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Building for consistent, higher performance
2024 was a year of transformation for Unilever. We stepped up our operational
performance, sharpened our portfolio, and started to put in place a leaner, more
productive organisational model. However, we know there is more work to do to
ensure we deliver improvements on a consistent basis.
In a world of ever-increasing consumer expectations and rapidly advancing
technology, it is more important than ever that we leverage our innovative,
market-making and pioneering capabilities.
The Growth Action Plan 2030 is our strategic response to these opportunities and
challenges. It will enable us to focus, excel and accelerate in the areas that are
critical to our future success – unlocking the full potential of Unilever to deliver
best-in-class performance for our shareholders and stakeholders.
In this report
Strategic Report
About Unilever
Unilever at a glance
Our Strategy: Growth Action Plan 2030
Review of the Year
Chair’s statement
Chief Executive Officer’s statement
Unilever Group Financial Review
Business Group Review
Our People & Culture
Sustainability Review
Our Performance
Financial performance
Non-financial performance
Our Principal Risks
Risk management approach
Principal Risks
Viability statement
Governance Report
64
Governance Report Overview
Board of Directors
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE)
Operation of the Board
78
Additional Information
Report of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Report of the Audit Committee
Report of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
Directors’ Remuneration Report
Financial Statements
Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities
121
KPMG LLP’s Independent Auditor’s Report
Consolidated Financial Statements Unilever Group
142
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Company Accounts Unilever PLC
Notes to the Company Accounts Unilever PLC
Group Companies
Shareholder Information – Financial calendar
Additional Information for US Listing Purposes
Sustainability Statement
General Information
Environmental Disclosures
Social Disclosures
Governance Disclosures
293
KPMG LLP’s Independent Assurance Report
Online
You can find more information about Unilever online
at www.unilever.com.
The Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024 (and
the Additional Information for US Listing Purposes)
along with other relevant documents can be
downloaded at www.unilever.com/investors/
annual-report-and-accounts.
References to information on websites in this
document are included as an aid to their location
and such information is not incorporated in, and
does not form part of this document. Any website
URL is included as text only and is not an active link.
2
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ABOUT UNILEVER
Unilever at a glance
Our brands serve consumers in almost every part of the world.
Worldwide reach
Developed & emerging
market strength
174272593006280
CATEGORY-FOCUSED ORGANISATION TO ACCELERATE GROWTH
Beauty &
Wellbeing
Personal Care
Home Care
Foods*
Ice Cream
Hair Care
Prestige Beauty
Skin Care
Wellbeing
Deodorants
Oral Care
Skin Cleansing
Fabric Cleaning
Fabric Enhancers
Home & Hygiene
Condiments
Cooking Aids &
Mini-Meals
Unilever Food
Solutions
Ice Cream
13.2bn
13.6bn
12.3bn
13.4bn
8.3bn
We are a global consumer goods business with strong
fundamentals and differentiated capabilities.
60.8bn
Turnover in 2024
58%
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
& REACH
We have around 400 brands meeting consumers’ daily needs, from household
necessities to premium indulgences.
High household penetration
Marketing powerhouse
people use
our products
every day
3.4bn
investment
in our brands
and marketing
9.4bn
ICONIC PORTFOLIO
OF BRANDS
POWERED BY STRONG FUNDAMENTALS AND CAPABILITIES
At a glance_Foods mini image.jpg
At a glance_Ice_ mini image.jpg
190
countries where
our products
are sold
of Group turnover
in emerging
markets
At a glance_Beauty mini image_NEW.jpg
At a glance_Home Care mini image.jpg
PC_Dove Serum image_small V2.jpg
* Formerly known as Nutrition
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
3
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ABOUT UNILEVER
Our 5,000+ R&D experts are developing innovations to drive unmissable superiority.
Investment in R&D
Fragrance expertise
We are building a lean and agile supply chain powered by advancements
in technology, data and AI.
Resilience and cost efficiency
Digitally connected logistics
Our people work in factories, offices, distribution warehouses,
R&D centres and customer-facing roles across 100+ countries.
Highly engaged
Employee pride
174272593005716
We have a more focused, urgent and systemic sustainability agenda,
supported by 15 short- and medium-term goals.
Decarbonising our operations
Helping small retailers grow
ENGAGED         
TALENT BASE
global operational hubs
driving efficiencies across
our full value chain
customer orders
fulfilled annually
7
24m
DIGITAL &
TECHNOLOGY-
ENABLED
OPERATIONS
spend on R&D
planned multi-year
investment to build
in-house fragrance
capability
987m
100m
SUPERIOR
SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
absolute reduction
in Scope 1 and 2
greenhouse gas
emissions since 2015
SMEs in retail value
chain using our digital
platforms to help
grow their businesses
72%
FOCUSED
SUSTAINABILITY
AGENDA
CREATING VALUE FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS
Our business model leverages our organisational structure, deep operational
know-how and industry-leading expertise to create value.
Shareholders
Our People
Consumers
Customers
Suppliers & Business Partners
Planet & Society
All numbers mentioned on pages 2 and 3 are for 2024 reporting period.
87%
of our employees feel proud
to work for Unilever*
79%
engagement score
in our employee survey*
174272593005776
2.58m
* Based on 2024 UniVoice survey.
4
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ABOUT UNILEVER
Our Strategy: Growth Action Plan 2030
VALUE CREATION GOAL
FOCUS
ACCELERATE
30 POWER BRANDS
24 TOP MARKETS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
LEAN AGILE SUPPLY CHAIN
NET PRODUCTIVITY
SCALED ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
UNMISSABLY SUPERIOR BRANDS
SOCIAL-FIRST DEMAND GENERATION
MULTI-YEAR SCALABLE INNOVATIONS
PREMIUMISATION
GROWTH CHANNELS
EXCEL
Climate
Towards net zero
emissions
Nature
Resilient and
regenerative ecosystems
Plastics
Work to end
plastic waste
Livelihoods
Enhanced livelihoods for
people in our value chain
Values
Pioneering, Respect
Integrity, Responsibility
People
Best talent, Inclusive leaders,
Truly diverse, Most engaged
Behaviours
Care deeply, Focus on what counts,
Stay three steps ahead,
Deliver with excellence
OUR PURPOSE
OUR GOAL
OUR STRATEGY
SUSTAINABILITY
OUR CULTURE
We are taking the next step to transform Unilever into a faster,
simpler, more competitive, best-in-class performing business.
Excel in five demand
creation drivers that make
our brands superior
Focus on the areas of
the business with the
biggest returns
Accelerate critical
capabilities that
keep us ahead in a
fast-changing world
Our ambition is to deliver:
Absolute profit growth in line with top-third total shareholder return ambition
Best-in-class performance with market-making, unmissably superior brands
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
5
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ABOUT UNILEVER
30 POWER BRANDS
24 TOP MARKETS
Driving majority of turnover (>75%) through our unmissably superior Power Brands.
Rigorous focus on our top 24 markets under eight geographies, representing around 85% of our turnover.*
UNMISSABLE BRAND SUPERIORITY
Excelling in consumer preferences for
product, proposition, packaging, place,
promotion and pricing.
SOCIAL-FIRST DEMAND GENERATION
Embedding our brands into culture with
data-driven insights to create resonance,
engagement and conversion.
MULTI-YEAR SCALABLE
INNOVATIONS
Harnessing science, technology
and consumer insights
to fuel scalable market-
making innovations.
PREMIUMISATION
Premiumising our brands and
portfolio through exceptional
innovation, packaging
and marketing.
GROWTH CHANNELS
Investing in digital and
specialist channels, while
strengthening our execution in
modern and traditional retail.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Advancing cutting-edge science and
technology to win in microbiome,
biotechnology and next-generation materials.
LEAN AGILE SUPPLY CHAIN
Optimising our supply chain, ensuring it meets the
needs of every part of our portfolio and sales
channels.
NET PRODUCTIVITY
Delivering operational excellence through
advanced automation and streamlined efficiency.
SCALED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Using AI to drive demand creation, net
productivity and resilience across our business.
ACCELERATE
EXCEL
FOCUS
NORTH AMERICA
INDIA
EUROPE
NORTH ASIA
GREATER ASIA
PTAB
United States
India
United Kingdom
China
Korea
Pakistan
Canada
Netherlands
Japan
Turkey
LATIN AMERICA
Belgium
INDONESIA
Philippines
Arabia
Brazil
Germany
Indonesia
Thailand
Bangladesh
Argentina
Italy
Vietnam
Mexico
France
Poland
* The remaining Unilever markets, representing 15% of turnover, are organised under ’One Unilever’ (1UL) and consist of lean-resourced,   
small- to mid-sized markets managing their own P&L.
6
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Chair’s statement
People intro image holders Ian SR(1).png
Critically, our task now is
to accelerate the execution
of the GAP 2030 to ensure
we deliver improvements
on a consistent basis over
many years.
Ian Meakins
Chair
INTRODUCTION
Looking back on my first full year as Chair of Unilever, I believe
we have made decent progress under our Growth Action Plan,
or GAP. However, it is only a start and we have a long way yet
to go. We fully appreciate that we must deliver year in, year
out to become best-in-class – that is our ambition. To achieve
great results consistently, we need to accelerate the execution
of our plans significantly.
It was for that reason the Board decided to appoint Fernando
Fernandez as Chief Executive Officer, from 1 March 2025.
Fernando was Chief Financial Officer and over a period of
decades, has developed some of Unilever’s fastest-growing
businesses, such as Beauty & Wellbeing, and some of its best-
performing markets including Latin America. His success has
been based on consistently building brand equities and on
ensuring the in-market execution of plans was best-in-class.
He has also developed some of Unilever’s most talented
leaders. Further, he has shown in the last 15 months as CFO
that he can perform extremely well at a PLC level, displaying
great leadership in support of the business and in helping
to drive the results delivered in 2024. The Board has been
impressed by his decisive, results-oriented approach and is
confident in his ability to lead and develop a high-performing
management team, realise the benefits of the GAP, with
urgency, and deliver the shareholder value that the company’s
potential demands.
Fernando succeeds Hein Schumacher, who will leave the
company on 31 May 2025 after an orderly transition. Hein and
the leadership team have reset the company’s strategy, brought
focus and discipline to our operations and delivered decent
financial progress. In addition to the GAP, we are well into a
significant productivity programme and the separation of Ice
Cream, both of which are fully on track. We are grateful to Hein
for his leadership and wish him the very best for the future.
Consequent to these changes, Srinivas Phatak, previously
Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Group Controller, was
appointed Acting CFO from 1 March 2025. Srinivas’ leadership
qualities and deep experience of the business – including a
successful term as CFO of Hindustan Unilever – will serve him
well in partnering Fernando. A thorough internal and external
search process is underway to appoint a permanent CFO.
Despite the progress in 2024, we are very conscious that
we are at an early stage in the transformation of Unilever.
There is more to do as we restore confidence in the company
and improve our overall market shares. We see this reflected in
the Unilever share price, which – despite being up over the last
year – is still only at the level seen five years ago. Clearly, this
is very disappointing and we fully understand that we have
a long way to go.
RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE
In 2024, turnover was up 1.9%, to €60.8 billion, despite adverse
impacts from currency and some portfolio rationalisation. The
Group delivered underlying sales growth of 4.2%. Importantly,
this was volume-driven across all Business Groups, with
underlying volume growth of 2.9%, driven by our Power Brands.
Operating profit was €9.4 billion, and €11.2 billion on an
underlying basis, stripping out the effects of disposals and
higher restructuring costs. Gross margin rose substantially in
2024 as a result of volume leverage, pricing activity and higher
savings delivery. Cash flow from operating activities increased
by €0.6 billion compared to the prior year and free cash flow
delivery was strong at €6.9 billion. Underlying earnings per
share (EPS) grew 14.7%, to €2.98, the first substantial increase
since 2019. On a diluted basis, EPS was €2.29, reflecting the
impact of disposals and higher restructuring costs as a result
of accelerating the productivity programme.
In 2024, we returned €5.8 billion to shareholders through
dividends and share buybacks, having completed a €1.5 billion
buyback programme during the year. With our full-year results,
we announced a further share buyback programme of up to
€1.5 billion to be completed during the first half of 2025.
STRATEGY
Building on the progress made in 2024, we have unveiled
a refreshed purpose and a new set of strategic priorities for
Unilever. The GAP 2030 puts the consumer at the heart of our
plans and sets out what we believe we can achieve by 2030.
With the separation of Ice Cream, the business will in future be
based around four similarly sized Business Groups, all enjoying
leading market positions. The GAP 2030 has been designed to
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
7
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
ensure we take better advantage of these positions. Brands
will be prioritised according to their ability to grow their
categories and gain share. This will be done by focusing on
fewer, bigger, more scalable innovations, and through the
continued rapid roll-out globally of the Unmissable Brand
Superiority (UBS) framework, which allows us to address
elements of underperformance quickly and holistically across
six areas of consumer preference: product, price, packaging,
proposition, promotion and place.
The choices we made and implemented in 2024 have put our
portfolio in good shape for the future. The planned separation
of Ice Cream, the sale of the Russian business, and the
disposals of Elida Beauty, Truliva and Pureit mean we can
focus on our four excellent Business Groups, where there is
great growth potential. Although this is mainly organic, it
will also come from selected bolt-on acquisitions, like K18,
to ensure the portfolio is well set up for the long term.
