Sustainability

Unilever's reduced carbon emissions plan gets thumb's up

Unilever DoE_Factories_Website.jpg — Photo courtesy of Unilever

Unilever announced a project to significantly reduce carbon emissions at its Ice Cream Business Group’s four U.S. factories has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for award negotiations of up to $20.9 million of support.

The proposed project would cut 14,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year, a major step in moving toward carbon neutrality for the factories that produce Ben & Jerry’s, Talenti, Magnum, Breyers and other leading brands, Unilever stated.

Specifically, Unilever Ice Cream will replace natural gas boilers with electric boilers and industrial heat pumps using waste heat recovery. Unilever reached 100% renewable grid electricity globally in 2020 and is in the process of moving all its workplaces to 100% renewable energy.

The facility upgrades will significantly reduce carbon emissions and will create a pathway to address 100% of heat-related process emissions at the factories in Missouri, Tennessee, and Vermont.

This project was chosen as a selectee for award negotiations by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP) for its potential to reduce emissions, benefit local communities, and serve as a model for further decarbonization throughout the food and beverage sector.

“We are making progress to decarbonize our ice cream business, and these substantial upgrades will mean a major cut in emissions,” said Sandeep Desai, chief product supply chain officer, Unilever Ice Cream. “This step moves us closer to our sustainability goals and is a significant investment in the future for our business and planet.”