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Unilever Scored 89 On ESG Evaluation, With Best-In-Class Preparedness

S&P Global Ratings said today that Unilever PLC/NV scored 89 in its Environmental, Social, And Governance (ESG) Evaluation

Brand Provided | By Unilever | Published 4 years ago | About a 5 minute read

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Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational and one of the largest global fast-moving consumer goods companies, with more than 400 brands across 190 countries, employing around 161,000 people. Unilever's ESG Evaluation score of 89 reflects its focus on sustainability, which we view as well embedded in its long-term strategy and decision-making process.

Unilever's best-in-class preparedness assessment speaks to its vantage point on consumer behavior, the inclusion of a broad set of environmental, social, and other factors into its long-term strategy, and its continuous ability to innovate and adapt.

Unilever's environmental profile reflects our view of the company's ability to achieve its ambitious environmental targets, with a strong focus on mitigating impacts across the entire value chain. Like other players in the industry, Unilever is exposed to complex issues like plastic usage. The majority (60%) of Unilever's waste is from plastic packaging, but waste recycling has been robust, at above 95% of total waste. The company also recently announced its efforts to recycle black plastic waste.

Unilever's social score reflects its social values that extend across the supply chain, with a commitment to an inclusive culture, a gender-balanced workforce, and improving health and well-being. We believe that the practices on workforce, diversity, and employee benefits are in line with global standards. We recognize Unilever's significant lead in community spending, relatively ambitious targets on women managers, and strong consumer engagement.

The governance score benefits from the company's strong leadership direction on sustainable business, robust governance structure, comprehensive disclosures, and extensive transparency and reporting. The board is also relatively independent, and well-diversified in terms of gender, nationality, and skillset, positively comparing to global peers. We also observe strategic stability over successive CEOs.

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