The Board fully supports the GAP 2030 and believes we have
the right plans, resources and expertise in place. The critical
challenge for Fernando and the Unilever Leadership Executive
is to execute the programme as rapidly as possible and to do
so globally at scale. Rebuilding our brand equities through
the accelerated execution of UBS and better consumer- and
customer-focused plans will deliver faster organic growth and
enable us to reclaim lost market share.
SEPARATION OF ICE CREAM
The separation of the Ice Cream business is on track. Following
a thorough review by the Board of the separation options –
focused on maximising shareholder value, setting the Ice
Cream business up for success and execution certainty – we
have announced that the business will be separated by way of
demerger, with listings in Amsterdam, London and New York,
the same three exchanges on which Unilever PLC shares are
traded. The business will be incorporated in the Netherlands
and headquartered, as now, in Amsterdam. We are delighted
that Jean-François van Boxmeer, a highly regarded and
experienced business figure, has agreed to become Chair
of the business.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND GOVERNANCE
As part of our commitment to comply with corporate
governance standards, we keep the composition of the Board
under regular review. In 2024, we were delighted to welcome
Judith McKenna. As a former President and CEO of Walmart
International, Judith brings a wealth of relevant experience,
which is already being put to good effect, including as a
member of the Compensation Committee and Corporate
Responsibility Committee (CRC).
The composition of the Board was further strengthened with
two appointments in early 2025. Benoît Potier joined the Board
on 1 January and will sit as a member of the Audit Committee
and CRC. Benoît has an excellent track record of success in
global business, including as Chair – and previously CEO – of
Air Liquide. Zoe Yujnovich joined the Board on 1 March and will
sit on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
and the CRC. Zoe currently serves as Shell’s Integrated Gas
and Upstream Director and has delivered strong performance.
Her previous roles include President and CEO of the Iron Ore
Company of Canada at Rio Tinto. I am delighted to welcome
Benoît and Zoe to the Board.
After seven years as a Non-Executive Director, Andrea Jung
has decided not to stand for re-election at the 2025 AGM. On
behalf of the Board, I want to thank Andrea for her significant
contribution over that time.
It is important that Non-Executive Directors continuously
develop their knowledge of the business. That includes
engaging regularly with the company’s workforce and other
stakeholders. In addition to the six planned Board meetings
in 2024, Non-Executives took part in six dedicated workforce
engagement events, covering a wide range of topics and with
colleagues from all levels of the business.
Individual directors also took part in a number of site visits,
including to our businesses in the US, China, South Africa and
New Zealand. As part of my own programme of engagement,
I was pleased to visit one of our most strategically important
operations, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), discussing ways in
which to keep HUL at the forefront of its markets. It is clear
we have an excellent business in India, built over many
decades, and that the team is working very hard to achieve
their growth ambitions.
Tackling climate change is an important priority for the Group.
It is also one of our four big sustainability platforms, alongside
Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods, as set out in the GAP 2030. At
last year’s AGM, we were pleased to receive the overwhelming
support of shareholders for our latest Climate Transition Action
Plan (CTAP). This comprehensive approach to addressing the
effects of climate change within our sphere of business includes
more ambitious Scope 3 targets, a continued emphasis on
absolute emission reductions rather than offsetting, and a shift
of focus to the specific Scope 3 emissions we can most influence.
We plan to deliver these commitments by embedding CTAP
across the business. We know that executing our sustainability
agenda is part of what will make Unilever a stronger and more
resilient business over the long term.
SUMMARY
Our whole team is working hard to bring about a step-change
in Unilever’s performance. To that end, we can point to some
decent signs of progress in 2024, as reflected in the company’s
full-year results. Critically, our task now under Fernando’s
leadership is to find ways to accelerate the execution of the
GAP 2030 and to ensure we deliver improvements on a
consistent basis over many years. The Board and management
of the company are all fully focused on this imperative.
My view of our company and the huge opportunities open
to us has been strongly reinforced during my first full year
as Chair. It has been a pleasure to meet and work alongside
many of our teams and to visit some of the company’s
operations. I know that all our colleagues share my, and the
Board’s, desire to see the company unlock its full potential.
Finally, I want to thank everyone for their hard work and good
delivery in 2024.
Ian Meakins
Chair
8
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Chief Executive Officer’s statement
People intro image holders Fernando(1).png
We have stepped up our
operational performance,
sharpened our portfolio,
and are in the process
of delivering a stronger,
more productive
organisational model.
Fernando Fernandez
Chief Executive Officer
OVERVIEW
We made solid progress in 2024 as we accelerated the
execution of our Growth Action Plan across the company. As
an operational response to the challenges Unilever has faced
over recent years, the GAP has gone a long way in helping to
improve the quality of our top- and bottom-line performance.
However, there is a lot still to do. Winning market share across
the markets in which we operate remains a key priority for us
in 2025.
One of the principles underpinning the GAP has been the need
for Unilever to do fewer things, better, with greater impact. This
thinking lay behind two other important and related decisions
in the early part of 2024.
First, the announcement to separate Ice Cream by the end of
2025. When successfully completed, this will leave us with a
stronger, more focused portfolio, built around four Business
Groups with complementary operating models and attractive
prospects: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care
and Foods. In turn, the separation will give Ice Cream greater
flexibility to deploy its distinctive operating model in a way
that drives growth. We are on track with the separation, having
recently announced the name of the Chair-Designate of the
company, Jean-François van Boxmeer, as well as details of
the listing structure.
Second, we are making Unilever a leaner, more efficient and
more accountable organisation by executing a company-wide
productivity drive. The programme is already well advanced
and is being implemented at pace, but also with care for
the 7,500 mostly office-based colleagues whose roles are
impacted. The programme is targeted to deliver €800 million
of savings, more than offsetting the estimated operational
dis-synergies from the separation of Ice Cream.
Together, these are significant developments which align
closely with our GAP objective to free up financial and
management resources to put behind Unilever’s biggest
brands and strongest growth opportunities. These measures
were introduced under the leadership of my predecessor as
CEO, Hein Schumacher, who I was very pleased to partner with
as CFO. I want to thank Hein for his values-led leadership and
for the strong performance focus he brought to the business,
the benefits of which were evident in our results for 2024.
RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE 2024
In launching the GAP towards the end of 2023, we made clear
that rebuilding our brand equities and accelerating consumer
demand were needed to deliver our objectives of volume-led
growth, gross margin expansion and improved
competitiveness.
We made progress against these objectives in 2024.
Underlying sales grew 4.2% (turnover growth of 1.9% to
€60.8 billion), driven by 2.9% volume growth, while price growth
moderated to 1.3% on the back of lower commodity costs.
Our 30 Power Brands are key to our plans and they delivered
strong underlying sales growth of 5.3%. This was supported
by a focus on fewer, bigger, science-backed innovations, like
Dove’s Advanced Care Deodorant, Persil’s Wonder Wash for
short cycles, Liquid I.V.’s Sugar-Free variant and Comfort’s
Botanicals range.
Underlying sales growth was broad-based across the Business
Groups with each delivering positive volumes for the year.
Beauty & Wellbeing delivered a particularly strong, volume-led
performance. Operational interventions in Ice Cream led to an
improved performance in 2024.
Growth was also driven across both our developed and
emerging market businesses, with North America, our
biggest region, continuing to deliver a strong and resilient
performance. Our focused innovation plan for Europe,
another hard-currency market, resulted in a broad-based
step-up in volume growth. However, we faced challenges in
a few emerging markets. Some of these relate to economic
conditions and market slowdowns, such as in China, but where
we are confident of our prospects and where our business
remains competitive. However, the challenges in Indonesia,
Unilever’s sixth-largest market, are long-standing and go
deeper, requiring a resetting of the business, which we are
implementing with speed and resolve.
We also made good bottom-line progress in 2024. Operating
profit was €9.4 billion, resulting in an operating margin of
15.5%. This included non-underlying charges, primarily a loss
on disposals and higher restructuring costs as a result of
accelerating our productivity programme. Underlying
operating profit increased 12.6% versus 2023, to €11.2 billion,
giving an underlying operating margin of 18.4%.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
9
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
The improvement in profitability was fuelled by gross margin
expansion, which rose 280 basis points to 45% on the back of
our GAP-related net productivity intervention. Importantly,
this allowed us to increase brand and marketing investment by
€0.9 billion, to 15.5% of Group turnover, the highest investment
ratio for a decade.
Although we saw sequential improvements in the second half
of 2024 in our turnover-weighted market share movement, we
still have work to do to improve our overall competitiveness
and turn our market shares consistently positive.
THE GROWTH ACTION PLAN 2030
The operational improvements under the GAP have provided
the clarity – and given us the confidence – to look further
ahead. Last year, we set out a new, longer-term strategy
for Unilever – our Growth Action Plan 2030 (GAP 2030).
It begins with a re-expression of the kind of company we
want to be. By anchoring our purpose around the aspirations
of our consumers, 'Brighten everyday life for all' draws on our
rich heritage, reminding us that Unilever is at its best when it
stands at the forefront of change, whether in building brands,
shaping categories or making markets.
Putting the consumer front and centre like this is a vital
precondition in meeting our business goal of delivering
best-in-class performance with what we term, unmissably
superior brands. This, ultimately, is the route to providing
total shareholder returns in the top third of our peer group.
Strategy is all about making choices, and under the GAP 2030
(see page 5), we have distilled these under three key pillars.
First, to focus our efforts and resources on where we can
generate the highest levels of sustained, profitable growth.
Hence, while we expect – and will support – all parts of the
business to grow, we will give financial and organisational
priority to the 30 Power Brands and top 24 markets that make
up more than 75% and around 85% of Group turnover,
respectively.
Second, to excel in five consumer-facing areas that we have
identified as critical in generating demand for our brands.
These are: ensuring our brands go from 70% to 80% superiority
under our new, rigorous, Unmissable Brand Superiority
framework; that our marketing leads the way when it comes to
social-first consumer engagement; that our top 12 innovations
are more scalable, each capable of becoming a €100 million-
plus platform on a multi-year basis; that we go from under-
indexed to over-indexed in the fast-growing premium segment
of the market; and that our brands are more present in
specialty health and beauty stores, digital commerce and
other rapidly expanding retail channels.
Third, to accelerate the critical capabilities needed to stay
ahead in such a highly dynamic and fast-moving environment.
This includes, for example, being at the forefront of those
scientific and technological developments of most relevance
to our brands and categories, such as microbiome and
biotechnology. It also means harnessing the transformative
power of Artificial Intelligence, which we are doing with
sizeable investments across six key technology platforms,
covering both the demand creation and the productivity
and savings sides of our business.
These strategic choices rest on two key platforms –
sustainability and a winning culture – that help define the
Unilever we want to be.
Our sustainability agenda is focused on those areas of
greatest relevance to the business, but also where we
can use our scale and influence to have the most positive
impact: Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. In order
to accelerate action, each area is underpinned by a number
of stretching near- and medium-term targets.
The greater focus and energy we are bringing to the delivery of
our sustainability priorities led to some encouraging progress
in 2024. You can read more about this on pages 36 to 37.
As with sustainability, Unilever has built an enviable reputation
for its robust culture, founded on strong values and admired
workplace practices. This was reaffirmed last year when we
were named FMCG employer of choice for graduates and early
career talent in nine of our biggest markets, including India
and China.
Under the GAP 2030, we intend to build on these qualities – and
on our outstanding levels of talent – by developing a winning
culture. This will be done through a series of behavioural
shifts and by implementing a reward framework more closely
linked to – and incentivised around – differentiated business
performance. For more information on how we are going about
building a winning culture, see pages 34 to 35.
LOOKING AHEAD
We know that we have a big agenda in front of us if we are
to realise our ambition of making Unilever a best-in-class
performer, capable of delivering consistent, high-quality
growth and competitive returns for shareholders and
other stakeholders.
However, we can take encouragement from the progress
we have made so far. We have stepped up our operational
performance, sharpened our portfolio, and we are in
the process of delivering a stronger, more productive
organisational model. Moreover, we are displaying a
new willingness to confront operational challenges and
underperformance with swift and decisive action. The big
challenge for us now is to accelerate delivery of our GAP
2030 strategy, globally and at scale. All Unilever Leadership
Executive members are focused on this task to ensure we
meet our commitments.
In 2025, we expect underlying sales growth to be within our
multi-year range of 3–5%, with a more balanced contribution
of volume and price and a modest improvement in underlying
operating margin.
Finally, 2024 was a year of significant change for our business.
I want to commend the whole Unilever team for staying
focused on implementing these changes while simultaneously
delivering a step-up in the Group’s results. Thanks to their hard
work and incredible commitment, we are steadily laying the
foundations for a simpler, stronger, consistently high-
performing Unilever.
Fernando Fernandez
Chief Executive Officer
10
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Unilever Group Financial Review
Improved performance, led by volume growth and gross
margin expansion, with progress towards our aim of
delivering profit growth in line with our top-third
total shareholder return ambition.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
11
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€60.8bn
2023: €59.6bn
2022: €60.1bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
2.9%
1.3%
2023
0.2%
6.8%
2022
-2.1%
11.3%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593004771
174272593004298
0%
-0.8%
1.9%
14.5%
0%
4.2%
7.0%
9.0%
174272593005023
15.5%
16.4%
17.9%
174272593005267
18.4%
16.7%
16.1%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance
of our business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
12
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Group Financial Review
Financial Review.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover increased 1.9% to €60.8 billion.
Underlying sales growth of 4.2%, led by 2.9% volume growth with positive volumes             
in all Business Groups. Power Brands leading growth with 5.3% USG.
Gross margin up 280bps to 45.0% fuelling brand investment of 15.5% of turnover.
