Unilever 2013
IN THE ­BENELUX
Growing together for
a ­sustainable future
Helping to
raise self-esteem
all over the world
Esther van Spronsen,
Senior Brand Building Manager Skin
Unilever The Netherlands
Growing our business
while making our
planet healthier
Willem Sleurs,
Business Team Leader
Ice Cream
Unilever Belgium
Taking up the challenge
with real innovations
Monique Gerichhausen,
Nutrition & Health Manager
Unilever Benelux
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
Frank Weijers, Chairman Unilever Benelux:
Growing together for
a sustainable future
“Growth is vital to our company. But we believe that growth
should go further than resounding sales figures and an attractive
share price. All over the world our growth creates jobs and
incomes for hundreds of thousands of people and their families.
For the suppliers of our raw materials, for example, hundreds of
thousands of farmers, but also for our own employees. We believe
that growth should not be at the expense of the world in which we
live. And that's why we work day in and day out to find new ways
of doing business sustainably.”
Our compass
“Our global Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is an invaluable
compass in this respect, and the source of inspiration behind all
our activities. It gives direction to our intention to prove that
sustainability and profitable growth can go hand in hand. This
Plan goes far beyond reducing environmental impact, with which
sustainability is often associated. Improving the health and
well-being of over one billion people and sourcing 100% of our
agricultural raw materials from sustainable agriculture are also
targets to which we commit ourselves every day and which we
look to achieve via smart partnerships.”
Consumers’ help
“Moreover, we not only consider our own products, but we take
responsibility for the entire value chain: for our suppliers and
distributors, for example, but also for the consumers who use
our products. Research has shown that more than 85% of the
environmental impact of washing and showering lies in the
so-called consumer use phase. Achieving a real behavioural
change is therefore one of our biggest challenges, which in
the Netherlands we are tackling together with the World Wide
Fund for Nature.”
Into focus
“The goal of doubling our turnover and reducing our
environmental impact by 2020 is incredibly inspiring and is
supported by some 50 specific commitments. It puts all our
employees all over the world – including the Benelux – into
focus and challenges them time and again to bring out the best
in themselves and each other. This brochure shows what their
passion and vision can lead to in practice and also includes key
facts and figures about Unilever in the Benelux.”
www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl
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Targets Unilever
­Sustainable Living Plan
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
By 2020 we will help more than a billion people
take action to improve their health and well-being.
REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
By 2020 we will halve the environmental footprint
of the making and use of our products as we grow
our business.
ENHANCING LIVELIHOODS
By 2020 we will enhance the livelihoods of
hundreds of thousands of people as we
grow our business.
Health and well-being are an important pillar of the
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. We will continually
work to improve the taste and nutritional quality of
our products to help people to achieve a healthier
diet. And how do we do that? Gerda, Monique and
Edwin like to tell us more; read their stories in this
brochure.
Rianne Leenen,
Head of Nutrition & Health
Unilever Benelux
Unilever is an organisation in transition.
I am proud to see how sustainability
is coming to life among our people.
Employees are rising to the challenge
and see for themselves how they can
give sustainability a key place in their
daily work. This makes the Sustainable
Living Plan increasingly integrated into
the organisation. I would say: read the
personal stories and find out.
Anniek Mauser,
Sustainability Director
Unilever Benelux
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Gerda Feunekes, Global Director Nutrition Savoury Unilever:
HONEST AS SALT
“Worldwide, we are all eating too much salt. Often double –
10 grams – of what the World Health Organisation recommends
per day. The intake of too much salt significantly increases
the risk of high blood pressure which is a major cause of
cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, we have worked for
about six years at Unilever Research & Development worldwide
on the reformulation of our recipes and on innovations that
enable the use of less salt in our products. Without compromising
on taste of course. For example, by using aromas, herbs and
spices that add more flavour and fragrance, so we can reduce
the salt percentage. Or by using alternative salts that are not
harmful to health."
Finding creative ways
“To date we have achieved significant reductions in salt, but
now comes the crunch: can we find creative ways to reduce the
salt percentage in our products further? Can we make it easier
for consumers to move towards the norm of 5 grams per day?
That is a huge challenge and one that we are not tackling on
our own, but in partnerships. For example, the ingredients
that we purchase from our suppliers, such as cheese and soy
sauce, also contain much salt. The entire chain – other food
manufacturers, suppliers, restaurants – must take steps.”
