COMPANY ASSESSMENT

Unilever plc

ABOUT THE COMPANY ASSESSMENTS

The Net Zero Company Benchmark assesses the performance of focus companies against the initiative’s three high-level goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving climate governance, and strengthening climate-related financial disclosures. It contains two types of complementary analyses drawing on public and self-disclosed data by companies: the Disclosure Framework and Alignment Assessments.   

By accessing these assessments, you agree to be bound by the data usage terms and conditions. For more information on data collection and feedback, see the review and redress process.

EXPLORE THE ASSESSMENTS

The Disclosure Framework evaluates the adequacy of corporate disclosure in relation to key actions companies can take to align their businesses with the Climate Action 100+ and Paris Agreement goals. The assessments are conducted by the Transition Pathway Initiative Global Climate Transition Centre and reflect publicly disclosed information by companies as of 9 June 2024.

1.1
The company has set an ambition to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050 or sooner.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company has made a qualitative net zero GHG emissions ambition statement that explicitly includes at least 95% of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company’s net zero GHG emissions ambition covers the most relevant Scope 3 GHG emissions categories for the company’s sector (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA

2.1
The company has set a long-term target for reducing its GHG emissions in the period between 2036 and 2050.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
2.2
The company’s long-term (2036 to 2050) GHG reduction target covers at least 95% of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions and the most relevant Scope 3 emissions (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company has specified that this target covers at least 95% of its total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company’s Scope 3 GHG reduction target covers at least the most relevant Scope 3 emissions categories for its sector and the company has published the methodology used to establish its Scope 3 target (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
2.3
The target (or, in the absence of a target, the company’s latest disclosed GHG emissions intensity) is aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED

3.1
The company has set a medium-term target for reducing its GHG emissions in the period between 2028 and 2035.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
3.2
The company’s medium-term (2028 to 2035) GHG reduction target covers at least 95% of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions and the most relevant Scope 3 emissions (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company has specified that its medium-term GHG reduction target covers at least 95% of its total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company’s medium-term Scope 3 GHG reduction target covers at least the most relevant Scope 3 emissions categories for its sector and the company has published the methodology used to establish its Scope 3 target (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
3.3
The target (or, in the absence of a target, the company’s latest disclosed GHG emissions intensity) is aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
3.4
[Modified Beta Sub-Indicator] The company already states its medium-term GHG reduction target on an absolute basis; or converts its medium- term GHG intensity target into projected associated absolute emissions.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED

4.1
The company has set a short-term target for reducing its GHG emissions in the period up to 2027.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
4.2
The company’s short-term (up to 2027) GHG reduction target covers at least 95% of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions and the most relevant Scope 3 emissions (where applicable).
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The company has specified that its short-term GHG reduction target covers at least 95% of its total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company’s short-term Scope 3 GHG reduction target covers at least the most relevant Scope 3 emissions categories for its sector and the company has published the methodology used to establish its Scope 3 target (where applicable).
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
4.3
The company’s last disclosed carbon intensity OR the company’s expected carbon intensity derived from their short- term GHG target is aligned with or below the trajectory (for its respective sector) to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°Celsius with low or no overshoot (equivalent to IPCC Special Report on 1.5° Celsius pathway P1 or net zero emissions by 2050) in 2027.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED

5.1
The company has a decarbonisation strategy that explains how it intends to meet its medium- and long-term GHG reduction targets.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The company identifies the set of actions it intends to take to achieve its GHG reduction targets over the targeted timeframes. These actions clearly refer to the main sources of the company’s GHG emissions, including Scope 3 emissions (where applicable).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company quantifies the contribution of individual decarbonisation levers to achieving its medium- and long-term GHG reduction targets, including Scope 3 GHG reduction targets where applicable (e.g., changing technology or product mix, supply chain measures).
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
c
If the company chooses to employ offsetting and negative emissions technologies to meet its medium- and long-term GHG reduction targets, it discloses the quantity of offsets, type of offsets, offset certification and the negative emission technologies it is planning to use.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
d
The company discloses the abatement measures it intends to use that are technologically feasible under current economic conditions and quantifies the contribution of these measures to achieving its medium- and long- term GHG reduction target.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
5.2
The company’s decarbonisation strategy specifies the role of climate solutions (i.e., technologies and products that will enable the economy to decarbonise).
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The company discloses the revenue OR production it already generates from climate solutions and discloses its share in overall sales.
NOT APPLICABLE
b
The company has set a target to increase revenue OR production from climate solutions in its overall sales.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA

