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Awards & recognition

We participate in a number of specialist external corporate ratings and rankings.

Highlights

Specialist agencies and organisations, including environmental groups, responsible investment analysts, academics and institutes, publish a variety of ratings and rankings of our global performance. Sometimes this is a result of our engagement with them through questionnaires and in-depth discussions, and sometimes it is the agencies' own research, in part analysing the data and information we disclose on our website and through our annual online USLP Progress Report.

Here are some highlights of awards and recognition we have received from external bodies on our social, economic and environmental performance since 2010:

2019

Unilever was again ranked leader of the Personal Products sector in 2019. Since taking part in the annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment, Unilever has held the top of its sector 20 times.

DJSI 2019 results

Unilever was awarded the top corporate leadership ranking in the 2019 Sustainability Leaders survey, for the ninth year running (2011-2019).

GlobeScan/SustainAbility Leaders Report 2019

The Gartner Global Top 25 Supply Chain ranking assesses business performance and peer company and Gartner analyst opinions. In May 2019, Unilever entered the Masters category in recognition of its inclusion in the top 5 over 2013-2019.

Gartner Supply Chain Leadership

2018

Unilever increased its score to 6.7 and was named No 2 in 2018’s Global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI), an independent rating of the nutrition programmes of the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturers. ATNI commended our consistent focus on health and nutrition in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), responsible approach to marketing, Global Maternal Wellbeing Standard and efforts to address undernutrition.

ATNI Global Index

Sustainability award

Unilever was named leader of the Personal Products sector again in 2018. Since partaking in the annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment, Unilever has been top of its sector 19 times.

DJSI 2018 results

The Dutch Transparency Benchmark, annual research carried out on the content and quality of corporate social responsibility reports of Dutch companies. Unilever scored 185 points out of 200 in 2018.

Dutch Transparency Benchmark ranking

Unilever was awarded the top corporate leadership ranking in the 2018 Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth consecutive year.

GlobeScan/SustainAbility Leaders Report 2018 (PDF - 817kB)

In September 2018, Unilever was awarded the top ranking in the 2018 Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for the third year running.

Gartner Supply Chain Leadership

CDP - Driving sustainable solutions

In 2018, CDP recognised Unilever as one of it’s highest ranking companies, with A- performance grades on three of four commodities: timber, palm oil and cattle products. Unilever scored a B for Soy.

CDP - Driving sustainable solutions

In 2018 CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on climate change for the 14th consecutive year. Named in the 'A List', we achieved a Performance Band A grade for the seventh year running.

CDP Climate Leadership

CDP - Driving sustainable solutions

In 2018, Unilever scored a Performance Band B for CDP Water Security.

For the second time, Unilever was ranked first in Know the Chain’s Food and Beverage Benchmark which assesses how companies are tackling forced labour abuses in global supply chains. Unilever scored 69 out of 100 in 2018.

Know the Chain Food and Beverage Benchmark 2018

The Benchmark assesses human rights progress across the apparel, agricultural products and extractives industries. In 2018 Unilever was ranked second in the agricultural products sector and fifth overall with a score of 67.3 out of 100.

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

2017

CDP logo

In 2017, CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for supplier engagement. We were one of only 58 companies to be awarded a Performance Band A rating and named in the 'Supplier Engagament A List'.

CDP Supplier Engagement Leadership (PDF | 5MB)

CDP logo

In 2017, CDP awarded Unilever leadership and A performance grades on all four assessed commodities: Timber, Palm Oil, Cattle Products and Soy.

CDP Forests Leadership

CDP logo

In 2017 CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on climate change for the 13th consecutive year. Named in the 'A List', we achieved a Performance Band A grade for the sixth year running.

CDP Climate Leadership

CDP logo

In 2017, CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on water. We were one of only 73 companies to be awarded a Performance Band A rating and named in the 'Water A List'.

CDP Water Leadership

The Dutch Transparency Benchmark, annual research carried out on the content and quality of corporate social responsibility reports of Dutch companies. Unilever scored 185 points out of 200 in 2017.

Dutch Transparency Benchmark ranking

DJSI logo

Unilever was named leader of the Personal Products sector with a score of 89 out of 100.

DJSI 2017 results

Unilever was awarded the top corporate leadership ranking in the 2017 Sustainability Leaders survey, for the seventh consecutive year. GlobeScan/SustAinability asked over 1,000 expert stakeholders representing business, government, NGOs and academia across 79 countries who they considered to be the corporate leaders in sustainability.

GlobeScan/SustAinability top ranking for seventh consecutive year

In September 2017, Unilever was awarded the top ranking in the 2017 Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for the second year running.