Increasing consumer awareness
“But perhaps the biggest challenge is to get consumers to
consciously choose products with less salt, to get them to
accept that "less salt" is not the same as "less flavour". We
work hard on increasing awareness; our online salt test in
the Benelux is a successful example. In addition, we have
a worldwide partnership with the International Union of
Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). They focus on reducing chronic
diseases, for instance by raising consumer awareness of the
dangers of too much salt.”
Check out the video on salt reduction in the section Sustainable
Living on www.unilever.nl and www.unilever.be.
www.zouttest.be / www.zouttest.nl
The intake of too much salt significantly
increases the risk of high blood pressure.
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Monique Gerichhausen, Nutrition & Health Manager Unilever Benelux:
TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE
WITH REAL
­INNOVATIONS
“Every day we work to further improve the nutritional quality of
our products. As a nutritionist I know how important innovations
are to this. Thanks to breakthrough technology we were able
to introduce renewed Becel with a modified fat percentage in
the Netherlands in May 2012. Until recently, Becel Dieet in the
Netherlands was a 60% fat product, now we managed to reduce
the percentage to 45%. The Light version only contains 30% fat.
Although fats are not bad – in fact, our body needs them – we want
to give consumers a choice. Renewed Becel is for people who
want to use less fat without compromising on the intake of good,
essential fats, such as alpha-linolenic acid (Omega 3) and linoleic
acid (Omega 6)."
Less hard fat
“My colleagues at Research & Development have worked on the
new technology for years. Part of the making of margarine is the
separate mixing of fat-soluble ingredients and water-soluble
ingredients. Then, these two are added together and an emulsion
is made. The new technology enables the hard fat that is needed
for the typical margarine texture to be added later in the process,
so we need less of it."
Foresight
“Dietitians who say that people who eat healthy and varied food
and get enough exercise do not have to use low-fat products,
are right. Energy intake and energy use are in fact in balance
then. But the reality is that obesity is a growing problem. I think
manufacturers should play a role there, by offering quality
products with a lower fat content. And with all our expertise we
are taking up the challenge. Our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan
is helping us. It provides direction, stimulates and makes efforts
visible. I am proud to work at a company with such foresight.
Because that is what is needed to leave the world to our children
in good condition.”
www.becel.be / www.becel.nl
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Until recently, Becel Dieet in the Netherlands
was a 60% fat product, now we managed to
reduce the percentage to 45%.
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Esther van Spronsen, Senior Brand Building Manager Skin
Unilever The Netherlands:
HELPING TO
raise SELF-ESTEEM
ALL OVER THE WORLD
“'Which Kate Winslet do you like best? Kate in a sports outfit or Kate on the red carpet,
in evening dress with matching accessories and makeup? "One of the questions we ask
secondary school students at the Dove Self Esteem Workshop. This lesson package
helps adolescent girls to develop a better self-image in a playful way. Since 2006 the
Dutch Municipal Health Services have organised the workshop during theme weeks in
schools. This way we have already reached 400,000 young girls in the Netherlands. The
most frequent answer? "Kate in evening dress - much nicer," is what the girls say, while
the boys say, "the other Kate is probably a lot more fun!"
The problem is shifting
“What follows is a group discussion in which it quickly becomes apparent that everyone
has their insecurities. Entering into dialogue with this group is really necessary! Our
surveys show that only 4% of all women worldwide find themselves beautiful. In the
Netherlands the percentage is even lower, 1%! And the problem – low self-esteem,
insecurity – is shifting. From adolescent girls to even younger girls aged nine, ten. It even
causes six out of ten girls to stop doing what they like, such as ballet, swimming lessons
or gymnastics. That is why it is important that we have increased the ambition in our
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan: in 2015 we want to have helped 15 million girls
worldwide with our educational programmes."
Dove Self-Esteem Month
“To gain a large target audience’s attention in one go, in the Netherlands we have
created the Dove Self Esteem Month which was held in November 2012. During that
month we organised various activities and workshops for young girls to help them
increase their self-confidence. And for their mothers, who are important links. Just
imagine: a mother who is visibly dissatisfied with her appearance – who is always dieting
and, for example, always compulsively looks at herself in the mirror… It directly
influences their daughters’ self-esteem. I believe that the attention Unilever pays to
health and well-being and the concrete targets in our Plan are unique and relevant in
the beauty industry. It makes me proud that together we can actually influence the
behaviour of these girls.”
www.dove.com
And the problem is shifting; from adolescent
girls to girls aged nine or ten.
99
Edwin van Gent, Chef at Unilever Food Solutions:
WHY NOT
POACH
A FILLET OF BEEF?