Underlying operating profit of €11.2 billion, up 12.6% with operating profit of €9.4 billion.
Cash conversion of 106% with free cash flow of €6.9 billion.
Underlying earnings per share increased 14.7%; diluted EPS decreased 10.6%.
YEAR IN SUMMARY
Under the Growth Action Plan (GAP) launched in 2023, we
committed to doing fewer things, better, and with greater
impact. With this focus, in 2024, we delivered improved
performance with volume growth and gross margin expansion.
We generated turnover of €60.8 billion, operating profit of
€9.4 billion, net profit of €6.4 billion and free cash flow of
€6.9 billion during the year.
GROWTH
Turnover was up 1.9% versus the prior year. Underlying sales
growth contributed 4.2%, which more than offset the (0.7)% impact
from currency and (1.5)% from disposals net of acquisitions.
The underlying sales growth of 4.2% comprised 2.9% volume
and 1.3% price. We delivered four consecutive quarters of
underlying volume growth above 2%, with all Business Groups
driving positive volume growth for the year. As expected,
underlying price growth moderated versus the prior year.
Power Brands contributed more than 75% of turnover and
performed strongly with 5.3% underlying sales growth, driven by
volume growth of 3.8%. The rest of the business also delivered
improved volumes, with volume growth of 0.7% in the second half,
up from (1.6)% in the first half of 2024.
Our turnover-weighted market share movement,(a) which
measures our competitive performance on a rolling 12-month
basis, sequentially improved in the second half, reflecting the
increasing benefits from the GAP.
Beauty & Wellbeing grew underlying sales by 6.5%, with volume
growth of 5.1%, driven by strong growth across its Power Brands.
Personal Care grew 5.2%, with 3.1% volume growth, driven by
strong, innovation-led sales growth of Deodorants. Home Care
underlying sales increased 2.9%, with 4.0% volume growth more
than offsetting the price decline linked to commodity cost deflation.
Foods grew underlying sales 2.6%, with muted volume growth of
0.2% amid a market slowdown and moderating prices. Ice Cream
grew 3.7%, with a return to positive volume growth of 1.6%.
Developed markets, which represented 42% of 2024 Group
(a) Turnover-weighted market share movement: global aggregate of Unilever
value market share changes, weighted by the turnover of the category-
country combinations.
turnover, grew underlying sales 4.4%. Underlying volume
growth of 3.3% reflected a strong performance in North
America, led by Beauty & Wellbeing, and a big improvement in
Europe, driven by Home Care and Personal Care. Underlying
price growth was 1.1%, which, as expected, was lower than the
prior year.
Emerging markets which represented 58% of 2024 Group turnover,
grew underlying sales 4.1%, with 2.5% from volume and 1.5% from
price. India grew 1.8% with 2.4% underlying volume growth.
Tonnage volume grew mid-single digit, which was partially offset
by adverse mix due to the strong growth in Home Care. The
business continued to increase market share during a period of
modest market growth. Latin America grew 6.0% with positive
volume growth across Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Growth
slowed in the second half, reflecting a deterioration of economic
conditions in the region. Africa and Turkey delivered double-digit
growth with positive volumes and price in each quarter.
MARGIN
Operating profit of €9.4 billion decreased 3.7% versus the
prior year. This reduction was driven by higher non-underlying
charges, most notably a net loss on disposals of €0.4 billion
and higher restructuring costs of €0.9 billion as a result of
accelerating the productivity programme.
Underlying operating profit was €11.2 billion, up 12.6% versus
the prior year. Underlying operating margin increased 170bps
to 18.4%.
We expanded gross margin to 45.0%, the highest it has been
in a decade. Our gross margin improvement in 2024 reflects
positive contributions from volume leverage, mix and net
productivity gains in material, production and logistics costs.
It was also helped by input cost deflation in the first half, which
turned into slight inflation in the second half. Continuing to
improve gross margin remains a key focus for the business.
Improved gross margin fuelled further increases in brand and
marketing investment behind a strong and focused innovation
programme. Investment was up to 15.5% of turnover, an increase
of €0.9 billion. Overheads reduced by 0.1% as a percentage of
turnover, as a result of tighter cost control and savings in the
second half from the productivity programme, offset by inflation.
CASH, CAPITAL ALLOCATION AND EARNINGS
We delivered strong cash conversion of 106%. Free cash flow
was €6.9 billion versus €7.1 billion in 2023. The prior-year
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
13
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
comparator included a 0.4 billion tax refund received in India
and a significant working capital improvement of €0.8 billion.
Diluted earnings per share of €2.29 decreased by 10.6% versus
2023 due to loss on disposals and accelerated productivity
programme spend. Underlying earnings per share increased
14.7% to €2.98, including (0.7)% of adverse currency. Constant
underlying earnings per share increased by 15.4%, reflecting a
strong operational performance. The reduction in the average
number of shares as a result of the share buyback programme
contributed 1.0%.
Underlying return on invested capital improved 190bps to
18.1% (2023: 16.2%). This reflected strong underlying operating
profit growth driven by turnover growth and underlying
operating margin expansion, while average invested capital
in 2024 was up €0.5 billion versus the prior year. Reported
return on invested capital decreased by 1.8% to 14.5%, driven
by a decrease in operating profit from higher non-underlying
charges, including the loss on disposals and accelerated
productivity programme spend.
In 2024, we returned €5.8 billion to shareholders through
dividends and share buybacks. We completed the €1.5 billion
share buyback programme in September. The Q4 2024
dividend was up 6.1% compared to Q4 2023, and reflecting
the Group’s continued strong cash generation, we announced
a share buyback programme of €1.5 billion to be conducted
during 2025.
PORTFOLIO RESHAPING
We continue to reshape our portfolio, allocating capital
to premium segments through bolt-on acquisitions and
divesting lower-growth businesses. In February, we acquired
K18, a premium biotech hair care brand.
Gf-Our Value creation chart bg 2.jpg
GROWTH
ALGORITHM
CASH
GENERATION
CAPITAL
ALLOCATION
*Calculated as dividend per share/underlying earnings per share.
Mid-single-digit
growth (USG)
Modest margin
improvement (UOM)
Top-third
shareholder
returns
UVG of at least 2%
Fuelled by gross margin
2024
2024
'4.2% (2.9% UVG)
'18.4% (+170bps)
Cash conversion
Sustain around 100%
cash conversion over time
Debt
Around 2x net debt/EBITDA
Strong single A credit ratings
Underlying ROIC
High-teens ROIC
2024
2024
2024
1.9
net debt/EBITDA
Growth productivity
Portfolio reshaping
Bolt-on M&A focused on US & India
No transformational M&A
Capital returns
Attractive dividend (~60% payout)
Share buyback with surplus cash
2024
2024
2024
5 transactions completed
(5 transactions announced)
15.5%
BMI (+120bps)
106%
free cash flow
€6.9bn
cash conversion
Our medium-term value creation framework after the separation of Ice Cream is aimed at delivering absolute
profit growth in line with our top-third total shareholder return ambition, and is anchored in delivering against
the framework set out below.
OUR 2024 RESULTS AGAINST THIS FRAMEWORK ARE:
OUR VALUE CREATION PLAN
We completed several disposals during the year. These
included Elida Beauty, our stake in Qinyuan Group (known as
’Truliva’), a water purification business in China, and Pureit, a
water purification business in Asia and Mexico. In October, we
completed the sale of our Russian subsidiary to Arnest Group.
The sale included all of Unilever’s business in Russia and its
four factories, as well as our business in Belarus. In addition,
we announced several disposals that we expect to complete
during 2025, including the sale of the Foods’ brands Unox,
Conimex and Zwan, as well as the disposal of our laundry
business in Central America.
As part of efforts to evolve our Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio,
in January 2025 Hindustan Unilever Limited announced it
has signed an agreement to acquire the premium actives-led
beauty brand Minimalist, as we continue to evolve our Beauty
& Wellbeing portfolio towards higher growth and demand
spaces in India.
LOOKING FORWARD
Our new organisation structure went live on 1 January 2025.
This enables the Business Groups to be driven by 30 Power
Brands and to operate across 24 Business Group-led markets,
which represent approximately 85% of Group turnover. The
remaining smaller markets are now run on a ’One Unilever’
basis to benefit from scale and simplicity, further enhancing
our portfolio prioritisation and focus.
Our financial ambition is to deliver absolute profit growth in line
'18.1%
(+190bps)
59%
dividend payout*
€1.5bn
share buyback
with our top-third shareholder return ambition. We will achieve
this through our value creation model, which aims for over 2%
volume growth and we will invest consistently to achieve this
goal. This will be enabled by continuing to expand gross
margins, leading to a modest increase in operating margins.
14
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Beauty & Wellbeing
We have a global portfolio of Hair Care, Skin Care, Prestige
Beauty and Wellbeing Power Brands, committed to
offering premium products and experiences.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
15
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€13.2bn
2023: €12.5bn
2022: €12.3bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
5.1%
1.3%
2023
4.4%
3.8%
2022
0.3%
7.5%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593005593
5.5%
1.8%
20.8%
174272593005724
6.5%
8.3%
7.8%
0%
0%
174272593005863
15.0%
17.7%
17.6%
174272593005962
19.4%
18.7%
18.7%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance of our
business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
16
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Driving purpose, science, desire
People intro image holders Priya(1).png
HIGHLIGHTS
Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing grew
double-digit, now accounting for
approximately 30% of turnover.
Liquid I.V. increased sales by 20%
and scaled into new markets.
Stepped up investment in a social-
first marketing approach across
core brands.
ABOUT BEAUTY & WELLBEING
In 2024, our business contributed 22% to Unilever’s
turnover. We are global leaders in Hair Care and hold a
strong position in Skin Care, with Power Brands such as
Dove, Vaseline, POND’s, Clear, TRESemmé and Sunsilk. Our
Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing businesses, which represent
approximately 30% of our turnover, include Liquid I.V.,
Paula’s Choice, Dermalogica and Nutrafol. Geographically,
emerging markets contribute to 59% of our business
turnover, with developed markets accounting for 41%.
OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2024
In 2024, we delivered a strong full-year performance, with
turnover of €13 billion, up 5.5% from 2023. Underlying sales
grew by 6.5%, driven by a 5.1% increase in volume and a 1.3%
rise in price, despite unfavourable currency fluctuations of
(0.6%) and impacts from acquisitions and disposals (0.3%).
Growth was broad-based, with strong performances from
our Power Brands, reflecting the ongoing premiumisation of
our core Hair Care and Skin Care portfolios, as well as the
continued strength of our Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing
businesses.
Hair Care grew mid-single digit, driven by balanced volume
and price growth, with Sunsilk, Dove, TRESemmé and Clear
all contributing. Skin Care also saw mid-single-digit growth,
led by low-single-digit volume and positive pricing, with
Vaseline, Dove and POND’s performing well.
Our Wellbeing business, previously referred to as Health
& Wellbeing, saw double-digit growth led by Liquid I.V.,
Nutrafol and Olly. Liquid I.V. performed particularly well,
increasing sales by 20% and launching in seven new markets.
Prestige Beauty grew mid-single digit. Hourglass and Tatcha
achieved double-digit growth, while other brands, including
Paula’s Choice delivered low-single digit, primarily due to the
slowdown in the premium US beauty market. During the year,
we completed the acquisition of K18, a premium biotech hair
care brand, which grew double-digit and will be included in
our financial reporting from February 2025.
Operating profit was €2.0 billion, down 11% from 2023.
Underlying operating profit increased by 9.4% to €2.6 billion,
due to non-underlying items of €0.6 billion, mainly related to
acquisition and disposal costs.
Our 2024 performance
confirms our strategy is
on track. We are driving
competitive growth through
premium innovations and
social-first approach to
consumer engagement.
Priya Nair
President, Beauty & Wellbeing
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Our strategy continues to be anchored in three key priorities:
premiumising our core Hair Care and Skin Care portfolios by
emphasising brand superiority; sustaining momentum in
our high growth Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing portfolios;
and enhancing operating profit through gross margin and
productivity improvements. This is all underpinned by our
commitment to improving competitiveness through innovation
and a social-first approach to consumer engagement.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
17
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
MARKET-MAKING PREMIUM INNOVATIONS
We continue to leverage our cutting-edge science and
technology to elevate our portfolio, tapping into the growing
consumer demand for premium beauty and wellbeing
products that offer exceptional benefit-driven solutions.
Dove launched its first line of body serums in Brazil, Mexico
and the US this year. Developed with dermatologists, the
collection features high-potency formulas with face care-
inspired ingredients and regenerative moisture to support
the skin’s natural renewal process.
TRESemmé introduced the Lamellar Shine collection, featuring
Unilever’s patented technology that smooths and aligns hair
for an ultra-glossy finish. Launched in 18 countries, the range
achieved strong sales during Amazon Prime Day in Brazil.
Vaseline’s Gluta-Hya range, which launched in 2021, continues
to be one of our top-performing premium innovations. Now
scaled to over 22 markets, the range has contributed
significantly to Vaseline’s growth in recent years. This year, we
have expanded the line with the introduction of our first-ever
serum burst SPF50, which has already been rolled out to more
than six markets, with more to come in the future.
HIGH GROWTH PORTFOLIOS
Our Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing businesses offer a portfolio
of future-fit brands that meet the growing consumer shift to
premium segments, specialised beauty stores and online
channels. In the US, 70% of our sales now come from our
Prestige and Wellbeing brands.