Gartner Supply Chain leadership

The Benchmark assesses human rights progress across the apparel, agricultural products and extractives industries. In 2017 Unilever was ranked third in the agricultural products sector and sixth overall with a score of 55 out of 100.

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

2016

CDP logo

In 2016, CDP awarded Unilever leadership and A performance grades on all four assessed commodities: Timber, Palm Oil, Cattle Products and Soy.

CDP Forests

The Dutch Transparency Benchmark, annual research carried out on the content and quality of corporate social responsibility reports of Dutch companies, scored Unilever in fourth place with 193 points out of 200. Unilever achieved the highest ranking of all assessed multinational companies.

CDP logo

In 2016, CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on water. We were one of only eight companies in the Consumer Staples sector to be awarded a Performance Band A rating and named in the ‘Water A List.

CDP Water

CDP logo

In 2016 CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on climate change for the 12th consecutive year. Named in the ‘A List’, we achieved a Performance Band A grade for the fifth year running.

CDP Climate

DJSI logo

Following 15 years of industry group leadership in the Foods, Beverage & Tobacco Industry Group, Unilever was named leader of the Household & Personal Products Industry Group with a score of 92 out of 100. We were also selected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) following our participation in the 2016 RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

Unilever was awarded the top corporate leadership ranking in the 2016 Sustainability Leaders survey (published in June 2016) from GlobeScan/SustainAbility – and for the first time in partnership with Sustainable Brands - for the sixth consecutive year. GlobeScan and SustainAbility asked over 900 expert stakeholders representing business, government, NGOs and academia across 84 countries who they considered to be the corporate leaders in sustainability.

GlobeScan/SustainAbility Survey

In May 2016, Unilever was awarded the top ranking in the 2016 Gartner Supply Chain Top 25.

Gartner Supply Chain Top 25

Unilever awarded top position with a 74% score in the latest Oxfam Behind the Brands Scorecard, published in April 2016. The campaign assesses and rates agricultural sourcing policies of the world’s ten largest food and beverage companies.

Unilever was ranked first in Know the Chain’s new Food and Beverage Benchmark on how companies are tackling forced labour abuses in global supply chains. Unilever scored 65 out of 100 in 2016.

Know the Chain

CDP logo

Unilever recognised as one of the leading 71 companies in CDP’s Supplier Climate A List, published in January 2016.

CDP

Unilever scored 6.4 out of 10 to lead the second Global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI), a ranking of the world’s 22 largest food companies based on their contribution to tackling obesity and undernutrition. We were commended in the 2016 Index for our work on product reformulation and nutrition labelling.

Access to Nutrition Index

RobecoSAM logo

Following RobecoSAM’s annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment, Unilever received the Industry Leader, Gold Class Sustainability Award 2016 in January for its ‘excellent sustainability performance’.

RobecoSAM

Unilever was recognised for its transparent sustainability reporting at PwC's Building Public Trust Awards in November 2016. The judges commented:

Winner of this award in 2012, Unilever regains top spot with a report that is founded on a clear strategy, and which benchmarks the company’s entire value chain against both short- and long-term sustainability goals. The deep integration of sustainability into the business strategy shines through, not least in the excellent case studies, which show how Unilever is capitalising on the opportunities presented by sustainability and how this contributes to its business success. 

There is also detailed disclosure of the measures to incentivise employees to deliver the company’s Sustainable Living Plan, including linking progress on sustainability to executive remuneration. One judge commented: “This report shows the potential for a truly global business to impact the world positively, by acting in a responsible way that builds trust though a commitment to sustainability.”

2015

CDP logo

In December 2015, CDP changed the scoring methodology for its Forests information request that provided deforestation-risk related information to investors. Unilever was placed in the Food and Beverage Processing sector, and achieved leadership on three commodities: Timber, Cattle products and Soy.

CDP Forests

DJSI logo

For the 15th time in 16 years, Unilever was named leader of the Food, Beverage & Tobacco Industry Group with a score of 92 out of 100. We were also selected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) following our participation in the 2015 RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

The Transparency Benchmark, annual research carried out on the content and quality of corporate social responsibility reports of Dutch companies, scored Unilever in 3rd position with 194 points out of 200 (up from 5th in 2014)

CDP logo

In 2015 CDP recognised Unilever as a world leader for corporate action on climate change for the 11th consecutive year. Named in the ‘A List’, we maintained Performance Band A for the fourth year running and scored 100 for Disclosure, up from 99 in 2014 and 85 in 2013.

CDP Climate

CDP logo

Unilever was awarded a Performance Band B rating in the latest CDP Water questionnaire, announced in October 2015.

CDP Water

Carbon Clear’s annual ranking of carbon reporting performance of FTSE 100 companies placed Unilever in joint 4th, with a score of 82%.

