Oct 19, 2020
The Anglo-Dutch consumer giant – Unilever is vexing ways to win over customers with a socially responsible makeover, but activists believe that is just cosmetic. It has introduced a series of initiatives intended at making it, the world’s most sustainable company, while also taking a position on issues such as racism.
Unilever has recently promised to halve its use of plastic by 2025, eliminate the use of fossil fuels in cleaning products by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2039. Chief executive Alan Jope has himself said that “woke-washing is beginning to infect our industry”, warning against companies promising action on social and environmental causes without following through.
But according to Meike Rijksen, campaigner for plastic at Greenpeace Netherlands, the multinational behind, Lipton tea, and Knorr soups is “still a big polluter” and is doing more then most companies, but it is by far not enough.
Unilever remains the fourth biggest producer of plastics polluting the planet, behind Coca-Cola, Nestle, and PepsiCo, according to a report in 2019 by Break Free from Plastics, a global coalition of NGOs.
Greenpeace urged the firm to invest in renewable materials across its activities and to eliminate single-use plastics. Though Unilever has claimed that “responsible” corporate conduct is good business since it will attract young, more environmentally-conscious customers.
Unilever was one of the first major firms to join a boycott on advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the US until the end of 2020 due to the “polarized election period” there. And it’s Indian and Bangladeshi arms would rename their locally marketed “Fair & Lovely” skin-lightening cream in the face of the global “Black Lives Matter” protests.
Meanwhile, the group has also been adding some more “green” to its stable of 400 brands.
Unilever has also announced a zero-deforestation policy and a “responsible” method of choosing suppliers for meat, palm oil and soya, three products notorious for contributing to the problem.
Greenpeace, however, feared that Unilever was effectively “greenwashing” its image, as their whole business model is still based on environmental destruction. In the meantime, they are being praised internationally for their action on sustainability — that is worrying,” said Meike Rijksen.
As one of the world’s biggest producers of food and consumer goods, Unilever had to set a genuine example in bringing about a “fundamental change in the broken system”. They can and they should take this responsibility,” added Rijksen.