This year, we renamed our Health & Wellbeing business to
‘Wellbeing’ to better reflect our product portfolio. Liquid I.V.
is our largest Wellbeing Power Brand. Its science-backed
formulation has gone from strength to strength, disrupting
the functional hydration market, which has been amplified
through a culture-first approach to experiential marketing.
Our Prestige Beauty business marked its first decade with the
addition of premium hair care brand K18. As one of the most-
watched hair care brands on TikTok, K18 combines beauty
and biotechnology. Its K18Peptide™ molecule mimics
human keratin to reverse chemical damage in all hair types,
providing a quick alternative to complex hair treatments.
SOCIAL-FIRST DEMAND GENERATION
Leveraging the digital capabilities of our acquired Prestige
and Wellbeing businesses, we have accelerated our move
to a social-first marketing approach across our core brands.
We have increased our investment in social media with the
goal of delivering on-brand, high-volume, culturally relevant
and precise content across channels.
We are already seeing the benefits of this approach. For
example, in Thailand, a recent TRESemmé social-first
campaign resulted in an uplift in purchase intent and brand
awareness, along with significant cost and speed efficiencies.
DRIVING DIGITAL GROWTH
This year, we have focused on enhancing our digital commerce
presence, achieving double-digit growth through digital
channels. In the US and Europe, our Amazon business in the
Prestige and Wellbeing categories is thriving, with Liquid I.V.
ranking among the top five products sold during the most
recent Amazon Prime event.
In China, we continue to see a shift from traditional digital
commerce to social media platforms like Douyin, which
requires a different approach and business model. While
brands like Olly and Vaseline are performing well on social
channels, there is still work to be done to enhance our wider
portfolio and content for these types of platforms.
In India, we have begun rolling out a new online beauty route-
to-market strategy to ensure our brands are more visible. This
approach has already helped us to gain market share.
ACCELERATING IN STRATEGIC CHANNELS
AND PARTNERSHIPS
Strategic partnerships with our biggest modern retail
customers remains a critical part of our long-term growth. We
now have joint business plans with ten of our most important
customers in priority markets. In the most recent Advantage
Group Survey, we were the top ranked major Beauty &
Wellbeing supplier, with over 80% of markets surveyed in the
top tier for ‘Partnerships’.
OPTIMISING OUR PORTFOLIO AND OPERATIONS
We continue to focus on gross margin by driving productivity,
reducing complexity and strengthening operational execution.
Our increased capital expenditure investment is strategically
aimed at reducing supply chain costs. For instance, in North
America, we have brought the production of Liquid I.V. in-
house and streamlined our broader portfolio by delisting 7,500
product lines, leading to significant savings.
Unilever’s planned €100 million investment in a state-of-the-
art fragrance house will boost our portfolio further by enabling
our teams to create and develop unique fragrances in-house
while continuing to collaborate with industry partners.
Dove launched its first body serums this year, featuring
high-potency formulas for visibly healthy, luminous skin.
small images_right_BW.jpg
18
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Personal Care
We have a global portfolio of Power Brands with science-led,
superior innovations, providing personal hygiene and body
confidence to consumers around the world.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
19
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€13.6bn
2023: €13.8bn
2022: €13.6bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
3.1%
2.1%
2023
3.2%
5.5%
2022
-3.7%
12.1%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593004681
0%
-1.5%
1.4%
15.9%
174272593004784
0%
5.2%
8.9%
7.9%
174272593004912
20.1%
21.4%
16.6%
174272593004992
22.1%
20.2%
19.6%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance of our
business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
20
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Powering up Personal Care
People intro image holders Fabian_NEW.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Dove and Dove Men+Care launched
whole-body deodorants in the US,
entering a new growth space.
International football tournament
sponsorship boosted sales in over
200,000 stores globally.
Strategic factory investments achieved
record levels of operational efficiency.
ABOUT PERSONAL CARE 
We are one of the world’s largest personal care businesses,
with a global portfolio spread evenly across developed
and emerging markets. Our Power Brands include Dove,
Dove Men+Care, Rexona, Lux, Axe, Lifebuoy, Closeup
and Pepsodent. We hold leading category positions in
Deodorants and Skin Cleansing. In Oral Care, we are
number four globally.
OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2024
We delivered a turnover of €13.6 billion, driven by a step-up
in brand marketing investment. Growth was led by our
Power Brands, which accounted for 91% of turnover.
Turnover decreased by 1.5% compared to 2023, primarily due
to a 5.3% adverse impact from the disposal of Suave and Elida
Beauty brands. However, this was offset by a 5.2% increase
in underlying sales, driven by strong volume growth of 3.1%,
mainly led by the continued strength in Deodorants. The
category saw double-digit growth, driven by mid-single-digit
volume increases, with Rexona and Axe leading the way.
Winning with science-led,
premium products and
leveraging partnerships
are fundamental to our
growth strategy.
Fabian Garcia
President, Personal Care
Across our other categories, Skin Cleansing experienced low-
single-digit growth, with Dove’s positive performance partially
offset by declines in Lifebuoy and Lux in China, India and
Indonesia. Oral Care grew mid-single digit, led by price,
with Closeup and Pepsodent showing positive price and
volume growth.
Operating profit slightly decreased by 7% to €2.7 billion, while
underlying operating margin increased by 1.9%. We delivered
a significant improvement in gross margin, which facilitated
further investment in brand and marketing.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
The personal care industry is going through an exciting
transformation, with consumers embracing beauty and
wellbeing trends – moving from functional products to
more premium benefit-led solutions. Our portfolio of Power
Brands is well placed to capitalise on these changes in our
priority markets.
Our strategy is firmly rooted in delivering unmissable brand
superiority with a focus on premiumisation, addressing
emerging consumer needs ahead of trends and leveraging
retailer partnerships for growth.
MARKET-MAKING PREMIUM INNOVATIONS 
We have stepped up our focus on offering superior products
that engage consumers at every touchpoint – from proposition
and packaging to point of sale and placement, whether
on-shelf or online. 
Our Deodorants category is a key growth driver for Personal
Care, fuelled by our deep scientific expertise, superior multi-
year innovations, and premium formats – such as Rexona’s
patented body heat activated technology and Axe’s Fine
Fragrance collection.
This year, Dove and Dove Men+Care launched a new range of
deodorant products in the US, featuring our exclusive odour
adapt technology, specifically designed to provide superior
odour protection for whole-body use. With demand for whole-
body odour protection increasing globally, our ambition is to
lead the growth of this new format through our full
Deodorants portfolio.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
21
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
We continue to expand Dove’s Advanced Care range, which
combines 72-hour odour protection with additional skin care
benefits, including our new pro-ceramide technology designed
to help repair the skin’s barrier after shaving.
In Skin Cleansing, our largest category, we capitalised on the
growing appetite for products with multiple benefits with the
launch of Dove’s new serum shower collection, which uses
patented technology and active face care ingredients in a
body wash format. The collection is currently available in the
US, and we plan to expand it to more markets next year.
We also relaunched a number of popular products in our
Skin Cleansing portfolio. Lux’s Magical Orchid shower gel
now features a longer-lasting fragrance, while Lifebuoy’s
iconic bar soap uses a new and improved formulation that
offers superior sensory benefits. The formula uses less palm
oil content, replacing it with a combination of starches,
natural fatty acids and vitamins, making it gentler on the
skin. Currently available in India, the new bar soap will
launch in more markets in the coming years.
In Oral Care, we are complementing the portfolio with our
new Pepsodent Expert range – a therapeutics line specially
formulated with active minerals and clinically proven to
provide relief to advanced oral care problems.
ACCELERATING IN STRATEGIC CHANNELS
AND PARTNERSHIPS
To drive competitive growth for our business, the category,
and our retail partners, we continue to prioritise partnerships
that amplify brand impact and boost cultural relevance.
Building on our five-year sponsorship deal with the Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), this year we
proudly sponsored several major tournaments around the
world, including UEFA EURO 2024™, CONMEBOL Copa América
USA 2024™, and TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte
d’Ivoire 2023.
As one of the most popular sports in the world, football
provides an opportunity for our Power Brands to tap into a
captive mass audience and reach consumers in a socially
relevant way. This year, as part of our sponsorship, we stepped
up our marketing investment and launched large-scale
activations with retail partners in over 200,000 stores across
Europe, the US, Latin America and Africa.
Linked to our successful football sponsorship and overall
category growth efforts, we have seen a positive shift
in recognition from key retailers this year. According to
Advantage Group Survey, a leading benchmark of retailer
and customer perceptions in the consumer goods industry,
Unilever Personal Care is now rated as a top-tier supplier
in 20 priority markets.
OPTIMISING OUR PORTFOLIO AND OPERATIONS
In 2024, we completed the disposal of Elida Beauty. Along
with simplifying our portfolio, we have reduced the number of
product lines and streamlined our ingredient specifications.
These efforts have helped restore gross margins to pre-
pandemic levels. Additionally, we have taken proactive steps
to address cost fluctuations, particularly for commodities like
palm oil and its derivatives, by developing new formulations
and technologies, such as our reformulated Lifebuoy bar soap.
To reinvest savings in our brands and innovation programmes,
we are enhancing efficiencies across our value chain and
driving net productivity. The Unilever-wide direct dispatch
model, which ships products directly from factories to retail
customers, is improving logistics in Personal Care. With projects
in Europe and Asia, and more planned, we are already seeing
benefits such as reduced travel time, lower carbon emissions,
and fewer touchpoints, ensuring a streamlined service.
We continue to invest strategically in our factories, achieving
record levels of operational efficiency. Our Dubai factory,
recognised as an "Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution
Lighthouse" by the World Economic Forum, exemplifies this
achievement. The site, which produces Power Brands like Dove
and Lifebuoy, leverages technologies such as collaborative
robots and digital twins, alongside eco-efficiency best
practices.
Additionally, to help make our supply chain leaner and more
agile, we have established fully automated or ’dark factories’
that operate 24 hours a day at a number of sites, including our
factory in Củ Chi, Vietnam.
Dove and Dove Men+Care successfully launched a range
of innovative whole-body deodorants in the US, with plans
to scale the new format next year.
small images_right_PC.jpg
22
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Home Care
Our portfolio of leading household cleaning and laundry
Power Brands aims to drive growth with exceptional products,
transforming everyday chores into superior experiences.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
23
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€12.3bn
2023: €12.2bn
2022: €12.4bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
4.0%
-1.1%
2023
-0.9%
6.8%
2022
-3.5%
15.9%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593004872
0%
1.4%
-1.8%
17.3%
174272593004977
2.9%
5.9%
11.8%
0%
174272593005098
12.3%
11.6%
8.6%
174272593005173
14.5%
12.3%
10.8%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance of our
business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
24
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Transforming homes
for a bright future
People intro image holders Eduardo.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Achieved double-digit growth in
Europe and further strengthened
our position in India and Turkey.
Launched Persil Wonder Wash and
Comfort Scent Booster Elixir; scaled
Domestos Power Foam.
Investing €150 million in Europe
to enhance manufacturing and
logistics efficiency.
ABOUT HOME CARE
With a turnover of over €12 billion, we are a global home
care business with a strong position in emerging markets –
particularly in India, Brazil and Vietnam. Our Power Brands,
including Dirt Is Good (OMO and Persil), Sunlight, Comfort,
Cif and Domestos, aim to transform everyday chores into
superior experiences. 
OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2024
In 2024, despite deflation impacting both the wider home care
market and our business, we achieved a turnover of €12.3 billion,
a 1.4% increase from the previous year. This was driven by 2.9%
underlying sales growth, fuelled by strong volume growth of
4.0% – one of the highest in the last decade. Underlying price
growth declined by 1.1%, linked to commodity cost deflation.
Our full-year performance reflects the step-up in our multi-year
scalable innovations, with several key launches from our Power
Brands as well as extending successful 2023 launches. These
innovations contributed to the turnaround of our European
business, resulting in double-digit growth and higher profits
across the region.
In our emerging markets, India faced deflationary challenges
but delivered strong volume growth. We faced headwinds
from channel shifts and consumer sentiment in Indonesia
and China, and price declines in Latin America, especially in
our powders business.
Across our three categories, Fabric Cleaning remained flat with
low-single-digit volume growth offset by negative price. Home
& Hygiene experienced high-single-digit growth, driven by
strong volume and positive price. Similarly, Fabric Enhancers
saw high-single-digit growth, driven by strong volumes.
Operating profit increased to €1.5 billion, in line with the
prior year, despite the recognition of an impairment of
€127 million relating to Blueair, part of our Water and Air
business. Underlying operating profit was €1.8 billion, an
increase of 19% compared to the prior year.
Launching unmissably
superior market-making
innovations that consumers
love and driving business
turnaround in key regions
like Europe has been our
focus in 2024.
Eduardo Campanella
President, Home Care
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
We remain focused on capitalising on two key growth
opportunities. First, premiumisation to capture consumer
demand for products that offer greater convenience,
additional benefits and strong performance. And second, the
disproportionate growth opportunities from priority country
and category combinations such as India, Brazil and Europe
Fabric Cleaning, while also addressing challenges in Indonesia
and China.
Our strategy is designed to maximise these opportunities
by focusing on fewer, bigger and more premium multi-year
innovations and delivering superiority, value and sustainability
to consumers.
