Unilever has revealed savings of 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) across its manufacturing network since 2008, just three months after it reached its own target on landfill waste.
The improvement has been supported by a 20% reduction in its energy consumption, which has resulted in cost savings of €244m. Unilever’s electrical energy in Europe and North America is already completely renewable, with almost 40% of the electrical energy it uses worldwide coming from renewable sources.
The Anglo-Dutch company said that it would continue to lower its energy usage and switch to more renewable sources of energy where it was cost effective to do so, as it works towards generating 40% of its overall energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020.
Unilever chief supply chain officer Pier Luigi Sigismondi said: “We’re delighted to have hit this milestone in our CO2 reduction.
“Reducing our energy consumption not only cuts our greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent in carbon of 800,000 acres of forest each year – but also cuts our costs. Since 2008, we’ve saved over €244m by reducing our CO2 emissions.
“Across our supply chain we are increasingly turning to energy provided by wind, solar and biomass, converting heat from our manufacturing processes into power for our factories. We are on track to reach our target of 40% renewable energy by 2020.
“Climate change is having a huge impact on the environment and on business. Ahead of Climate Week in Paris, we are continuing to show that sustainability is a driver for growth, and the only long-term option for business in a volatile world.”
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