Unilever named among Ethisphere Top 100

Unilever's commitment to go beyond minimum legal requirements, introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public and forcing its competitors to follow suit by raising the bar on what it takes to be an ethical corporate citizen has been recently recognised by Ethisphere; a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.

Ethisphere recently named Unilever one of the World's Most Ethical (WME) Companies in its 2009 WME rankings. "Unilever has proven to be one of the world leaders in upholding high ethical standards, making it a true standout in its industry, especially as unethical business actions and decisions grab headlines each day," said Alex Brigham, Executive Director, Ethisphere Institute.

It is the second consecutive year Unilever was nominated- and on both occasions the Company made it to the list.

This year Ethisphere received a record number of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 35 industries.

In deciding the list, the judging panel considers everything from a business' code of ethics; history with litigation and regulatory action; and investment in innovations - to its sustainable practices and activities designed to improve corporate citizenship.

Unilever Sri Lanka, commenced operations in 1938, markets 23 brands, most of them market leaders, and employs 1300 people directly.

In the Sri Lankan context, the blue chip giant, Unilever unveiled a biomass-fired boiler- considered a first of its kind - which uses agro residue such as coconut shell and saw dust to generate steam, replacing fuel oil, at its facility in Grandpass adding credibility to the belief that eco-friendly operations can coexist with business growth.

By switching from fuel oil to biomass, a renewable energy source, Unilever expects to eliminate 3200 tons of fossil fuel consumption per year.

"In the long run, we are confident that the fuel switch project would also encourage other industrialists to venture into renewable energy", said Unilever Chairman, Amal Cabraal speaking at the launch of the bio mass boiler.

"Furthermore this creates employment opportunities in excess of 50-75 persons, to work not only on the project site, but also in the procurement and transportation of agro residues that would undoubtedly assist the national economy at a time when retrenchment is widespread," he said.