Unilever Food Solutions helps chefs worldwide to prepare
delicious, nutritious meals, so that their customers keep
coming back.
“At your favourite restaurant, would you choose to have fries or
a baked potato? I wouldn’t hesitate for a second and go for the
potato; much tastier. Our World Menu Report – an annual survey
of consumer needs focusing on eating out of home – shows that
consumers in a restaurant are definitely charmed by the healthier
options on the menu, but that they would also like to treat
themselves to something really tasty.”
Small nuances
“As a chef, I love to demonstrate to chefs that healthier food can
taste really good and that by adding small touches to their star
dishes they can make a positive contribution to the health of their
guests. By using less bad fats and more vegetables, you can
easily make a meal much healthier. So, why not poach your fillet
of beef for once in a rich beef stock with seaweed and crispy
spring onions?"
"And a tip: serve with chopsticks and your guests will eat more
consciously and will feel full faster. And if you replace those
heavy sauces and gravy – often made with plenty of starch –
with lighter variants, and always serve them separately so your
guests can decide how much they add...”
Green tea noodles
“Also important are the presentation and the descriptions on
the menu: a guest is more likely to choose pink roast beef,
instead of the burger, if you give the dish an attractive name.
And few people will get excited by a dish with buckwheat
noodles, whereas organic green tea noodles – same product,
different name – captures the imagination much more. In
this way we are helping chefs to have their guests choose
a healthier meal and thus we are making a contribution to
tackling the growing obesity problem. Nice job, isn’t it?!”
www.unileverfoodsolutions.be
www.unileverfoodsolutions.nl
www.unileverfoodsolutions.com
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Jan van Noord, Manager Quality, Safety, Health & Environment Unilever The Netherlands:
QUITE FANATICAL AT BEING
ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE AT
HOME, HERE I CAN DO THINGS
ON A LARGER SCALE
Of all measures taken in the past year to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions
in our factory at the Rotterdam Nassaukade, commissioning the newly built power plant
has had by far the most impact.
“In our new power plant electricity is generated by a gas engine. The heat generated in this process
is collected and reused, which basically provides the greatest environmental benefits. It is state-ofthe-art machinery, which has enabled us to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by a
quarter, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 1,700 Dutch households.
With the ambitions of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan as a starting point, the commitment and
the means to manage something this big were fully present. So, the investment was not the biggest
problem. It was primarily a challenge to build the new power plant and decommission the old one
while keeping production running. Every day, more than a thousand pallets of finished products leave
the door here, so a day without electricity is not an option!”
Motivating colleagues
“But we are doing more to reduce our environmental impact. Since 2011 we are working with one
single waste treatment company that recycles all our waste. For example, our margarine waste can
now be used for power generation and biodiesel. What I'd like is the minor improvements – such as
separating waste, switching off the lights more often and waste water reduction – becoming even
more visible to employees. Through better communication, we can further increase their
commitment. I think it is important and also fun to motivate my colleagues and further involve them
in the big sustainability ambitions of our business. At home I am quite fanatical at being
environmentally aware, it's great that here I can do things on a larger scale. My next challenge?
Although all our waste is already recycled, it should definitely be possible to reduce the total
amount of waste by 10% per year in the coming years.”
But we are doing more to reduce our
environmental impact. Since 2011 we are
working with one single waste treatment
company that recycles all our waste.
1111
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
500,000 pigs already
have better lives.
Marieke Bos, Brand Manager Unox, Unilever The Netherlands:
MORE ANIMAL-FRIENDLY MEAT?
IT JUST HAD TO BE
POSSIBLE!
"When I joined Unilever in 2010, I associated Unox primarily
with the fun of the New Year’s Dive and eating sausage and
mash together. Until – very soon afterwards – I started receiving
emails from concerned animal rights groups about abuses in
the meat-processing industry. And although the reality is less
severe than the videos on the internet would have you believe,
it still pained me. So I decided: more animal-friendly meat
in our Unox products, it just had to be possible! Our Unilever
Sustainable Living Plan supported me in that thought. The
management offered me the chance to explore the possibilities,
and with a team of five and a camera we took to the road,
visited pig farms – to map out our entire supply chain. We
worked in close cooperation with the Dutch Animal Protection
Organisation (Dierenbescherming) and interviewed stakeholders
and consumers, visited abattoirs, scientists, and farmers of
course, who are assessed against the Dierenbescherming’s
star system. That’s how we gained a very good insight into the
problems and the opportunities for improvement.”