MARKET-MAKING PREMIUM INNOVATIONS
This year, we stepped up multi-year innovations with several
key launches and extended successful 2023 launches across
our Power Brands. These innovations reflect our ongoing
commitment to create exceptional products that meet all
aspects of consumer preference, from formulation and
packaging to price point. Adopting this approach is
fundamental to driving unmissable brand superiority,
market expansion and growth for our business.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
25
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Persil Wonder Wash is our latest breakthrough innovation that
encapsulates this approach, helping to create an entirely new
format in the liquid detergent market. The product taps directly
into the growing convenience trend of short cycle washes with
cutting-edge Pro-S Technology™. Launched at speed in eight
markets and backed by an omni-channel marketing campaign
featuring Usain Bolt, it has delivered another year of growth
for Dirt Is Good, with further roll-outs planned in 2025. 
We are also stepping up innovation across our Power Brands
through new benefits and premium fragrances. The Domestos
Power Foam range is one of the most significant recent
advancements in the toilet cleaning category. First launched
in 2022, the range has been scaled to more than 16 markets
this year, offering more premium benefits such as fragrance
and limescale removal.
We also launched Comfort’s Scent Booster Elixir into the
rapidly growing fragrance booster market. Leveraging our
expertise in science and technology, as well as premium
fragrances driven by consumer desire for more natural scents,
we developed a transparent formulation that dissolves
without leaving any residue – even in a short, cold wash.
Available in over eight markets, we have seen strong share
gains in the fragrance booster segment in the UK and Italy,
two of our biggest markets.
In emerging markets, we continue to invest in future and
premium formats such as liquid detergents. In India, we have
fully modernised our Surf Excel and Rin brands by introducing
new pack formats, a refreshed look and improved packaging.
We also launched our new Sunlight premium dishwash range
across three South East Asian markets. Developed through our
long-standing partnership with Evonik, this range features
rhamnolipids, a natural, biodegradable and renewable
biosurfactant that delivers outstanding performance while
being gentle on hands. We plan to scale to further markets
in 2025.
SOCIAL-FIRST DEMAND GENERATION
Consumer engagement with cleaning and laundry products
has shifted dramatically in recent years. A third of Gen Z now
use TikTok for the latest cleaning and laundry advice, and
over half of TikTok users have purchased a household product
after seeing it on the platform. We are leveraging this insight
through our Cleanipedia platform, which has reached over
1 million followers and more than 2 billion views since its
launch. Drawing inspiration from influencers, including
'cleanfluencers' who popularised the use of Cif Cream to
clean white trainers, we have seen an increase in sales among
adults under 28 in the UK. Through these channels, we have
established a social-first gateway for our brands, enhancing
our credibility and engagement with Gen Z consumers.
ACCELERATING IN STRATEGIC CHANNELS 
AND PARTNERSHIPS
Our focus on premium products and key growth areas is also
evident in our success with digital commerce channels, where
we achieved double-digit growth in 2024, driven by India,
Europe and Turkey. We are well positioned to capture growth
opportunities in quick commerce (rapid order-to-delivery time)
by offering premium products that cater to consumers seeking
ultimate convenience.
At the same time, we continue to build strong partnerships
that reinforce the premium positioning of our Power Brands
– such as Dirt Is Good’s ongoing collaboration with Arsenal
Men’s and Women’s Football teams. The partnership provides
the potential to reach millions of football fans in developing
and emerging markets.
We also launched a partnership with consumer technology
and domestic appliance company Samsung to explore the
future of laundry, unlocking insights into how AI and smart
technologies could make laundry more convenient, simpler
and tailored to modern living and laundry needs. The
partnership will help us to combine technology and cleaning
to create a new ’laundry lifestyle’ with cross-channel activation
opportunities.
OPTIMISING OUR PORTFOLIO AND OPERATIONS
We continue to drive cost savings across our value chain and
portfolio. To reflect our focus on our core business and Power
Brands, we divested our water purification business, Pureit, and
sold our stake in Truliva. In Europe, we continue to simplify our
portfolio by significantly reducing the number of formulations
in fabric cleaning liquids.
Simultaneously, we are investing in future growth and
Comfort Elixir leverages our expertise in premium
fragrances, offering natural scents and an innovative
cold wash formulation.
small images_right_HC.jpg
driving greater productivity across our supply chain, with
75% of our capital expenditure invested in growth formats.
In Europe, for example, we have committed to invest €150
million over the next three years, primarily at Port Sunlight,
a major manufacturing and R&D hub for Unilever Home
Care. This investment will advance our liquids and capsules
manufacturing capabilities to support our multi-year
innovation programmes, expand warehouse capacity,
improve logistics efficiency and generate further savings to
reinvest in our brands. We also continue to make our factories
more efficient and sustainable, increasing the number of
factories that run on 100% renewable energy.
26
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Foods
We are a focused foods business, committed to delivering
consistent and competitive growth through our biggest
Power Brands, Knorr and Hellmann’s.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
27
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€13.4bn
2023: €13.2bn
2022: €13.9bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
0.2%
2.4%
2023
-2.2%
10.1%
2022
-2.1%
10.9%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593004348
0%
1.1%
-5.0%
6.1%
174272593004462
2.6%
7.7%
8.6%
0%
174272593004587
19.5%
18.3%
32.4%
174272593004691
21.3%
18.6%
17.6%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance of our
business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
28
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Bringing the tastes people
love to brighten every day
People intro image holders Heiko(1).png
HIGHLIGHTS
Hellmann’s and Knorr continued
to outperform the average growth
in Foods.
Ongoing work to become a truly
focused foods business by reducing
portfolio complexity, formulations
and ingredients.
Digital commerce channels
contributed over 10% of turnover.
ABOUT FOODS
We are one of the largest and most profitable foods
businesses in the world, driven by our fast-growing global
Power Brands Knorr and Hellmann’s, alongside our
customer-facing business Unilever Food Solutions.
Geographically, more than half of our sales come from
emerging markets, led by India as the largest contributor.
OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2024
Our turnover increased by 1.1% compared to 2023, driven by
underlying sales growth of 2.6%. This was offset by an adverse
acquisition and disposal impact of (0.5)% and a currency
headwind of (1.0)%. It marked our lowest underlying sales
growth since 2020, reflecting the overall deceleration in the
foods market due to fewer list price increases and rising
promotional pressure. On a positive note, our volume returned
to growth, with underlying volume growth at 0.2%.
Across our categories, Cooking Aids & Mini-Meals grew mid-
single digit with positive price and volume, driven by Knorr’s
leadership in bouillon and seasonings, and the expansion
of its premium ready-to-heat pots range. Condiments grew
low-single digit with balanced volume and price growth, led
by Hellmann’s expansion of its Flavoured Mayo range and
premium format variants.
Knorr and Hellmann’s
generated 60% of Foods’
2024 turnover, boosting
growth through superior
products, premiumisation
and innovation across
foodservice and retail.
Heiko Schipper
President, Foods
Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) grew high-single digit, led by
volume and positive price. China, our largest UFS market,
grew high-single digit despite the economic slowdown in
the region.
While turnover in our India Foods business was flat, we
maintained market leadership in tea and functional drinks
despite the subdued market.
Operating profit was €2.6 billion, up 7.7% compared to
2023. Underlying operating profit increased significantly to
€2.8 billion, up 16%, resulting in a 2.7% increase in underlying
operating margin. This profitability was driven by strong
gross margin improvement, which funded an increase in
brand and marketing investment. Europe was also a key
driver, benefiting from our disciplined approach to net revenue
management and a streamlined focus on reducing product
lines and recipe complexity.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
We renamed our Business Group from Nutrition to Foods
to better reflect our portfolio and strategic vision. This
change aligns with our goal to create a more focused
and simplified business, concentrating on Condiments,
Cooking Aids & Mini-Meals, Unilever Food Solutions and
our India Foods portfolio. These categories are where we
want to lead, underpinned by our Power Brands, Knorr and
Hellmann’s. We are concentrating our resources on 25
priority country and category combinations that account
for over half of our sales and nearly 60% of our profit.
The recent announcement regarding the disposal of
Conimex, Unox and Zwan brands in Europe, pending
regulatory approvals, will also help sharpen our focus further.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
29
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
MARKET-MAKING POWER BRANDS
Our Power Brands play a critical role across our key categories,
driving growth and market share through superior products,
premiumisation and multi-year scalable innovations.
In Condiments, Hellmann’s continues to deliver consistent
growth, driven by unmissable products, strong sales of its
flavoured mayonnaise range and the expansion of premium
squeeze bottle formats. The brand’s appeal is further boosted
by leveraging key cultural moments, including sponsoring
major sporting events like the Super Bowl in the US and the
NBA in Brazil, leading to share gains in both countries. More
broadly, Hellmann’s continues to build momentum as a
premium brand in India, Germany and Australia – having
entered these markets in the past five years.
In Cooking Aids & Mini-Meals, Knorr accelerated its global
leadership in the bouillon and seasonings range, adopting
a social-first marketing approach to inspire home cooks,
particularly Gen Z. The range accounts for more than half
of Knorr’s turnover and delivers a significant gross margin
advantage. The brand continued to expand its premium
ready-to-heat pots range, offering consumers a convenient
way to enjoy the latest trending cuisines.
SHAPING FOOD TRENDS WITH UFS
With a turnover of nearly €3 billion, Unilever Food Solutions
(UFS) continues to go from strength to strength, and has
surpassed pre-pandemic volume levels.
The UFS Future Menus Trends Report has been instrumental in
supporting this success. Published for the second consecutive
year in 2024, the report leverages market insights and
innovative product solutions to attract, engage and support
chefs across 50 markets. As the largest customer engagement
platform for the business, it boosts product visibility and
customer loyalty. Since its launch in 2023, the report has
contributed to a 12% increase in new customers.
Also contributing to the growth of UFS is the expansion
of our digital selling capabilities, which has improved
product availability, increased operator reach and elevated
overall customer experience. This, combined with a deep
understanding of chefs’ needs and foodservice industry trends,
has led to UFS achieving a strong net promoter score (NPS),
with seven out of ten customers indicating they would
recommend our business to others.
ACCELERATING IN STRATEGIC CHANNELS
AND PARTNERSHIPS
Alongside UFS, partnerships with both traditional and modern
retailers are essential to our strategy for consistent market
success and present opportunities for mutual growth.
This year, together with Personal Care, our brands launched
a multi-year sponsorship with UEFA EURO 2024™, enabling
large-scale in-store activations centred around BBQ occasions
across several thousand European retail stores.
We rolled out a number of campaigns with Walmart, such as
the Game Day Top Dish drive led by Hellmann’s for the 2024
fall football season in the US. In Mexico, Knorr partnered with
Walmart on a campaign to celebrate chilaquiles, a beloved
Mexican dish, showcasing the brand’s seasoning range.
Our business-to-consumer digital commerce channel remains
a positive growth driver, substantially outpacing the total
growth for Foods. Digital commerce channels now contribute
over 10% of our turnover.
OUR PORTFOLIO AND OPERATIONS 
This year, we improved our gross margin, driven by lower
material costs, a strong focus on net productivity and the
insourcing of our strategic portfolio. We continue to simplify
our business by reducing the complexity of our portfolio,
formulations and ingredients. For example, in Europe, we
reduced active product lines by 8% compared to 2023 and
30% versus 2019. We also reduced our formulations by more
than 10% compared with the previous year. This streamlining
has improved our end-to-end supply chain, resulting in lower
inventories, fewer production line changeovers and more
efficient logistics.
Alongside margin improvement, we continue to make targeted
investments in our manufacturing capabilities. In Brazil, we
invested €15 million in Hellmann’s Pouso Alegre Foods factory
to enhance operational excellence and meet the growing
consumer demand for the brand’s squeeze bottle formats. And
in the UK, we completed a £40 million investment in our Burton
site, consolidating the production of our entire condiments
portfolio into a single state-of-the-art specialist hub.
Knorr expanded its premium ready-to-heat pots range,
offering consumers a convenient way to enjoy the latest
trending cuisines.
small images_right_Foods.jpg
30
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Ice Cream
We are a leading global ice cream business with a portfolio
tailored for both in-home and out-of-home consumption. We are
fully focused on gaining market share and boosting profitability.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
31
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Turnover in 2024
€8.3bn
2023: €7.9bn
2022: €7.9bn
Turnover growth
2024
2023
2022
Underlying sales growth
USG
UVG
UPG
2024
1.6%
2.1%
2023
-6.0%
8.8%
2022
-0.7%
9.7%
Operating margin
2024
2023
2022
Underlying operating margin
2024
2023
2022
174272593004708
4.5%
0.5%
14.8%
0%
174272593004832
3.7%
2.3%
9.0%
0%
174272593004944
6.9%
9.6%
9.8%
174272593005028
11.8%
10.8%
11.7%
Pages 11 to 32 use GAAP and non-GAAP measures to explain the performance of our
business. See pages 41 to 47 for further information.
32
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REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Growing market share,
boosting profitability
People intro image holders Peter te Kulve.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Strong innovation pipeline: launched
Magnum Bon Bons, exceeding both
volume and value targets.
Achieved market share growth and
significant profitability increase.
Announced plans to separate
through a demerger by the end
of 2025.
ABOUT ICE CREAM
We are the world’s largest ice cream business with five of
the top ten bestselling ice cream brands globally, including
Magnum, Cornetto, Wall’s and Ben & Jerry’s. With a diverse
international footprint across 80 countries, a third of our
sales come from emerging markets.
SEPARATION OF ICE CREAM
In March 2024, the Unilever Board announced the planned
separation of our Ice Cream business. With our distinct
operating model, which includes a unique supply chain,
points of sale and channels, this separation provides our
business with an opportunity to establish a strong foundation
for future growth and value creation.
