Unilever ANZ, manufacturer responsible for brands like Continental and Streets ice cream, has joined the B Corporation (B Corp) community.
The B Corp Certification is independently administered by B Lab and awarded to companies that demonstrate verifiable positive impact through policies and practices across five areas – governance, workers, communities, customers, and the environment.
Under its global sustainable business strategy, The Compass, Unilever ANZ’s actions were integral in becoming certified. The company strove to:
- Foster a diverse and inclusive workforce with gender parity across management;
- Pioneer flexible work with a four-day work week trial in New Zealand;
- Switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity to power its operations;
- Reimagine packaging to reduce plastic waste;
- Collaborate with farmers on Regenerative Agricultural Principles; and
- Drive strong employee engagement around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
“On any given day, millions of Aussie and Kiwi households use our products – we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to use our scale as a force for good. We’re thrilled to achieve B Corp Certification, as both a validation of the actions we’ve implemented across Australia and New Zealand, and a motivator to strive even further,” Unilever ANZ CEO Nicky Sparshott said.
“From the suppliers who provide us essential ingredients and materials; to our team members, the partners that sell our products, and the people who enjoy them every day – we want to create a coalition of the passionate and willing, to galvanise a stronger, more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy for all.”
The CEO of B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Andrew Davies said that when businesses of the size and scale of Unilever ANZ certify, it shows how other businesses can deliver a positive impact.
“Their Certification sends a powerful signal that will further advance change in the consumer goods sector, and our broader global economic system,” he said.
“We need more businesses of all sizes to step up and be accountable, and B Corp Certification is one powerful way to do that. It comes with a significant burden of greater transparency and requires continuous improvement to maintain the Certification over time. It’s a credit to the team at Unilever ANZ that they have been willing and able to achieve this with such a large, complex business.”
Sparshott said becoming B Corp Certified is only the beginning for Unilever ANZ.
“Through our Certification, we’re proving it’s possible to be profitable while simultaneously having a positive impact on people and the planet,” she said.
“Unilever has been striving to make sustainable living commonplace for more than a decade. While we already hold ourselves accountable to our own ambitious targets, achieving Certification adds an extra layer of accountability and encourages us to be even more transparent. We’re already planning how we can turbocharge our positive impact and look forward to sharing our journey with Australians and New Zealanders as we go.”