Eco-efficiency in manufacturing

Our approach

Reducing the impacts of our own manufacturing operations – with a focus on waste, water and greenhouse gas emissions – is a core part of our strategy.

Our approach is underpinned by our environmental management system which is based on ISO 14001, and centres on setting and reviewing targets for our key performance indicators (KPIs).

Over the past 14 years we have continually improved the way we collect and report data. As a result of these improvements, eco-efficiency data is now reported quarterly rather than at year end. This enables us to monitor our performance more closely and act faster to make improvements.

Target setting

We are currently reviewing our approach to short- and long-term target-setting for our eco-efficiency measures. While continuing to track internal, short-term targets, we will look more closely at our performance against long-term targets.

This provides a more accurate reflection of our progress, since most of our eco-efficiency initiatives yield results over a longer timeframe. We have already adopted this approach for CO2 from energy, and in 2009 we aim to define similar long-term targets for of water and total waste.

Our performance

In 2008 the environmental performance data from 276 manufacturing sites in 69 countries showed that, for our three key performance indicators of CO2 from energy, water and total waste, we improved our eco-efficiency performance in two of them – CO2 from energy and water.

Training

Unilever's Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre conducts eco-efficiency training courses throughout our business. In 2008 we conducted eco-efficiency workshops in Indonesia, China, the UK, Cote d'Ivoire, Israel and South Africa.

Environmental prosecutions & fines

We aim to maintain the highest possible standards of environmental management but occasionally we encounter setbacks. We monitor and report all occurrences of environmental prosecutions and resulting fines associated with infringements, from our manufacturing sites, corporate head offices and research laboratories. In 2008 there was one prosecution for a spillage resulting in non-compliance with liquid effluent discharge limits, resulting in a fine of €873.