Sustainable Palm Oil
We share your concerns about the expansion of palm oil production.
Latest Developments
We have secured enough Green Palm certificates of sustainable palm oil to cover the requirements of our Australian, New Zealand and European businesses. This is part of Unilever’s overall commitment to buy all its palm oil from certified sustainable sources by 2015.
Unilever Position on Palm Oil
Palm oil is an important and versatile vegetable oil which is used as a raw material for both food and non-food industries. Up to 40% of what is purchased in the supermarket contains palm oil. Non-edible uses include soap and detergents, candles, cosmetics and printing inks, amongst many others. There is also growing demand for palm oil for use as a biofuel for transport and energy use.
Unilever’s use of palm oil
Unilever uses palm oil ingredients across its portfolio in margarine, soups, sauces, bouillon and ice cream, as well as in some home & personal care products.
We use about 1.4 million tonnes of Palm Oil ingredients per year, which constitutes around 3% of the global supply.
Our commitment to sustainable palm oil
Unilever wants the palm oil industry to become sustainable, where plantations growing palm are RSPO certified hence ensuring no negative environmental and social impact related to them. Unilever is committed to playing a leadership role in this.
In 2008 we committed to buying 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015, as well as supporting a call for an immediate moratorium on further deforestation for palm oil in South East Asia.
Our progress
Unilever is the leader in Palm Oil sustainability. We purchased 180,000 GreenPalm Sustainable Palm Oil certificates in 2009 – this accounts for 15% of our global need and more than 80% of all GreenPalm certificates traded in the year.
In 2010 we plan to buy 360,000 GreenPalm Sustainable Palm Oil certificates - this will account for 30% of our global need.
We will continue to increase the amount of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil we buy until we meet our commitment of 100% by 2015.
We will also continue to drive industry change and set high sustainability standards through working with local NGOs and agencies and within the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Unilever is one of the founders of the RSPO – an industry-led initiative set up in co-operation with the World Wildlife Fund in 2004. The RSPO works with plantation owners, manufacturers, retailers, banks and other NGO partners including Oxfam and Sawit Watch to devise standards for sustainable palm oil production.
We believe in constructive engagement with our suppliers and other stakeholders, including Greenpeace, to make the journey to sustainable palm oil and to break the link between cultivation of palm oil and climate change.
At the same time we will not shy away from taking action when appropriate, as indicated by our announcement to suspend trading with the leading palm oil supplier in Indonesia late last year. This is until such time as they can provide proof that none of their plantations are contributing to the destruction of high conservation value forests and expanding onto peat lands.
Unilever is absolutely committed to sourcing 100% sustainable palm oil. This builds on our strong track-record in developing sustainability over more than a decade, including leading the way on sustainable fish and tea. We will continue our work in partnership with governments, suppliers, NGOs and other users to achieve this.