More recently, in February 2025, we shared further plans to
separate the business through a demerger, with listings in
Amsterdam, London and New York – the same exchanges
where Unilever PLC shares are currently traded. We aim to
complete the separation by the end of 2025, while remaining
headquartered in Amsterdam. We have appointed Jean-
François van Boxmeer as Chair-Designate. Jean-François
currently serves as Chair of Vodafone Group plc and as a
non-executive director of Heineken Holding N.V., having
previously been the Chief Executive of Heineken for 15 years.
We are making progress on the key workstreams, including the
legal entities set up, implementing the standalone operating
model and preparing the carve-out financials.
Our improved performance is
marked by more streamlined
operations, better execution,
and improved distribution,
along with strong results in
Turkey and the US.
Peter ter Kulve
President, Ice Cream
OUR PERFORMANCE IN 2024
In 2024, our turnover increased by 4.5%, with underlying sales
growth of 3.7%, driven by 1.6% from volume and 2.1% from price.
Our improved performance this year has been fuelled by a
strong innovation pipeline and operational improvements.
These include a more efficient go-to-market strategy,
better distribution and optimised promotional activities.
Market share performance also improved throughout the
year and we sharpened our focus on net productivity, which
supported gross margin expansion and reinvestment in
our brands.
Our in-home ice cream portfolio, which accounts for about
60% of turnover, grew low-single digit, driven by volume
growth and supported by new snacking ranges. Our out-of-
home ice cream portfolio grew mid-single digit, supported by
premium innovations.
Operating profit declined to €571 million, driven by stepped-up
restructuring as we implement our productivity programme,
as well as costs related to the planned demerger of Ice Cream
and other one-off charges. Underlying operating profit
increased 15.1% from €852 million to €981 million, as
operational efficiencies and pricing actions more than
offset the impact of high commodity inflation in cocoa.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
33
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Our primary focus this year has been turning around the Ice
Cream business. We have made good progress in developing
an exciting product pipeline, improving our marketing, sales
and distribution strategy, optimising our supply chain and
building a dedicated sales teams globally. These are all
areas we aim to continue strengthening, while also taking
steps to ensure a smooth separation in 2025.
MARKET-MAKING PREMIUM INNOVATIONS
Our iconic brand portfolio has been enjoyed by consumers for
over 100 years. This year, we expanded our range by launching
several premium, market-making innovations designed to
bring new experiences to consumers while also meeting
evolving snacking habits.
The increase in snacking has influenced consumer eating
habits, leading to a trend of smaller, more frequent portions.
Magnum embraced this trend with the launch of its bite-sized
Bon Bons. Packaged in 12-piece shareable tubs, they deliver
the signature Magnum indulgence in a convenient format.
Launched across European markets, the range has gained
significant traction, exceeding both volume and value
performance targets. Further expansion plans are already
underway.
Joining Magnum in the micro-format category, Yasso
introduced Poppables, a Greek yoghurt-based snack that now
accounts for 12% of the brand’s growth in the US. Ben & Jerry’s
also expanded its bite-sized offerings with new flavours
including Salted Caramel Brownie in its Peaces range,
featuring resealable bags for on-the-go snacking.
Across our broader portfolio, Magnum further strengthened
its premium portfolio with the launch of Magnum Fantasia,
which features three new variants and combines the
brand’s signature cracking chocolate with a flavour-filled
core. Launched globally, the range has delivered substantial
gains across international markets.
In the US, Yasso also expanded its premium offering with the
launch of three real fruit variants, blending Greek yoghurt with
refreshing real fruit. Globally, Ben & Jerry’s introduced a new
oat base for its non-dairy ice creams. Launched across tubs
and scoop shops, the range caters directly to consumers
seeking plant-based alternatives.
Cornetto celebrated a major milestone this year with the
60th anniversary of the iconic Cornetto Classico. To mark the
occasion, and to recognise the global bestseller, the brand
launched a multi-market campaign titled ‘Unwrap It', which
leverages the distinctive blue and white branding and the
universal experience of unwrapping a Cornetto ice cream.
UNLOCKING TECHNOLOGY FOR GROWTH
We have accelerated the use of advanced technology
to enhance distribution, drive sales and ensure product
availability in our out-of-home channels. Building on
last year’s efforts, we continue to scale the use of AI and
image capture technology across our freezer cabinets
worldwide, optimising inventory, boosting sales and
improving efficiency.
To date, our AI-enabled freezers have significantly boosted
sales in several key markets by capturing stock images and
generating real-time order recommendations, ensuring
that our bestsellers are available to consumers. The data
generated has also empowered our sales team by providing
valuable insights into product launches and marketing
campaigns, while enabling them to focus on business
development, better promotion planning and forecasting.
We have also focused on improving our digital commerce
sales. After flatlining in 2023, we have now returned to growth
as a result of improving online and rapid delivery sales.
OPTIMISING OUR PORTFOLIO AND OPERATIONS
This year, we made good progress in enhancing our supply
chain, allowing us to reinvest savings into automation
and factory improvements. For instance, we have expanded
our Magnum production lines at our factories in Turkey and
India, strengthening our manufacturing capabilities.
Our cost savings initiatives in Europe and the US are
progressing according to plan, providing a strong foundation
for our operations in 2025 and beyond. This year, we increased
our investment in quality and safety measures, resulting in
reduction in product quality issues and food safety incidents
within our factories. Our automation efforts across 21 factories
have also improved overall efficiency and reduced food waste
by 23%.
We have also driven portfolio efficiencies by consolidating
our product lines, resulting in significant complexity reduction.
In 2024, we built on the progress made in 2023 and reduced
our product lines by a further 4% by removing less popular
items while still delivering strong innovations.
EMPOWERING OUR PEOPLE
The majority of our market General Managers have valuable
prior Unilever experience, specifically in frontline-first Ice
Cream roles, ensuring deep category expertise. To
complement this, some of our new functional leaders have
been recruited externally, bringing fresh perspectives and
specialised knowledge to our organisation.
This refreshed leadership team has proven instrumental in
Cornetto celebrated the 60th anniversary of Cornetto
Classico with its global ’Unwrap It’ campaign.
small images_right_Ice.jpg
advancing our business this year and will continue to reinforce
our commitment to innovation, operational excellence and
a renewed growth trajectory for the Ice Cream business.
34
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REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Our People & Culture
People intro image holders Mairead_NEW.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Initiated a productivity
programme to drive greater
speed and simplification.
Launched a refreshed people
ambition to enhance talent,
engagement and performance.
Achieved a 79% employee
engagement score in our annual
UniVoice survey.
UNLOCKING OUR FULL POTENTIAL 
Over the past few years, we have been driving an organisation-
wide change agenda to reshape our structure and renew
our culture to become a simpler, more focused and higher-
performing business. In 2022, we implemented the Compass
Organisation and in 2023, we introduced our Growth Action Plan,
including a focus on sharpening our performance edge.
This year, we have taken decisive steps to support the next stage
of our transformation. In March, we launched an organisation-
wide productivity programme. And in November, we refreshed our
people ambition, emphasising four core Unilever-wide behaviours
that will be launched in 2025 through the deployment of our
winning culture programme.
These changes – and more – are crucial steps in delivering our
GAP 2030 strategy and transforming Unilever into a best-in-class
consumer goods company.
OUR PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMME
Throughout 2024, our primary focus was on implementing our
extensive productivity programme, designed to substantially
improve our efficiency and effectiveness. This comprehensive
initiative adopts a holistic approach to our business
operations, driven by three fundamental design principles:
market segmentation, process simplification and leveraging
advancements in technology.
Although the changes – including a reduction in predominantly
office-based workers – are not easy, they are necessary to drive
the long-term growth and competitiveness of the company.
These changes also offer the opportunity to create more
focused and impactful roles as we accelerate our digital
transformation.
Over the next three years, the programme is anticipated to
deliver total cost savings of around €800 million, enabling
increased investment in brand growth and innovation.
We are committed to
building a winning culture
that enables everyone to be
successful and unlocks the
full potential of Unilever.
Mairéad Nayager
Chief People Officer
ENGAGING OUR PEOPLE
Our annual UniVoice survey gauges employee sentiment and
identifies areas for improvement. Overall employee engagement
was 79%, above industry benchmarks, but 5% lower than 2023.
While engagement among factory-based teams remained
steady at 83%, there was a drop in engagement among office-
based employees to 75% – a result we anticipated due to the
productivity programme.
The results reaffirmed the strength of our core business
fundamentals, with high scores in safety, product quality
and business integrity. Additionally, 87% of employees said
they feel proud to work for Unilever and 82% see a clear link
between their work and the company’s strategic objectives.
However, they also highlighted the need for greater speed
and agility, which aligns with the focus areas of our refreshed
people agenda. For more information on how we engage with
our employees, see pages 272 to 278.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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BUILDING A WINNING CULTURE 
Our company has always upheld its core values of respect,
responsibility, integrity and pioneering spirit, and these values
will always remain. However, more work is needed to elevate
our talent further and ensure we have the right culture in place
to deliver on our GAP 2030 strategy. Central to our refreshed
people ambition, we are focusing on three strategic areas –
our values, people and behaviours – to build a winning culture
at Unilever.
As a first step, in 2025, we will implement a framework
consisting of four iconic shifts to help us achieve this. These
four shifts are:
Motivate for performance: bringing clarity on goals, reward
systems and pay.
Coach for performance: making coaching and feedback
a central part of our culture to help drive higher personal
and company performance.
Manage talent for performance: refreshing our policies
and processes to support the cultivation of our top talent,
address underperformance and ensure effective career
progression.
Rewire for performance: increasing access to data and
performance visibility to drive motivation and inspiration
within the organisation.
To support this framework, we have introduced four essential
behaviours: care deeply, focus on what counts, stay three steps
ahead, and deliver with excellence. These behaviours –
identified during senior leadership focus groups – are crucial
to building a more consistent, higher-performing business.
ENHANCING OUR CAPABILITIES
To ensure we have the right people and skills base to
deliver our GAP 2030 strategy, we made several changes
across our organisation this year. At the Unilever
Leadership Executive (ULE) level, over half of our leaders
are new to their roles within the past year. Among these
changes is the appointment of Mairéad Nayager as Chief
People Officer, responsible for Unilever’s global people
strategy, culture and organisation. 
We remain fully committed to empowering our strong
international talent base, ensuring everyone has the
capabilities and skills to excel and reach their full potential.
The injection of external talent into the business will remain
an important element of our people strategy as we build our
capabilities – especially in areas such as digital marketing
and generative AI. Here, we have sharpened our focus to
ensure our marketeers are fully equipped to leverage the
shift to social-first communication and its convergence with
commerce and entertainment.
TALENT POWERHOUSE 
We are a company that values each individual for the
contribution they make to the company. We have the ambition
to have the best talent in Unilever. Our focus is on creating an
inclusive environment where all talent can succeed, as called
out in our people ambition within GAP 2030.
We strongly believe that having people who represent the
consumers we serve in fast-moving market conditions, enables
us to perform better. For more information on our approach,
see pages 50 and 272 to 273.
small images_right_our people and culture V3.jpg
In November 2024, the Unilever Leadership Executive
hosted an all-company engagement session to launch
our new strategy, highlighting our purpose, priorities,
sustainability commitments and culture.
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Sustainability Review
People intro image holders Rebecca_NEW.png
HIGHLIGHTS
Encouraging early progress against
sustainability goals.
Continued advocacy for systemic
policy interventions, such as the
Global Plastics Treaty.
Focused on scaling innovations
and partnerships through
targeted action.
MORE FOCUSED, URGENT AND SYSTEMIC
Sustainability is a strategic imperative for our business and
a key part of our Growth Action Plan 2030. In May, we launched
our refocused sustainability strategy, with 15 near- and medium-
term goals to accelerate action in four priority areas where we
can deliver the greatest impact: Climate, Nature, Plastics and
Livelihoods. In practice, this means: clear focus and resource
allocation for the priority areas embedded in our strategic
planning process; approaching sustainability with the same
urgency and rigour as commercial issues; and recognising
the role of advocacy in addressing enablers and blockers
of progress outside our direct control.
Our primary focus in the short term is on laying the
foundations for accelerated action, including: engaging
with suppliers and delivery partners; scaling innovations
and partnerships; and advocating for system-wide policy
interventions. We have made good early progress against
our goals but there is more work to do. See pages 48 to 50.
To help drive more focused delivery and accountability in the
future, we continue to improve our underlying data, reporting
systems and monitoring. In some cases, this has impacted
our reported progress against our climate and plastic goals.
For the first time this year, we are reporting a consolidated
sustainability statement in compliance with the European
Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This statement
incorporates mandatory and voluntary disclosures that were
previously reported in the Strategic Report. See pages 295 to
297 for an index of ESRS disclosures covering a range of
sustainability issues and related policies, including those
on the following pages.
CLIMATE
Climate change is a material risk to our business. Our immediate
priority is to achieve significant reductions in absolute Scope 3
greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as part of our transition
towards net zero. We continue to make progress towards our
Scope 1 and 2 target.
In March 2024, we launched our refreshed Climate Transition
Action Plan (CTAP), which includes more ambitious Scope 3
targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi),
and focused actions in ten key areas across our value chain.
This plan, endorsed by shareholders at our 2024 AGM in May,
guides our actions across the business.
A significant portion of our Scope 3 emissions comes from
purchased goods and services. Through our global Supplier
Climate Programme, we are collaborating closely with
suppliers to help accelerate their climate initiatives and,
where possible, collect product carbon footprint data. We
are focusing on those suppliers that we consider to have
the greatest climate impact, such as chemical ingredients,
packaging suppliers and third-party manufacturers.
