The most responsible food manufacturer
Unilever has been judged the most responsible food manufacturer in each of the four years the index has been produced. Overall Unilever was joint 31st out of 131 companies in the 2005 index, with a score of 93%. Participants represent Britain's largest companies (from the FTSE 350), some smaller BITC members, and sector leaders from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The average score was 84%.
The BITC CR Index is a voluntary business-led benchmark of responsible business practice. Companies are assessed on how effectively they address social and environmental issues – focusing on how they manage, measure and report their impact on society.
The Sunday Times in the UK presented the results of the Corporate Responsibility Index as a 'Top 100 Companies that Count' ranking in April 2006.
Environment & marketplace
The Index recognised Unilever's outstanding performance in the areas of environmental and marketplace management. This includes environmental and social stewardship of our products and services, and our programme with suppliers.
Reflecting this achievement, the company also topped its sector in the tenth Business in the Environment (BiE) Index. This Index compares companies on their environmental management and performance in key impact areas. Overall Unilever was joint 39th out of 145 companies. Unilever's score of 92% was well above the average score of 83%.
Australian Corporate Responsibility Index
Unilever was awarded joint first place in the global category of the 2005 Australian Corporate Responsibility Index. The Index was developed by BITC and is run by the St James Ethics Centre in conjunction with the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers. It ranks companies according to their performance across 7 social and environmental categories. Twenty nine companies took part with 8 companies competing in the global category. Unilever was awarded six gold stars and one silver star based on its global performance. This is the third edition of the Index but the first time Unilever has participated in it.
BITC is an independent business-led organisation working to improve the positive impact of business on society.
