Unilever PLC — Ethics Grade B

Unilever PLC receives an overall ethics grade of B (72/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 75
• privacy: 85
• consumer: 80
• environment: 65
• humanRights: 70

Documented incidents (3)

• Palm Oil Deforestation Links (medium, 2020) — Despite sustainability pledges, Unilever has repeatedly been linked to suppliers responsible for deforestation and human rights abuses in Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil plantations.
• Kodaikanal Mercury Contamination (high, 2016) — Unilever settled a long dispute with former workers in India over mercury exposure and poisoning at a thermometer factory that also contaminated the local environment.
• Plastic Waste Lawsuit (medium, 2023) — Unilever was listed among the top global plastic polluters by 'Break Free From Plastic' and faced legal action in New York for allegedly misleading the public about its commitment to reducing plastic waste.

Documented good deeds

• Living Wage Commitment — Unilever committed to ensuring that everyone who directly provides goods and services to the company earns at least a living wage or income by 2030.

Ethical alternatives

• Dr. Bronner's — A leader in fair trade and organic supply chains, with a capped executive-to-worker pay ratio of 5:1.