Unilever has announced that since 2008, it has achieved a CO2 reduction of more than one million tons from its manufacturing and logistics operations – equivalent to taking 250,000 cars off the road.

“CO2 emissions and climate change continue to present businesses with significant challenges. But, they also offer opportunities. Our primary focus is to reduce overall energy use by improving the Eco-efficiency of everything we do in our factories, offices and other operations,” said John Maguire, group manufacturing sustainability director, Unilever.

He continued, “We leverage our global scale by selecting ideas that have the best financial and Eco-efficiency payback and then implement them globally. We are also committed to ensuring as much as possible of the energy we use comes from sustainable sources, for example 100% of the electrical energy we buy in Europe and North America comes from renewable sources.”

Maguire also explained that being ‘greener’ is also good business. Since 2008, Unilever’s Eco-efficiency programs have saved over 300 Euros in expenses – including savings in energy, materials, water, and waste disposal. “The benefits are very clear in a world where energy prices are increasing”, Maguire adds.