6.1
The company is working to decarbonise its capital expenditures.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The company explicitly states that it has phased out or is planning to phase out capital expenditure in new unabated carbon-intensive assets or products by a specified year.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
b
The company discloses the stated value of its capital expenditure that is going towards unabated carbon-intensive assets or products.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
6.2
The company explains how it intends to invest in climate solutions (i.e., technologies and products that will enable the economy to decarbonise).
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The company discloses the stated value of its capital expenditure allocated towards climate solutions in the last reporting year.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company discloses the stated value of its capital expenditure that it intends to allocate to climate solutions in the future.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA

7.1
The company commits to conducting its policy engagement activities in accordance with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company has a specific public commitment/position statement to conduct all of its lobbying in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company commits to advocate for Paris-aligned lobbying within the trade associations of which it is a member.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
c
The company’s public commitment/position statement to conduct all of its lobbying in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement specifies the goal of restricting global temperature rise to 1.5⁰C above pre-industrial levels.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
7.2
The company reviews its own and its trade associations’ climate policy engagement positions/activities.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company publishes a review of its climate policy positions’ alignment with the Paris Agreement and discloses how it has advocated for these positions through its climate policy engagement activities.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company publishes a review of its trade associations’ climate positions/alignment with the Paris Agreement and discloses what actions it took as a result.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA

8.1
The company’s Board has clear oversight of climate change.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company discloses evidence of Board or Board committee oversight of the management of climate change risks.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company has named a position at the Board level with responsibility for climate change.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
8.2
The company’s executive remuneration scheme incorporates climate change performance elements.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The company’s CEO and/or at least one other senior executive’s remuneration arrangements specifically incorporate climate change performance as a Key Performance Indicator determining performance-linked compensation (references to ‘Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)’ or ‘sustainability performance’ are insufficient).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company’s CEO and/or at least one other senior executive’s remuneration arrangements incorporate progress towards achieving the company’s GHG reduction targets as a Key Performance Indicator determining performance-linked compensation.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
8.3
The Board has sufficient capabilities/competencies to assess and manage climate-related risks and opportunities.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The company has assessed its Board’s competencies with respect to managing climate risks and opportunities and disclosed the results of this assessment.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
b
The company provides details on the criteria it uses to assess the Board’s competencies with respect to managing climate risks and opportunities, and the measures it is taking to enhance these competencies.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA

9.1
The company has committed to the principles of a Just Transition.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The company has committed to decarbonise in line with defined Just Transition principles, recognising the social impacts of its decarbonisation efforts.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
b
The company has committed to retain, retrain, redeploy and/or compensate workers affected by its decarbonisation efforts.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
c
The company has committed that new projects associated with its decarbonisation efforts are developed in consultation with affected communities and seek their consent.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
9.2
The company has disclosed how it is planning for and monitoring progress towards a Just Transition.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The company has developed a Just Transition plan for how it aims to support workers and communities negatively affected by its decarbonisation efforts.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
b
The company’s Just Transition plan was developed in consultation with workers, communities and other key stakeholders affected by its decarbonisation efforts.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
c
The company discloses the quantified Key Performance Indicators it uses to track its progress towards the objectives of its Just Transition Plan.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA

10.1
The company has publicly committed to implement the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) OR International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company explicitly commits to align its disclosures with the TCFD recommendations or ISSB Standards.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company explicitly sign-posts TCFD-aligned or ISSB-aligned disclosures in its annual reporting OR publishes them in a TCFD or ISSB report.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
10.2
The company employs climate-scenario planning to test its strategic and operational resilience.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
a
The company has conducted a climate-related scenario analysis including quantitative elements and disclosed its results.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The quantitative scenario analysis explicitly includes a 1.5°C scenario, covers the entire company, discloses key assumptions and variables used, and reports on the key risks and opportunities identified.
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA

11.1
The company’s historical emissions intensity is decreasing.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
a
The company’s GHG emissions intensity has decreased in the past year relative to the previous year.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
b
The company’s GHG emissions intensity decreased over the past three years.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
c
The company has reduced its GHG emissions intensity at a rate faster than that projected by a credible 1.5°C pathway for its sector over the past 3 years.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
11.2
[New Beta Sub-Indicator] The company’s absolute emissions are decreasing.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
a
The company’s absolute Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions have decreased over the past year.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
b
The company’s absolute Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions have decreased over the past three years.
NOT CURRENTLY ASSESSED
11.3
The company discloses details on the factors underlying its historical emissions trajectory.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The company has quantified the main actions that have driven any Scope 1 & 2 emission changes, specifying the impact of any large “one-off” items (e.g., divestments, acquisitions, and mergers).
YES, MEETS ALL CRITERIA
b
The company has quantified the main actions that have driven any Scope 3 emission changes, specifying the impact of any large “one-off” items (e.g., divestments, acquisitions, and mergers).
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
c
The company discloses details on the carbon credits it retired in the previous year.
NOT APPLICABLE

Notes

Alignment Assessments complement the Disclosure Framework. They provide independent evaluations of the alignment and adequacy of company actions with the goals of Climate Action 100+ and the Paris Agreement. Alignment Assessments are provided by Carbon Tracker Initiative, InfluenceMap and the RMI.

These assessments, provided by the Carbon Tracker Initiative, evaluate whether a company’s financial statements (including the notes thereto), and the auditor’s report thereon, reflect the financial effects of climate-related risk and the global move onto a 2050 (or sooner) net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pathway and achieving the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C. Download the methodology to learn more.

Climate Accounting and Audit (Overall Score)
1
The audited financial statements (including the notes thereto) incorporate material climate-related matters.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The financial statements demonstrate how material climate-related matters are incorporated.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
b
The financial statements disclose the quantitative climate-related assumptions and estimates.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
c
The financial statements are consistent with the company’s other reporting.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
2
The audit report demonstrates that the auditor considered the effects of material climate-related matters in its audit.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
a
The audit report identifies how the auditor has assessed the material impacts of climate-related matters.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
b
Any inconsistencies between the financial statements and ‘other information’ are identified in the audit report, where applicable.
PARTIAL, MEETS SOME CRITERIA
3
The audited financial statements (including the notes thereto) incorporate the material impacts of the global drive to net zero GHG emissions by 2050 (or sooner) which for the purpose of this assessment is considered to be equivalent to achieving the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
a
The financial statements use, or disclose sensitivity analysis(es) to, assumptions and estimates that are aligned with achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050 (or sooner).
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA
b
The audit report identifies that the assumptions and estimates that the company used in the financial statements or sensitivity analysis(es) were aligned with achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050 (or sooner), or provides sensitivity analysis(es) on the potential implications.
NO, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA

InfluenceMap provides detailed analyses of corporate climate policy engagement and the alignment of company climate policy engagement actions (direct and indirect via their industry associations) with the goals of the Paris Agreement, as well as the quality, accuracy and completeness of corporate disclosures on climate policy engagement.

This data reflects InfluenceMap’s assessment as of the 1st August 2024. Refer to the InfluenceMap website for the most recent company assessments.

1
Real-World Climate Policy Engagement
Aligned - B
1.1
Direct Climate Policy Engagement (Organisation Score): The company’s direct engagement supports climate policy required to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Aligned - Individual % score 84
1.2
Indirect Climate Policy Engagement via Industry Associations (Relationship Score): The company’s industry associations support climate policy required to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Partially aligned - Individual % score 69
2
Accuracy of Climate Policy Engagement Disclosure
Yes, meets criteria
2.1
Accuracy of Direct Climate Policy Engagement Disclosure: The company has published a detailed and accurate account of its corporate climate policy positions and engagement activities.
Yes, meets criteria
2.2
Accuracy of Indirect Climate Policy Engagement Disclosure: The company has published a detailed and accurate account of the climate policy positions and engagement activities of the industry associations of which it is a member.
Yes, meets criteria
3
Review Score: The company has robust, high-quality review processes in place to identify, report on, and address specific cases of misalignment between its climate policy engagement activities (direct and indirect via industry associations) and the Paris Agreement.
Yes, meets criteria - 14/14 (100%)

Notes