Join our growing army of changemakers and get access to our free content
Unilever was one of the first large businesses to put its long-term climate targets and supporting delivery plans to a shareholder vote.
The FMCG giant is aiming for net-zero operations by 2030 and a net-zero value chain by 2039. A Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP), detailing how these ambitious goals can be achieved, sets out the need for sweeping changes across the value chain, from agricultural and chemical supply chains to manufacturing lines and packaging.
The CTAP is “not separate from Unilever’s business strategy, but there to support it”, says Buter.
In other words, the business does not see a path to long-term growth and resilience without addressing material climate risks – whether they relate to the volatile price of fossil fuels, new carbon taxation regimes or physical issues like water scarcity. These risks are increasingly on the radar of investors.
But after drawing up its first CTAP, Buter explained, it became increasingly clear that Unilever could not achieve these ambitions alone. Even partnerships with suppliers, or engagement with the wider consumer goods sector, would not suffice. Government policies need to change to enhance the accessibility and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon technologies, materials and practices.
Developing the Climate Policy Engagement Review
In recent years, large businesses with top-level climate targets have increasingly been called out by investors and NGOs for their membership of trade bodies which lobby against progressive green policies.
One 2024 assessment from the Climate Action 100+ initiative found that many of the biggest companies in sectors like transport and manufacturing, while stating climate targets, continue to engage with lobby bodies that consistently slow green policy progression. In many cases, they do not engage with these bodies on climate policy at all, instead passively continuing their membership.
Unilever wanted to go beyond this. In 2019, Buter’s team and Unilever’s corporate affairs function began to shape a Climate Policy Engagement Review (CPER) – a framework for tracking membership bodies’ stances on key climate-related issues, and engaging with them when these stances could undermine the business’s low-carbon transition.
Buter explains that, while market-specific teams were already working on trade association mapping and engagement, they were often doing so across multiple topics beyond climate.
This work needed to be formalised to shape a “really aligned position” and provide more “structured oversight”.
“It has really helped us to make sure that our teams on the ground are really clear on the positioning that we want to take, and to make sure that we’re working with the right organisations to be able to push that messaging.”
The CPER wasn’t delivered overnight. Unilever concluded its first internal review in 2022 and published its first results in 2023. It confirmed that nine of the 27 relevant trade bodies with which Unilever was engaged were misaligned with its climate policy stance.
Moreover, of the 18 that were aligned with Unilever, many were not using the full weight of their influence over green policy. Eight had no public record of any meaningful engagement.
In these cases, Unilever has sought opportunities to engage proactively with the trade body.
Things don’t always change in its favour, particularly if other corporate members outnumber Unilever or hold more influence. In these instances, Unilever will consider reducing its membership or departing altogether.
“It’s all about integrity, transparency and being willing to move the needle,” says Buter. “There have been instances where we have decided to part ways… this is a decision that isn’t taken lightly.”
Unilever has not committed to publishing new results at fixed intervals. Instead, updates will be provided periodically when it is deemed useful or necessary.
“It’s not a one-off concept, it’s a muscle you try and build and improve over time,” is the analogy which Buter uses.
A ripple effect
Unilever always hoped that other firms would replicate its CPER. After all, the chances of a trade association changing track are higher when several of its members all ask for the same thing, at the same time.
It has helped organisations including the We Mean Business Coalition and Climate Action 100+ to create resources to help other businesses follow suit. This is helpful because, while there are global standards for transition planning, these don’t yet exist for lobby body engagement.
Unilever has also provided background information to other firms on a 1:1 basis.
Buter’s advice for other companies looking to shape their own CPERs is to start early, given how long the process can take. She would urge them to stay laser-focused on the benefits throughout the journey.
Delivering the sustainability strategy more easily is the obvious one, and the benefits of this are clearer if it’s embedded in the core business strategy. But, even if not, there are opportunities to find efficiencies and enhance relationships.
Buter says: “We’ve found that there are benefits in terms of being really able to identify organisations that are strongly aligned; this guides how we invest our resources and time.”
She also elaborates that the CPER has added “an additional layer of credibility to our advocacy work”, giving engagement with trade bodies more teeth and enhancing engagement with climate-aware investors.
Beyond this, Buter provides a practical framework for breaking down the development of a CPER:
* Assess which climate policy gaps exist in delivering the transition plan and/or broader business strategy.
* Draw up a clear position for policy engagement in relation to these topics.
* Engage with the teams responsible for managing trade association relationships to educate them on the position.
* Set out a vision for starting advocacy externally, and then continually strengthening requirements over time.
Hear more from Unilever at edie 26
Unilever’s head of climate, Hannah Hislop, is among the 100+ sustainability, ESG and energy experts confirmed to speak at edie’s biggest event of the year, edie 26.
Taking place at London’s Business Design Centre on 25-26 March 2026, edie 26 will convene 1,000+ ESG practitioners for two days of workshops, networking, advisory clinics, roundtables and knowledge-sharing.
Hislop will take part in a panel discussion on how businesses can become net-positive, through advocacy and comprehensive environmental action. Her co-speakers include Futerra’s Solitaire Townsend and We Mean Business’s Dominic Gogol.
