilever MENA?s Health and Hygiene programme has reached up to 19 million consumers. Sustainability initiatives have helped deepen brand equities, while driving increased consumer preference, thus generating an Incremental Turnover (iTO) of EUR 7 million (AED 28.65 million) for Unilever?s Signal and Lifebuoy brands.

On the Environmental front, while Unilever has increased production volumes by 31 percent since 2008, its eco efficiency measures have led to a 26% GJ/per tonne reduction in its energy use. This is equivalent to 75,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, or getting 16,270 cars off the road, which has saved the business EUR 5 million (AED 21 million).

Unilever MENA has also reduced the water consumption in its manufacturing units and some office sites in MENA and has thus achieved a water consumption reduction of 5% m3/tonne. 

Unilever?s ?Water Savers? campaign, which was launched to educate consumers on water conservation, has reached close to 13.5 million consumers, resulting in an iTO of EUR 2,278,744 (AED 9.54 million) for its ?Water Savers? brands such as ?Lux Shower Gel?, ?Lux Sunlight?, ?Comfort? and ?Lifebuoy Hand Wash?. Brand sales have crossed 5,300 tonnes in terms of volume since the introduction of the program in 2013.  

All 9 Unilever MENA factories have achieved the goal of ?Zero Waste to Landfill,? as has the Unilever MENA HQ in Dubai. Non-hazardous waste going to landfill has also been reduced 64 percent overall when operations are included.

Unilever MENA has also been running several ?enhancing livelihoods? programs as part of its Sustainable Living Plan. These programs have resulted in an incremental turnover of EUR 13,919,780 (AED 58 million approximately). Project ?Baqala?, the Gulf-wide programme that trains small grocery owners and budding retail entrepreneurs to manage their shops has trained 17,681 grocers between 2012 and 2014 in the science of retail and small business management.

In Egypt, Project ?Zineb? has improved the livelihoods of 2000 disadvantaged females by proving them with literacy, sales training, microloans through an NGO partner, and the opportunity to sell Unilever products.

Project ?Safeer?, which is Project Zineb?s counterpart for men, has trained 550 young and educated, yet unemployed men to seek earning power by selling Unilever products.

A highlight of the event was the signing of a MoU between Unilever MENA and the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA). The agreement, which calls for SEWA and Unilever MENA to collaborate in educating consumers towards water conservation.

My respect for the brand has grown multifold after reading this positive news . This also proves that it is not difficult for buisnesses to achieve growth in turnover even by following environmently friendly practices & operations.

Source :

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