To support efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions from our key
forest-risk commodities, we remain focused on deforestation-
free sourcing and have verified that 336 palm oil mills in our
supply chain now have methane capture capability in place.
See Nature for more on deforestation-free sourcing.
Transitioning to lower-emission ingredients in our products
is both critical and technically challenging. This year, we
successfully launched several reformulated, lower-emission
products in our Home Care and Personal Care portfolios,
laying the foundation to scale these products across several
markets in 2025. We are also working closely with chemical
ingredient suppliers to source lower-emission LAB and soda
ash, which contribute a significant proportion of our Scope 3
emissions in our Home Care products.
In addition to our focus on chemical feedstocks, we continue
to develop long-term partnerships with industry innovators, such
as Nufarm, to develop alternative plant-based ingredients for our
laundry detergents and beauty and personal care products.
A key element of our strategy is ongoing advocacy to create
conditions that enable governments and industries to align
with the 1.5°C pathway outlined in the Paris Agreement. Our
first Climate Policy Engagement Review, published in March
2024, details our approach to climate policy engagement and
includes a review of our industry associations’ alignment with
our climate policy positions, which support the Paris Agreement.
NATURE
Our business relies on resilient natural and agricultural
ecosystems. Our actions on nature are also integral to reducing
our agriculture and land-based emissions. As a result, we have
extended our climate principal risk to now include both climate
and nature, of which biodiversity is a key element.
         
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In 2024, we raised the ambition level of our nature goals to
protect and regenerate natural ecosystems closely associated
with our sourcing locations across our value chain. To support
with this, we continued the implementation of protection and
restoration programmes in Indonesia and Malaysia. Dove’s
partnership with the Rimba Collective is one of the key
projects which aims to protect and restore rainforests in
South East Asia.
Our regenerative agriculture programme builds on a long-
standing commitment to sustainable sourcing. Currently,
we have 23 active regenerative agriculture projects. We
are improving our measurement capabilities to help us
understand the impact of these projects.
We remain focused on our deforestation-free supply chain
agenda, through continued investment in infrastructure,
verification of suppliers, and partnerships with farmers,
suppliers and communities. See page 255 for more.
We are also working with governments, NGOs and other
partners to drive change beyond our value chain. For instance,
Unilever and the Business for Nature coalition urged
governments at the UN Biodiversity COP16 to implement
stronger policies to support business efforts in halting and
reversing nature loss by 2030.
PLASTICS
Our plastic packaging goals focus on the areas of our value
chain where we can deliver most impact: sourcing, packaging
design, use and disposal. In 2024, we updated our plastics
goals to sharpen our focus on priorities like reducing our use of
virgin plastic and developing alternatives for hard-to-recycle
flexible plastic packaging materials. We have also improved
the accuracy of our plastics reporting to help inform our
actions and investments. See page 259 for more.
Developing alternatives to flexible plastic is critical to deliver
our virgin plastic reduction goal. Packaging experts and
material scientists at our Packaging R&D Centre have so far
evaluated over 3,000 emerging materials and technologies,
particularly those that could serve as barrier materials in
flexible packaging. As an interim measure while we explore
alternatives, we have transitioned some products packaging,
like Knorr bouillon cubes in the UK, into new materials,
anticipating the broader adoption of new paper-based
flexible packaging materials.
We are also focused on the elements of our rigid plastic
packaging that are difficult to recycle – such as pumps and
trigger sprays. For example, in 2024, we introduced a new
recyclable pump for Vaseline bottles in North America.
We continue to play a leading role in the Business Coalition
for a Global Plastics Treaty, calling for legally binding global
rules to reduce plastic pollution.
LIVELIHOODS
Our Livelihoods agenda aims to positively enhance the lives
of people across our value chain, including smallholder
farmers, workers of our suppliers, and small and medium-sized
retailers. In 2024, we refocused our efforts on creating greater
change for the people who contribute to our business success
by setting three short-term goals.
Our Code of Business Principles sets out our commitment to
pay a living wage to all our direct employees. We were awarded
our second global independent accreditation as a living wage
employer, covering the 2024 calendar year – see page 273 for
more details. We are now asking our suppliers in key markets
to sign our Living Wage Promise – a commitment to identify
and address gaps between the minimum and living wages for
their workforce. With support from the Sustainable Trade Initiative
(IDH), we are providing training, tools and other resources to help
them get started. To promote the adoption of living wages more
broadly, we are also advocating for change through industry
forums like the UN Global Compact and supporting the
availability of free, publicly accessible living wage data.
Additionally, we are helping smallholder farmers to improve
their productivity and farming practices by enrolling them
in certification schemes and providing access to income
growth and regenerative agriculture programmes. In turn,
this helps to improve the resilience of our supply chain.
We support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our retail
value chain to grow their businesses by expanding our digital
commerce platforms so that SMEs can buy directly from us, and
easily access financial services. We are also scaling our last-mile
distribution programmes, which enable us to reach consumers
in remote areas across a number of developing markets.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Our commitment to respect human rights underpins our work
across the four sustainability priorities and forms a key part of
our Code of Business Principles and Responsible Partner Policy.
We continue to strengthen our approach to engaging with
rightsholders, including individuals who live and work in the
communities where we operate or source from, see page 270
for more information. In 2024, we partnered with Oxfam
to develop practical guidance for effective collaboration
with rightsholders, ensuring a consistent approach to our
engagement. We are piloting this guidance in our plastics
value chain in Indonesia and India. We are also engaging with
rightsholders in our sugar and tea supply chains through
multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the Bonsucro Impact
Fund and the Women’s Safety Accelerator Fund (WSAF).
Impact measurement is also a key focus of our human rights
strategy. In 2024, we developed a human rights impact
measurement framework to help ensure consistency in
reporting and drive strategic decision-making.
For more information on our approach to human rights issues,
including our Code of Business Principles, Responsible Partner
Policy and actions in respect of human rights, see pages 92 to
93 and 270.
Experts at our Packaging R&D Centre in Port Sunlight are
testing emerging and new technologies to support our work
on virgin plastic reduction.
small images_right_sustainability.jpg
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Financial performance
Unilever Group performance
Unilever
2024
2023
2022
Turnover growth
1.9%
(0.8)%
14.5%
Underlying sales growth
4.2%
7.0%
9.0%
Underlying volume growth
2.9%
0.2%
(2.1)%
Operating margin
15.5%
16.4%
17.9%
Underlying operating margin
18.4%
16.7%
16.1%
Cash flow from operating activities
€12.1bn
€11.6bn
€10.1bn
Free cash flow
€6.9bn
€7.1bn
€5.2bn
Net cash flow (used in)/from investing activities
€(0.6)bn
€(2.3)bn
€2.5bn
Net cash flow used in financing activities
€(6.9)bn
€(7.2)bn
€(8.9)bn
Business Group performance
Beauty & Wellbeing
2024
2023
2022
Turnover
€13.2bn
€12.5bn
€12.3bn
Turnover growth
5.5%
1.8%
20.8%
Underlying sales growth
6.5%
8.3%
7.8%
Operating margin
15.0%
17.7%
17.6%
Underlying operating margin
19.4%
18.7%
18.7%
Personal Care
2024
2023
2022
Turnover
€13.6bn
€13.8bn
€13.6bn
Turnover growth
(1.5)%
1.4%
15.9%
Underlying sales growth
5.2%
8.9%
7.9%
Operating margin
20.1%
21.4%
16.6%
Underlying operating margin
22.1%
20.2%
19.6%
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
Business Group performance continued
Home Care
2024
2023
2022
Turnover
€12.3bn
€12.2bn
€12.4bn
Turnover growth
1.4%
(1.8)%
17.3%
Underlying sales growth
2.9%
5.9%
11.8%
Operating margin
12.3%
11.6%
8.6%
Underlying operating margin
14.5%
12.3%
10.8%
Foods
2024
2023
2022
Turnover
€13.4bn
€13.2bn
€13.9bn
Turnover growth
1.1%
(5.0)%
6.1%
Underlying sales growth
2.6%
7.7%
8.6%
Operating margin
19.5%
18.3%
32.4%
Underlying operating margin
21.3%
18.6%
17.6%
Ice Cream
2024
2023
2022
Turnover
€8.3bn
€7.9bn
€7.9bn
Turnover growth
4.5%
0.5%
14.8%
Underlying sales growth
3.7%
2.3%
9.0%
Operating margin
6.9%
9.6%
9.8%
Underlying operating margin
11.8%
10.8%
11.7%
Underlying sales growth, underlying volume growth, underlying operating margin and free cash flow are non-GAAP measures. For further information about these
measures, and the reasons why we believe they are important for an understanding of the performance of the business, please refer to our commentary on non-GAAP
measures on pages 41 to 47.
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Additional financial disclosures
CASH FLOW
Cash flow from operating activities increased by €0.6 billion.
While working capital had an adverse impact of €1.0 billion
versus prior year mainly due to a significant improvement in
2023, this was more than offset by favourable movements
in pensions and provisions, where payments were lower as
compared to prior year and non-cash charges which were
significantly higher in 2024.
€ million
2024
2023
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment
1,757
1,579
Changes in working capital
(160)
814
Pensions and similar obligations less payments
(88)
(281)
Provisions less payments
330
(185)
Elimination of losses/(profits) on disposals
436
(433)
Non-cash charge for share-based compensation
324
212
Other adjustments
145
97
Cash flow from operating activities
12,144
11,561
Income tax paid
(2,625)
(2,135)
Net capital expenditure
(1,934)
(1,703)
Net interest paid
(653)
(632)
Free cash flow*
6,932
7,091
Net cash flow (used in)/from investing activities
(625)
(2,294)
Net cash flow used in financing activities
(6,941)
(7,193)
Income tax paid increased by €0.5 billion compared to the
prior year due to higher payments in markets where tax
credits expired during the year, and lower tax refunds in
certain markets.
Net cash flow used in investing activities was €(0.6) billion
compared to €(2.3) billion in the prior year. The lower outflow
was primarily driven by the divestment of financial assets
particularly in India, reduced investment in non-current assets
in Argentina and higher proceeds from the disposals of Elida
Beauty, our Russian business, Pureit and Truliva in the year,
partly offset by the cash outflow for the acquisition of K18 and
deferred consideration related payments. Capital expenditure
increased by €0.2 billion in 2024.
Net cash flow used in financing activities was €(6.9) billion
compared to €(7.2) billion in the prior year primarily due
to a lower net increase in borrowings, partly offset by higher
interest payments. The impact from share buybacks was
consistent with the prior year.
BALANCE SHEET
€ million
2024
2023
Goodwill and intangible assets
40,901
39,466
Other non-current assets
19,655
17,898
Current assets
19,194
17,902
Total assets
79,750
75,266
Current liabilities
25,234
23,507
Non-current liabilities
31,961
30,995
Total liabilities
57,195
54,502
Shareholders’ equity
19,990
18,102
Non-controlling interest
2,565
2,662
Total equity
22,555
20,764
Total liabilities and equity
79,750
75,266
Goodwill and intangible assets were €40.9 billion. This was
an increase of €1.4 billion compared to the prior year. The
increase was due to a favourable currency impact of €1.1
billion, with other movements from the acquisitions of K18
partly offset by impact of disposals in the year. See note 21
on pages 186 to 188 and note 9 on pages 160 to 162 for more.
Other non-current assets increased by €1.8 billion, primarily
due to higher purchase of property, plant and equipment,
as well as a higher net pension surplus due to strong
performance of equity and other growth assets. Current assets
increased by €1.3 billion led by cash and cash equivalents,
partly offset by a decrease in other financial assets and assets
held for sale, which was reduced following the disposal of the
Elida Beauty business. Cash and cash equivalents increased by
€2.0 billion.
Non-controlling interest decreased by €(0.1) billion due to the
disposal of the Truliva business.
Net debt*
Closing net debt was €24.5 billion compared to €23.7 billion
as at 31 December 2023. The increase was due to capital
returns of €4.3 billion in dividends and €1.5 billion in share
buybacks to PLC shareholders, and other adverse movements
that were partially offset by the free cash flow delivery of
€6.9 billion. Net debt to underlying earnings before interest,
taxation, depreciation and amortisation (UEBITDA) was 1.9
as at 31 December 2024 versus 2.1 in the prior year. This is
primarily used to assess our leverage level.
Movement in net pension liability/asset
The table below shows the movement in net pension liability/
asset during the year. Pension assets net of liabilities were
in surplus of €3.0 billion at the end of 2024 compared with
surplus of €2.4 billion at the end of 2023. The increase was
primarily driven by strong investment returns in equities, while
higher long-term government bond yields led to reductions in
both fixed income assets and pension liabilities.
€ million
2024
1 January
2,401
Gross service cost
(178)
Employee contributions
37
Actual return on plan assets (excluding interest)
(601)
Net interest income/(cost)
71
Actuarial gain/(loss)
957
Employer contributions
197
Currency retranslation
72
Other movements(a)
14
31 December
2,970
(a) Other movements relate to special termination benefits, changes in asset
ceiling, past service costs including losses/(gains) on curtailment, settlements
and other immaterial movements. For more details, see note 4B on pages 150
to 155.
(*) Certain measures used in our reporting are not defined under IFRS. For further
information about these measures, please refer to the commentary on non-GAAP
measures on pages 41 to 47.
