Unilever Reaches 100% Renewable Grid Electricity in Five Continents
September 16 2019 - 04:56AM
Dow Jones News
By Dieter Holger
Unilever PLC (ULVR.LN) said Monday that it now uses 100%
renewable grid electricity across five continents as it works to
achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Renewable grid electricity powers the British-Dutch consumer
goods giant's factories, offices, research and development sites,
data centers, warehouses and distribution centers in Africa, Asia,
Europe, South America and North America, Unilever said.
"We know that when businesses make these commitments, they send
important market signals which support the development of the
renewables industry," said Marc Engel, chief supply chain officer
at Unilever.
Unilever said it achieved the goal by supporting local renewable
energy providers and buying certificates linked to clean energy
generation, called Renewable Energy Certificates or RECs. Corporate
power purchase agreements--known as PPAs--and green electricity
tariffs supplied 38% of the electricity.
The program hasn't resulted in any net-on-net costs because
savings from "PPAs have counterbalanced additional costs," Unilever
said.
Since 2008, the company has slashed its total energy consumption
by 28% and halved emissions per metric ton of goods produced as it
added on-site solar power, Unilever said.
Looking ahead, Unilever's next challenge is to directly source
all of its energy from renewables by 2030, Mr. Engel said. He said
the first step is improving energy efficiency for heating, adding
that the company is also exploring so-called zero-carbon fuels such
as biomass, biogas and hydrogen.
Biomass boilers are already in use at many facilities while
others are at early stages of development, Mr. Engel said.
Write to Dieter Holger at dieter.holger@dowjones.com;
@dieterholger
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 16, 2019 04:41 ET (08:41 GMT)
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