Lots of calculations
“The biggest challenge was to get the necessary amount of
animal-friendly meat together. We made lots of calculations
during that period: how much meat is needed to ensure
production and where can we buy that type of meat? We knew
that it would not be feasible to make the complete switch all at
once. Luckily, we found farmers in Scotland who could deliver.
Eventually, we were able to make huge steps in just one year:
we managed to produce one third of our smoked sausages
with one-star Beter Leven (Better Life) meat, and in 2012 this
increased to 60%. In addition, we introduced the Unox freerange smoked sausages (Boeren Scharrelrookworst) – a new
smoked sausage with two Beter Leven stars, which surpassed
all our expectations. Despite the mild winter we sold no less
than 1.2 million! Yes, the switch to Beter Leven meat is a triple
win: consumers get delicious smoked sausages, 500,000
animals already have better lives, and our sales have increased.
To me this proves that sustainability and growth go hand in
hand. And we will even go further. Of course! From the first
quarter of 2013 our Kipknaks will be made with chicken with
one Beter Leven star.”
www.unox.nl / www.beterleven.dierenbescherming.nl
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together
together for
foraasustainable
sustainablefuture
future
GEZONDHEID EN
sustainable
sourcing
WELZIJN VERBETEREN
1515
Willem Sleurs, Business Team Leader Ice Cream Unilever Belgium:
THERE’S NO BETTER
ASSIGNMENT
“Much of the motivation in the application letter I sent to Unilever in 2003 was about my wish
for my work to have a positive impact on the people around me and the world at large.
That wish has certainly come true! With our worldwide Unilever Sustainable Living Plan we
really are making a ripple, and we can grow our business while making our planet more
beautiful and healthier. The collaboration between Magnum, our biggest ice cream brand, and
the Rainforest Alliance is a good example. By 2015 we will source 100% of the cocoa we use
worldwide in our Magnum ice cream from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ plantations.”
Better living and working conditions
“By working together with the Rainforest Alliance, we are helping to improve the lives and
working conditions of some 40,000 farm families in countries such as Ecuador, Ghana and the
Ivory Coast. As they will be able to produce more and better-quality cocoa, their incomes will
improve. Also, their children will have better access to education and health care. Finally, efforts
are made to protect and improve the flora and fauna, the water and the soil around the cocoa
plantations. By using the best-quality cocoa beans and communicating the Rainforest Alliance
certification on the packs, we are also strengthening Magnum’s position as ‘indulgence ice
cream with the best chocolate’. The decision to source all our cocoa sustainably gives me the
confidence that we as Unilever are really making a difference. Working together towards a more
sustainable world. I can hardly imagine a better assignment for me to work on every day.”
www.mymagnum.be / www.mymagnum.nl / www.mymagnum.com
The decision to source all our cocoa sustainably
gives me the confidence that we as Unilever are
really making a difference.
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
ENHANCING LIVELIHOODS
Rebecca Marmot, Global External Affairs Director, Unilever:
MANY SMALL CREEKS
MAKE A BIG RIVER
"It is something we take for granted, but for nearly 800 million
people it is an unattainable vital necessity: clean and safe
drinking water. Currently, every 20 seconds a child dies from
a disease caused by polluted drinking water. For this reason
we launched WaterWorks™, through the Unilever Foundation
and together with PSI (Population Services International).
This programme has a groundbreaking approach. It
brings Facebook users worldwide into direct contact with
communities and people to whom clean drinking water is
merely a utopian dream, for instance in Bhopal and Madhya
Pradesh in India."
Waterworkers are
trained to provide
information about
the dangers of
polluted drinking
water.
"By making a small daily donation, the Facebookers contribute
directly – and visibly – to the solution. Because they partner
with a PSI-trained Waterworker they are kept informed in real
time of what is being done with their donation.”
Women from these communities
“I think it’s great that by doing so, WaterWorks also plays a
role in the emancipation of women. Waterworkers – all women
from these communities – are trained to provide information
about the dangers of polluted drinking water. They pass on
their knowledge to their fellow villagers. WaterWorks gives
them many benefits: a basic income, communication skills and
of course clean water for their own families. I am convinced
that Facebook’s enormous reach and power can really make
a big difference towards clean and safe drinking water for
everyone. After all, many small creeks together make up one
big river. So: register via www.joinWaterworks.com and
www.facebook.com/Waterworks and spread the word!”
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2011/2012 Highlights
PROGRESS OF Unilever ­Sustainable
Living Plan in the Benelux
our 15 most important margarine products in tubs
(Becel, Blue Band and Planta) now contain
less than 33% saturated fat
as part of the total amount of fat.
