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Unilever cleans up at CSR awards

Global giant Unilever was named the Company of the Year 2010 at the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence ceremony last night (5 July 2010).

Unilever, whose brands include Persil, Flora and PG tips, was presented the award by the Prince of Wales after impressing the judges with its commitment to sustainability. Since 2005 the company has been working systematically towards its vision of doubling the organisation’s size while reducing its overall impact on the environment.

The award measures seven different areas of responsible business activities including the scale and scope of carbon dioxide emissions reductions and the degree to which the organisation’s strategy embraces sustainable thinking.

The judges said: ‘Unilever has demonstrated a real depth of understanding on sustainability issues and consumer engagement right across the business and through its brands.

‘By systematically analysing the environmental and social impacts of its products and implementing strategies to reduce and improve those impacts… Uniliver is showing the rest of the business world how to make money the right way.’

Business in the Community is one of The Prince’s Charities and it has been recognising outstanding examples of corporate responsibility since 1982. Other winners recognised this year include:

• Small Company of the Year – The Herdy Company
• The Prince’s Ambassador Award – John Verley, chief executive, Barclays Bank
• Asda Environmental Leadership Award – Kingfisher
• Building Stronger Communities Award – EDF Energy
• Healthy Workplace Award – Northern Foods
• Skills in the Workplace Award – Norse Commercial Services
• Anglo American Responsible Supply Chain Award – Lend Lease
• Sustainable Marketing and Innovation Award – Marshalls
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch Climate Change Award – InterfaceFlor

Stephen Howard, chief executive of Business in the Community, said: ‘The companies entering the Awards for Excellence have really raised the bar this year, despite the tough times we are operating in. The overall Example of Excellence winners should know that they have beaten off seriously stiff competition to gain these titles.

‘It’s not always what we do but how we do it that matters, so I’m inspired that many companies continually strive to better themselves, to tackle the challenges we face and ensure corporate responsibility is at the heart of everything they do. The winners should be rightly proud.’

For a full list of the winners and more information about their awards visit www.bitc.org.uk

Published: 18 August 2010