Unilever was also elected leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI World) in the food and beverage sector for the ninth consecutive year.
"Best in Class" in climate change disclosure
9th year running as Dow Jones Sustainability Index leader in Foods and Beverages
The CDP report is a survey of the responses of "Financial Times 500" corporations on the issue of climate change. In the report, Unilever was included in the "Climate Disclosure Leadership Index", a prestigious honour roll for global corporations addressing the challenges of climate change.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index researchers highlighted Unilever's sustainability performance in the food industry in a two-page report, mentioning Unilever's Choices programme – a nutrition labelling system designed to make it easier for consumers to identify healthier food options, and Swasthya Chetna – the ambitious hygiene programme in India, as key areas of recognition.
Patrick Cescau, group chief executive of Unilever, said: "The consistent success of Unilever in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index reflects the impact of our long-standing commitments to responsible business behaviour. These external, objective indicators demonstrate our progress both in improving social and environmental performance and of disclosure in an area that is increasingly important to investors."
Gavin Neath, SVP global corporate responsibility said: "Sustainability is an integral part of running Unilever's business successfully. By educating consumers in countries such as India or China about nutrition and personal hygiene, we ensure not only a better quality of life, but also a greater foothold in emerging markets, which account for over 40% of global revenues."
For further information, please contact:
Unilever London office: Trevor Gorin/Tim Johns + 44 207 822 6010
Unilever Rotterdam office: Gerbert van Genderen Stort/Tanno Massar + 31 10 217 4844
Notes to editors:
About the Carbon Disclosure Project
The Carbon Disclosure Project is a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in New York, and today is a coalition of over 315 global investors with more than $41 trillion in assets.
The Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) is produced by report writers Innovest. It is comprised of 68 FT500 companies that show distinction in their responses to the Carbon Disclosure Project survey based on their reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and assessment of their climate change strategies.
Climate Disclosure Leadership Index members were distinguished by the disclosure of their awareness of the risks and opportunities of climate change, as well as the quality and effectiveness of programs put in place to reduce overall greenhouse gas reductions.
Full details on CDP, the CDP reports and the responses from corporations can be found at www.cdproject.net. The CDP5 report was written by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors www.innovestgroup.com
About Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
Launched in 1999 the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide.
The annual review is based on a thorough assessment of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, accounting for issues such as corporate governance, climate change, supply chain standards and labour practices.
The DJSI are compiled by SAM Group, a Swiss financial services company specialising in sustainable investment. Its research identifies the most sustainable companies in the Dow Jones World and European STOXX indexes.
More details on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes can be found on http://www.sustainability-index.com