Carbon Clear

Included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since its inception in 2001. Unilever scored 4.9 out of 5 in the latest FTSE ESG Ratings Profile.

FTSE4Good

Unilever was awarded the top ranking in the 2015 Sustainability Leaders survey (published in May 2015) from GlobeScan/SustainAbility for the fifth consecutive year. GlobeScan and SustainAbility asked over 800 expert stakeholders representing business, government, NGOs and academia across 82 countries who they considered to be the corporate leaders in the area of sustainability.

GlobeScan and SustainAbility said that: 'Consistent with the past four years, Unilever's global reputation among corporations is judged by experts to be unparalleled, with the leadership gap this year widening even further. This is a remarkable achievement by the company, especially since past leaders have tended to falter or be supplanted by others within a few years of claiming the top of the ranking.'

GlobeScan/SustainAbility Survey

Unilever awarded top position with a 71% score in the latest Oxfam Behind the Brands Scorecard, published in March 2015. The campaign assesses and rates agricultural sourcing policies of the world’s ten largest food and beverage companies.

Oxfam Behind the Brands

2014

CDP logo

Unilever ranked joint leader of the Packaged Foods & Meats / Brewers and Soft Drinks sector for corporate action on tackling deforestation in CDP’s Global Forests Report, published in November 2014. We have disclosed our forest footprint since 2009.

CDP Forests

The international 2014 Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development was presented to our former CEO, Paul Polman. The judges cited his transformative leadership, courage and commitment in a corporate world where environmental and social values are often overshadowed by more short-term financial interests.

DJSI logo

Unilever recognised by RobecoSAM as being one of only 15 companies globally to have participated in DJSI since it began in 1999

Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

Unilever was Large Business winner at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICAEW) Finance for the Future Awards 2014 for the development of a methodology and tool that ranks our products in both financial and sustainability terms.

In September Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) won the Porter Prize 2014 for “Creating Shared Value” for its work on Project Shakti.

Unilever retains its top ranking in the latest 2014 Sustainability Leaders survey from GlobeScan/SustainAbility for the fourth consecutive year.

GlobeScan/SustainAbility Survey

In 2014 Unilever was third in Carbon Clear's annual ranking of carbon measurement and reporting practices of FTSE 100 companies, with a score of 82%, up from 77% in 2013.

Carbon Clear

Unilever was the top performer overall with a score of 96% and also led the Food and Beverage sector for the second consecutive year in the Tomorrow’s Value Rating (TVR) 2014 of corporate sustainability practices published by DNV GL.

2013

Unilever wins Best Sustainability and Stakeholder Disclosure FTSE 100 Award from The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in November 2013.

ICSA

Access to nutrition index

Unilever was rated second overall in the first Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) Global Index 2013, with top rankings for undernutrition and also the Products, Lifestyles and Engagement categories. ATNI publicly rates the world's largest food and beverage manufacturers on their nutrition-related policies, practices and performance.

Access to Nutrition Index

In December the World Environment Center awarded Unilever its 2013 Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development.

Unilever ranked No. 2 in new science-based carbon emissions study published by Climate Counts in December 2013.

2012

Unilever was recognised for its transparent sustainability reporting at PwC's Building Public Trust Awards in November 2012.

In 2012, Unilever and our former CEO Paul Polman received the C K Prahalad Award from the Corporate Economic Forum (CEF) for matching a bold vision of long term capitalism with impressive action on sustainability through our Sustainable Living Plan.

At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Unilever was a winner of the 2012 World Business and Development Awards (WBDA) for our efforts to improve living standards in some of the world's most disadvantaged communities.

World Business and Development Awards

Unilever won the first FTSE4Good Sir Mervyn Pedelty Award in 2012 which recognises companies that integrate environmental and social performance into business strategy.

FTSE4Good

Unilever was named the Corporate Responsibility category winner at the FT's Boldness in Business Awards.

Unilever retains Platinum Plus status in Business in the Community's 10th Corporate Responsibility Index, published in March 2012.

Business in the Community

2011

In 2011, we scored eight out of nine points in the second WWF Scorecard which assesses the palm oil buying practices of 132 European, Australian and Japanese companies. We scored 24.5 out of 29 in the first Scorecard in 2009 assessing 59 European companies.

WWF

At the International Green Awards 2011, Unilever was the overall Grand Prix winner across 20 categories for our work on behaviour change. We were also the Gold winner in the Best Green International Large Business category which recognises organisations that have demonstrated true innovation, thought leadership and a commitment to sustainability.

International Green Awards

Unilever was named most advanced company for responsible governance in the Stoxx Europe 50 index of companies by the French Social Investment Forum (FIR) and corporate responsibility ratings agency, Vigeo.

Unilever was awarded Ethical Corporation's top Responsible Business Award 2011.

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