Public pressure for Indonesia's forests

works, Ask Unilever

Background - 14 January, 2009
As the biggest single buyer of palm oil in the world, Unilever has a special responsibility to
help clean up the industry that's behind so much forest destruction. Thanks to the
staggering public support for our international Dove campaign in April 2008, Unilever has
now agreed to play their part in saving the Paradise Forests of South East Asia.

How did we get here?

Watch the video that sparked the change.

Greenpeace's forests campaigners were invited to meet with senior executives at Unilever
headquarters on Friday 9 May 2008. In just two weeks the company had received tens of thousands of
protest emails from around the world, seen Greenpeace activists bring hoards of news media to their
buildings in the UK, Netherlands and Italy, and watched our viral video "Dove Onslaught(er)" take off
faster than anything we've ever done before. Public pressure moved them.

The meeting with Unilever was a positive first step by the company, but there is a long way to go to
get the bulldozers out of the rainforest.

 Firstly, Unilever agrees to support an immediate moratorium on deforestation for palm oil in
South East Asia.

 Secondly, the company also agrees to use its leadership role within the industry to
"aggressively" build a coalition of companies to support the moratorium. This includes them
lobbying all the major players within and outside the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO) including the likes of Kraft, Nestle and Cadburys.

 Thirdly, they agreed to put urgent and substantial pressure to save forests onto their palm oil
suppliers on the ground in Indonesia too. Once the suppliers are on board with the
moratorium then we have a real chance of stopping rainforest destruction.

 And finally, Unilever agreed that they would lobby the Indonesian government to support the
immediate moratorium.

Not bad for 2 weeks campaigning!

So are we done?

Not nearly. This is the first success in a broader campaign to secure real change on the ground in
South East Asia -- to stop the palm oil industry from destroying the Paradise Forests, and ensuring the
protection of the climate and a future for orangutans. Greenpeace campaigners will work with Unilever
for the next six months (starting May 2008) to bring together a major coalition of companies to make
the moratorium a reality. We will see at the end of this period how things are progressing and if we
need to change our campaign approach.

If others in the palm oil industry are smart, they'll follow Unilever's lead. There's no excuse for
wasting time now

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/asia-pacific/dove-palmoil-action/

What other actions does the company say it’s taking on sustainable palm oil?

In April 2016 Unilever launched its Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Policy. Unilever is involved in the
process to define High Carbon Stock and align on a common methodology for companies to implement
their no deforestation commitments.

Unilever has a partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) on transparency and risk
management of Unilever's supply base through the Global Forest Watch (GFW) online tool. At the end of
2015, Unilever engaged an independent third-party to begin site verification for independent mills in
their supply chain.

In August 2015, Unilever began a pilot program in North Sumatra to achieve RSPO certified independent
smallholder farmers. Unilever has also invested in a fractionation plant in North Sumatra, Indonesia that
will require RSPO certified palm kernel oil from RSPO certified plantations and smallholders.

Unilever is an active member of the Working Group to develop a Controlled Supply from Smallholder
(CSS) approach under the Smallholder Acceleration and REDD + Programme (SHARP). In addition,
Unilever participates in the RSPO Smallholder Working Group and FFB Legality Working Group, as well as
the Traceability Working Group led by IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) with the purpose of coming
to an industry alignment on a traceability definition and risk assessment methodology.

Unilever continues to co-chair the RSPO board. Unilever's CEO continues to provide leadership in the
Tropical Forest Alliance. Unilever co-lead the sustainability working group in the Consumer Goods Forum
and contributed to the published CGF guide for sustainable palm oil sourcing.
 Where is Unilever on the journey to
sustainable palm oil?
Progress on essential actions

Progress on the journey to physical CSPO

http://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/check-the-scores/manufacturers/unilever

VISION & MISSION

RSPO will transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm.

Advance the production, procurement, finance and use of sustainable palm oil products

Develop, implement, verify, assure and periodically review credible global standards for the entire supply
chain of sustainable palm oil

Monitor and evaluate the economic, environmental and social impacts of the uptake of sustainable palm
oil in the market
Engage and commit all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, including governments and
consumers.

WHO WE ARE

We are a not-for-profit that unites stakeholders from the 7 sectors of the palm oil industry: oil palm
producers, processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks/investors, and
environmental and social non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to develop and implement global
standards for sustainable palm oil.

The RSPO has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in
order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). When they are properly applied, these criteria
can help to minimize the negative impact of palm oil cultivation on the environment and communities in
palm oil-producing regions.

The RSPO has more than 3,000 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply
chain. They have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO.

http://www.rspo.org/about