Unilever to invest €1bn in environmentally friendly projects

Unilever pledged to invest €1bn over the next decade in environmental projects that will improve the “health of the planet”.

Unilever said its €1bn “Climate & Nature Fund” would be used to fund projects ranging from landscape restoration and carbon capture to wildlife protection and water preservation.

Alan Jope, Unilever’s chief executive, said that while the world was rightly focused on the devastating coronavirus outbreak and the Black Lives Matter protests, the climate emergency should not be overlooked.

“We can’t let ourselves forget that the climate crisis is still a threat to all of us,” he said.

The company said that in response to the “scale and urgency of the climate crisis”, it would be setting a target for net-zero emissions from all its products by 2039.

Jope also warned that the company would sell off brands that could not meet its own sustainability targets.