77% of our BENELUX PORTFOLIO now meets the target of
6 grams of salt per day and
50% meets the target of 5 grams
of salt per day. Read more about salt reduction on page 4.
Lipton Ice Tea Green now has
30% fewer calories than before:
30% of the sugar was replaced by steviol glycosides, a natural
sweetener from the stevia plant.
the CO2 emission from our Benelux factories in 2011 was
42% lower than in 2008
in part due to the switch to dark green electricity.
All Ben & Jerry's flavours now bear the Max Havelaar logo.
Its 42 ingredients are thus Fairtrade-certified:
which has IMPROVED THE LIVES OF
more than 22,000 small farmers.
In 2011, 64% (2010: 37%) of our palm oil purchases was sustainable.
At the end of 2012, in Europe, we will use
100% RSPO certified palm oil.
IN THE NETHERLANDS UNILEVER SUPPORTS THE FOOD BANK WITH AN ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS HAMPER ACTION FOR FAMILIES IN ROTTERDAM.
IN 2012 5,500 CHRISTMAS HAMPERS
WERE DONATED.
More information about the results that we booked is available on
www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl – Duurzaam leven
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Unilever in the benelux 2013 Growing together for a sustainable future
Unilever in the world and in the Benelux
Our vision
We work to create a better future every day.
We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that
are good for them and good for others.
We will inspire people to take small, everyday actions that can add up to a big difference
for the world.
We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our
company while reducing our environmental impact.
Unilever in the world
every day
2 billion
PRODUCTS on
the market in
people use a Unilever product
over 190
countries
every year
CONSUMERS BUY
170 billion
Turnover
Unilever products
€51.3 billion
(2012)
around
over 172,000
employees (end 2012)
€1 billion
invested ANNUALLY
in R&D worldwide
Unilever in the Benelux
Largest A-brand manufacturer
of consumer products
The largest
advertiser
in Belgium and
the Netherlands
Turnover more than
€1.6 billion (2012)
Approximately
3,800 employees
(about 3,200 in the Netherlands and about
600 in Belgium)
Portfolio of over
40 strong brands
19
partnerships Benelux
Official Ice Tea
symfonie van talent
read all about our partnerships on www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl – over ons/sponsoring & partnerships
DuurZaMe TOppers aWarD 2011
gOOD DairY aWarD
nl: sDu Publishers; for the unilever
CoMPassion in worlD farMinG;
sustainable livinG Plan
FOr THe 14TH CONseCuTiVe Year
uNiLeVer is LeaDer iN THe
FOOD prODuCers seCTOr
of the Dow Jones sustainabilitY inDeXes (DJsi)
for ben & JerrY’s
external
recognition
saM (susTaiNaBLe asseT MaNageMeNT)
GolD Class awarD 2012
uNiLeVer iN TOp 10 OF preFerreD
eMpLOYers
aMonG DutCh universitY stuDents
gOOD CHiCKeN aWarD
CCoMPassion in worlD farMinG;
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CoMPassion in worlD farMinG;
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raNDsTaD aWarD
Most attraCtive CoMPanY to
worK for, nl
our factories in the Benelux
BrUssels
Tea
(lipton)
oss
sOups, sauCes,
sMOKeD sausage
(bertolli, Knorr and
unox)
HellenDoorn
iCe CreaM
(ben & Jerry’s, hertog,
Magnum after Dinner)
roTTerDam
MargariNe aND peaNuT
BuTTer
(including becel, blue band and Calvé)
unilever Belgium N.V.
unilever Food solutions
Humaniteitslaan 292, 1190 Brussels
BE Humaniteitslaan 292, 1190 Brussels
T +32 (0)2 – 333 66 66
T +32 (0)800 – 161 21
NL Nassaukade 5, 3071 JL Rotterdam
unilever Nederland B.V.
Postbus 160, 3000 AD Rotterdam
Postbus 1250, 3000 BG Rotterdam
T +31 (0)10 – 439 43 08
T +31 (0)10 – 439 49 11
unilever research & Development
unilever Nederland Holdings B.V.
Postbus 760, 3000 DK Rotterdam
T +31 (0)10 – 217 40 00
Olivier van Noortlaan 120,
3133 AT Vlaardingen
Postbus 114, 3130 AC Vlaardingen
T +31 (0)10 – 460 69 33
the contact details of all our locations can be found on www.unilever.be / www.unilever.nl - Contact