Food and consumer products giant Unilever, whose brands include Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, has been named Company of the Year 2010 in the 13th Awards for Excellence organised by UK-based Business in the Community. The award recognises the company’s sustained commitment to corporate responsibility through initiatives like the conversion of its ice cream cabinets to climate friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant technology.
The award was presented to Unilever at a celebratory event at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 5 July, held to mark the Prince of Wale’s 25th year as president of Business in the Community (BITC) not-for-profit organisation.
Unilever took over as Company of the Year from 2009 title holding company United Utilities. “Unilever is an outstanding example to others and a worthy winner of the title Company of the Year 2010”, said Philip Green, Chief Executive of United Utilities. “What is really impressive is how Unilever has realistically appraised the impact of its products across the whole life cycle and built sustainability into product design. Through this it can change consumer behaviour as well as find innovative ways to improve the impact of products for its customers and our planet. Unilever is showing us all that business success goes hand in hand with responsible leadership.”
Leadership in hydrocarbon refrigerant deployment
Unilever is one of the largest users of refrigeration worldwide with several of its products requiring refrigeration throughout the entire cold chain and others at the point of sale. It is the world’s largest producer of ice cream and owns about 2 million ice cream freezer cabinets at the point-of-sale worldwide. Its leading position in this market has allowed it to be proactive in reducing negative environmental effects from the operation of these cabinets.
The award recognises among other initiatives, the conversion of nearly a quarter of its 2 million point-of-sale freezer cabinets around the world to hydrocarbon refrigerants that have a much lower impact on global warming compared to HFCs. Indeed, by the end of 2009, the company was operating more than 400,000 cabinets with hydrocarbons globally. As these kind of cabinets have an average life time of seven years or more, in a few years the full fleet will be HFC-free.
Besides the use of natural refrigerants in its point-of-sale refrigeration equipment, Unilever is also a leader in using natural substances in its production processes. Natural refrigerant ammonia was, is and will be the company’s preferred refrigerant for industrial refrigeration and it has developed mandatory internal safety standards for ammonia refrigeration systems. It is also exploring CO2 as a refrigerant in the low-pressure stage.
Working with policy makers to promote hydrocarbon refrigerant
The company has also been working with policy makers in the United States, where hydrocarbon refrigerant is still not legally allowed. A formal approval application for hydrocarbons in ice cream cabinets has been submitted to the US EPA SNAP Program by Unilever’s US-based daughter company Ben & Jerry’s. Subsequently, the US EPA has issued a proposed rule, which is soon to be adopted, that will allow the use of hydrocarbons in ice-ream freezers among other stand-alone commercial refrigeration equipment.
About Business in the Community and the Awards for Excellence
Business in the Community (BITC) works with business to build a sustainable future for people and planet. It is one of The Prince's Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is President.
The Awards for Excellence are independent and peer assessed corporate responsibility awards. Run in association with the Financial Times, the awards recognise and celebrate those companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to corporate responsibility. BITC received 398 entries for the 2010 Awards for Excellence.
Unilever took over as Company of the Year from 2009 title holding company United Utilities. “Unilever is an outstanding example to others and a worthy winner of the title Company of the Year 2010”, said Philip Green, Chief Executive of United Utilities. “What is really impressive is how Unilever has realistically appraised the impact of its products across the whole life cycle and built sustainability into product design. Through this it can change consumer behaviour as well as find innovative ways to improve the impact of products for its customers and our planet. Unilever is showing us all that business success goes hand in hand with responsible leadership.”
Leadership in hydrocarbon refrigerant deployment
Unilever is one of the largest users of refrigeration worldwide with several of its products requiring refrigeration throughout the entire cold chain and others at the point of sale. It is the world’s largest producer of ice cream and owns about 2 million ice cream freezer cabinets at the point-of-sale worldwide. Its leading position in this market has allowed it to be proactive in reducing negative environmental effects from the operation of these cabinets.
The award recognises among other initiatives, the conversion of nearly a quarter of its 2 million point-of-sale freezer cabinets around the world to hydrocarbon refrigerants that have a much lower impact on global warming compared to HFCs. Indeed, by the end of 2009, the company was operating more than 400,000 cabinets with hydrocarbons globally. As these kind of cabinets have an average life time of seven years or more, in a few years the full fleet will be HFC-free.
Besides the use of natural refrigerants in its point-of-sale refrigeration equipment, Unilever is also a leader in using natural substances in its production processes. Natural refrigerant ammonia was, is and will be the company’s preferred refrigerant for industrial refrigeration and it has developed mandatory internal safety standards for ammonia refrigeration systems. It is also exploring CO2 as a refrigerant in the low-pressure stage.
Working with policy makers to promote hydrocarbon refrigerant
The company has also been working with policy makers in the United States, where hydrocarbon refrigerant is still not legally allowed. A formal approval application for hydrocarbons in ice cream cabinets has been submitted to the US EPA SNAP Program by Unilever’s US-based daughter company Ben & Jerry’s. Subsequently, the US EPA has issued a proposed rule, which is soon to be adopted, that will allow the use of hydrocarbons in ice-ream freezers among other stand-alone commercial refrigeration equipment.
About Business in the Community and the Awards for Excellence
Business in the Community (BITC) works with business to build a sustainable future for people and planet. It is one of The Prince's Charities, a group of not-for-profit organisations of which The Prince of Wales is President.
The Awards for Excellence are independent and peer assessed corporate responsibility awards. Run in association with the Financial Times, the awards recognise and celebrate those companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to corporate responsibility. BITC received 398 entries for the 2010 Awards for Excellence.
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Jul 08, 2010, 16:18
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