Unilever: Leading the way in sustainability

Unilever has topped the Food Producers sector in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the 13th year running.

Unilever once again leads the Food Producers sector with an overall score of 81%, substantially ahead of the average sector score of 45%. Unilever received full marks for its record in Health & Nutrition and Packaging.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) track the financial performance of the leading companies worldwide. Unilever has participated in the annual assessment since its inception in 1999 and has achieved Foods Producers sector leadership every year since.

However, in 2011 Unilever lost its position as leader of the combined Food and Beverages ‘super sector’, which the company had held for 12 years.

“We’re very proud of having retained our position as leader of the Food Producers sector for the 13th consecutive year,” says Gavin Neath, SVP, Sustainability at Unilever. “And especially pleased that we maintained a 100% score in Health & Nutrition and Packaging and improved our scores in a number of other measurement criteria.

“But we are disappointed that having led the Food & Beverage ‘super-sector’ for 12 consecutive years, we’ve been knocked off the top spot. We congratulate PepsiCo and will use this disappointment as a spur to do even better next year.”
About the DJSI

The sustainability scores are based on an analysis of economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as climate strategy, supply-chain standards and labour practices, with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.

While the Indexes provide a way for companies to measure their progress in sustainability, they also have an important financial dimension. Investors perceive sustainability as a catalyst for enlightened and disciplined management and thus a crucial business success factor. They have become a tool for those seeking to support companies that are committed to creating and adopting sustainable business practices.

As a result of its performance, Unilever is a member of both the DJSI World and DJSI Europe Indexes.