ABSTRACT

Our (Unilever) purpose is to make sustainable living a commonplace. We want to do more good for our planet and our society – not just less harm. We want to act on the social and environmental issues facing the world and we want to enhance people’s lives with our products.

We live this purpose through our Sustainable growth model underpinned by purposeful products, people and partnership. Planet and Society is at the core of our model and one of fundamental sub-component is "Protect and Regenerate nature".

Nature is in danger – and time is running out. Never have we been more sure about the damage humans are doing to the planet, and never before has the destruction been so rapid. We can’t go on like this. We need to completely transform the system. So we as Unilever are challenging ourselves to achieve higher standards than ever before.

This starts with protecting the precious and irreplaceable ecosystems that already exist - like forests, peatlands and tropical rainforests. By 2023, we will have a deforestation-free supply chain in palm oil so anyone who uses a Unilever product containing any of these commodities can enjoy it knowing that these commodities have not contributed to forest destruction.

Four key principles for NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat Land and No Exploitation) Palm Sourcing are:

1. Protecting natural ecosystems from deforestation and conversion
2. Respecting and promoting human rights
3. Transparency and traceability
4. Being a force for good for nature and people

Recognising the need, Unilever decided to invest in backward integration to support our NDPE ambition. The journey had been quite challenging but has been a very important part of our sustainable sourcing. New opportunities were created to engage with many Small Hold Farmers (SHFs) in a more purposeful manner. Kuala Tanjong port, completed by the Indonesian govt has significantly improved the logistics. The infrastructure around the SEZ is improving aiding the expansion of our operations at the same location.

Tackling the complex social and environmental issues in the palm oil supply chain requires more than policy commitments – it requires the transformation of an industry. We must go beyond our own conventional supply chain and partner with multiple public & private stake holders. We are taking first steps and need all of us to walk together to make sustainable palm a common place.

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