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
41
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
Finance and liquidity
Approximately €3.0 billion (or 49%) of the Group’s cash and cash
equivalents is held in central finance companies for maximum
flexibility. These companies provide loans to our subsidiaries
that are also funded through retained earnings and third-party
borrowings. We maintain access to global debt markets through
an infrastructure of short- and long-term debt programmes. We
make use of plain vanilla derivatives, such as interest rate swaps
and foreign exchange contracts, to help mitigate risks. More detail
is provided in notes 16, 16A, 16B and 16C on pages 174 to 180.
The remaining €3.1 billion (or 51%) of the Group’s cash and cash
equivalents is held in foreign subsidiaries, which repatriate
distributable reserves on a regular basis. For most countries, this
is done through dividends, which in some cases are subject to
withholding or distribution tax. This balance includes €176 million
(2023: €98 million, 2022: €449 million) of cash that is held in a few
countries where we face cross-border foreign exchange controls
and/or other legal restrictions that inhibit our ability to make
these balances available in any means for general use by the
wider business. The cash will generally be invested or held in the
relevant country and, given the other capital resources available
to the Group, does not significantly affect the ability of the Group
to meet its cash obligations. We closely monitor all our exposures
and counter-party limits. Unilever has committed credit facilities
in place for general corporate purposes. The undrawn bilateral
committed credit facilities in place on 31 December 2024 were
$5,200 million and €2,600 million. Further information on liquidity
management is set out in note 16A to the consolidated financial
statements.
Material cash commitments from contractual and
other obligations
The following table shows the amount of our contractual and
other obligations as at 31 December 2024. The material cash
commitments from contractual and other obligations arise from
our borrowings, which include bonds, commercial paper, bank
and other loans, interest on these borrowings, and trade payables
and accruals.
€ million
2024
Due
within 1
year
Due in
1-3 years
Due in
3-5 years
Due in
over 5
years
Bonds
26,957
3,117
5,046
6,291
12,503
Commercial paper,
bank and other
loans
2,770
2,764
2
4
Interest on
financial liabilities
4,800
695
1,218
873
2,014
Trade payables,
accruals and other
liabilities
16,266
16,064
135
41
26
Lease liabilities
1,801
389
579
354
479
Other lease
commitments
330
101
133
30
66
Purchase
obligations(a) &
other long-term
commitments
4,198
1,654
1,871
489
184
Others(b)
824
649
173
2
Total
57,946
25,433
9,155
8,082
15,276
(a) For raw and packaging materials and finished goods.
(b) Includes other financial liabilities and deferred consideration for acquisitions.
Further details are set out in the following notes to the
consolidated financial statements: note 10 on pages 163 to 165,
note 15C on pages 172 to 173, and note 20 on pages 185 and 186.
We are satisfied that our financing arrangements are adequate to
meet our short-term and long-term cash requirements. In relation
to the facilities available to the Group, borrowing requirements do
not fluctuate materially during the year and are not seasonal.
Guaranteed US debt securities
At 31 December 2024, the Group had in issue US$10.95 billion
(2023: US$11.2 billion; 2022: US$10.75 billion) bonds in connection
with a US shelf registration. See page 221 for more information on
these bonds and related commentary on guarantor information.
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Certain discussions and analyses set out in this Annual Report and
Accounts (and the Additional Information for US Listing Purposes)
include measures that are not defined by generally accepted
accounting principles (GAAP) such as IFRS. We believe this
information, along with comparable GAAP measurements, is
useful to investors because it provides a basis for measuring our
operating performance, and our ability to retire debt and invest
in new business opportunities. Our management uses these
financial measures, along with the most directly comparable
GAAP financial measures, in evaluating our operating
performance and value creation. Non-GAAP financial measures
should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute
for, financial information presented in compliance with GAAP.
Wherever appropriate and practical, we provide reconciliation
to relevant GAAP measures.
EXPLANATION AND RECONCILIATION OF
NON-GAAP MEASURES
Unilever uses ‘constant rate’ and ‘underlying’ measures primarily
for internal performance analysis and targeting purposes. We
present certain items, percentages and movements, using
constant exchange rates, which exclude the impact of
fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. We calculate
constant currency values by translating both the current and the
prior period local currency amounts using the prior year average
exchange rates into euro, except for the local currency of entities
that operate in hyperinflationary economies. These currencies are
translated into euros using the prior year closing exchange rate
before the application of IAS 29.
The table below shows exchange rate movements in our key
markets.
Annual average
rate in 2024
Annual average
rate in 2023
Brazilian real (€1 = BRL)
5.761
5.405
Chinese yuan (€1 = CNY)
7.751
7.635
Indian rupee (€1 = INR)
90.652
89.232
Indonesia rupiah (€1 = IDR)
17,177
16,457
Mexican peso (€1 = MXN)
19.589
19.169
Philippine peso (€1 = PHP)
62.055
60.110
Turkish lira (€1 = TRY)
36.671
31.625
UK pound sterling (€1 = GBP)
0.848
0.870
US dollar (€1 = US$)
1.085
1.081
In the following sections, we set out our definitions of the
following non-GAAP measures and provide reconciliation to
relevant GAAP measures:
underlying sales growth;
underlying volume growth;
underlying price growth;
non-underlying items;
underlying operating profit and underlying operating margin;
underlying effective tax rate;
underlying earnings per share;
constant underlying earnings per share;
net debt;
underlying earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and
amortisation;
free cash flow;
cash conversion;
underlying return on invested capital; and
underlying return on assets.
42
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
UNDERLYING SALES GROWTH
Underlying sales growth (USG) refers to the increase in
turnover for the period, excluding any change in turnover
resulting from acquisitions, disposals, changes in currency
and price growth in excess of 26% in hyperinflationary
economies. Inflation of 26% per year compounded over
three years is one of the key indicators within IAS 29 to assess
whether an economy is deemed to be hyperinflationary.
We believe this measure provides valuable additional
information on the underlying sales performance of the
business and is a key measure used internally. The impact of
acquisitions and disposals is excluded from USG for a period
of 12 calendar months from the applicable closing date.
Turnover from acquired brands that are launched in countries
where they were not previously sold is included in USG, as
such turnover is more attributable to our existing sales and
distribution network than the acquisition itself.
The reconciliation of changes in the GAAP measure of turnover
to USG is as follows:
Beauty &
Wellbeing
Personal Care
Home Care
Foods
Ice Cream
Group
2024 vs 2023
Turnover (€ million)
2023
12,466
13,829
12,181
13,204
7,924
59,604
2024
13,157
13,618
12,352
13,352
8,282
60,761
Turnover growth(a) (%)
5.5
(1.5)
1.4
1.1
4.5
1.9
Effect of acquisitions (%)
0.9
1.2
0.4
Effect of disposals (%)
(1.2)
(5.3)
(0.9)
(0.5)
(0.3)
(1.8)
Effect of currency-related items, (%)
(0.6)
(1.1)
(0.5)
(1.0)
(0.1)
(0.7)
of which:
Exchange rate changes (%)
(2.2)
(3.0)
(3.6)
(2.8)
(1.9)
(2.8)
Extreme price growth in hyperinflationary markets(b) (%)
1.6
1.9
3.2
1.9
1.8
2.1
Underlying sales growth(b) (%)
6.5
5.2
2.9
2.6
3.7
4.2
2023 vs 2022
Turnover (€ million)
2022
12,250
13,636
12,401
13,898
7,888
60,073
2023
12,466
13,829
12,181
13,204
7,924
59,604
Turnover growth(a) (%)
1.8
1.4
(1.8)
(5.0)
0.5
(0.8)
Effect of acquisitions (%)
1.9
0.9
0.5
Effect of disposals (%)
(1.7)
(0.9)
(6.9)
(2.1)
Effect of currency-related items, (%)
(6.2)
(6.1)
(7.2)
(5.2)
(2.7)
(5.7)
of which:
Exchange rate changes (%)
(7.5)
(8.0)
(10.3)
(6.8)
(5.4)
(7.8)
Extreme price growth in hyperinflationary markets(b) (%)
1.5
2.1
3.4
1.7
2.8
2.2
Underlying sales growth(b) (%)
8.3
8.9
5.9
7.7
2.3
7.0
2022 vs 2021
Turnover (€ million)
2021
10,138
11,763
10,572
13,104
6,867
52,444
2022
12,250
13,636
12,401
13,898
7,888
60,073
Turnover growth(a) (%)
20.8
15.9
17.3
6.1
14.8
14.5
Effect of acquisitions (%)
3.8
0.3
0.8
Effect of disposals (%)
(0.1)
(7.1)
(1.8)
Effect of currency-related items, (%)
8.1
7.4
4.9
4.9
5.4
6.2
of which:
Exchange rate changes (%)
6.9
6.2
2.6
3.6
3.9
4.7
Extreme price growth in hyperinflationary markets(b) (%)
1.0
1.1
2.2
1.2
1.5
1.4
Underlying sales growth(b) (%)
7.8
7.9
11.8
8.6
9.0
9.0
(a) Turnover growth is made up of distinct individual growth components, namely underlying sales, currency impact, acquisitions and disposals. Turnover growth is
arrived at by multiplying these individual components on a compounded basis as there is a currency impact on each of the other components. Accordingly, turnover
growth is more than just the sum of the individual components.
(b) Underlying price growth in excess of 26% per year in hyperinflationary economies has been excluded when calculating the underlying sales growth in the tables
above, and an equal and opposite amount is shown as extreme price growth in hyperinflationary markets.
UNDERLYING VOLUME GROWTH
Underlying volume growth (UVG) is part of USG and means,
for the applicable period, the increase in turnover in such
period calculated as the sum of (i) the increase in turnover
attributable to the volume of products sold; and (ii) the
increase in turnover attributable to the composition of
products sold during such period. UVG therefore excludes
any impact on USG due to changes in prices.
UNDERLYING PRICE GROWTH
Underlying price growth (UPG) is part of USG and means, for
the applicable period, the increase in turnover attributable to
changes in prices during the period. UPG therefore excludes
the impact to USG due to (i) the volume of products sold;
and (ii) the composition of products sold during the period.
In determining changes in price, we exclude the impact of
price growth in excess of 26% per year in hyperinflationary
economies as explained in USG above.
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
43
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
The relationship between USG, UVG and UPG is set out below:
2024 vs 2023
2023 vs 2022
2022 vs 2021
Underlying volume growth (%)
2.9
0.2
(2.1)
Underlying price growth (%)
1.3
6.8
11.3
Underlying sales growth (%)
4.2
7.0
9.0
NON-UNDERLYING ITEMS
Some of our non-GAAP measures are adjusted to exclude items defined as non-underlying. Management considers non-
underlying items to be significant, unusual or non-recurring in nature and so believe that separately identifying them helps users
better understand the financial performance of the Group from period to period.
Non-underlying items within operating profit are gains or losses on business disposals, acquisition and disposal-related costs,
restructuring costs, impairments and other approved one-off items within operating profit classified here due to their nature
and frequency.
Non-underlying items not in operating profit but within net profit are net monetary gains/(losses) arising from
hyperinflationary economies and significant and unusual items in net finance cost, share of profit/(loss) of joint ventures and
associates and taxation.
Non-underlying items after tax is calculated as non-underlying items within operating profit after tax plus non-underlying
items not in operating profit but within net profit after tax.
Consequently, within underlying operating profit we exclude the following items:
Restructuring costs are costs that are directly attributable to a restructuring project. Management defines a restructuring
project as a strategic, major initiative that delivers cost savings and materially changes either the scope of the business or the
manner in which the business is conducted.
Acquisitions and disposal-related costs are costs that are directly attributable to a business acquisition or disposal project.
Impairment of assets including goodwill, intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment.
Gains or losses from the disposal of group companies which arise from business disposal projects.
Other approved one-off items are those additional matters considered by management to be significant and outside the
course of normal operations.
The breakdown of non-underlying items is shown below:
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Non-underlying items within operating profit before tax
(1,779)
(173)
1,072
Acquisition and disposal-related costs(a)
(387)
(242)
(50)
(Loss)/gain disposal of group companies(b)
(406)
489
2,335
Restructuring costs(c)
(850)
(499)
(777)
Impairments(d)
(133)
(1)
(221)
Other
(3)
80
(215)
Tax on non-underlying items within operating profit
129
207
273
Non-underlying items within operating profit after tax
(1,650)
34
1,345
Non-underlying items not in operating profit but within net profit before tax
(155)
(153)
(164)
Interest related to the UK tax audit of intangible income and centralised services
40
(11)
(7)
Net monetary gain arising from hyperinflationary economies
(195)
(142)
(157)
Tax impact of non-underlying items not in operating profit but within net profit, including
non-underlying tax items
90
12
(121)
Non-underlying items not in operating profit but within net profit after tax
(65)
(141)
(285)
Non-underlying items after tax
(1,715)
(107)
1,060
Attributable to:
Non-controlling interest
21
(6)
(14)
Shareholders' equity
(1,736)
(101)
1,074
(a) 2024 includes a charge of €239 million (2023: €104 million) relating to the revaluation of the minority interest liability of Nutrafol, €54 million related to the Ice Cream
separation, and €39 million relating to the acquisition of Yasso.
(b) 2024 net loss arises from the disposals of our Russian business, Elida Beauty, Pureit and Qinyuan. This net loss includes a foreign currency translation reserve write-off
of €545 million. 2023 includes a gain of €497 million related to the disposal of Suave. 2022 includes a gain of €2,303 million related to the disposal of the global tea
business.
(c) In 2024, we announced the launch of a company-wide productivity programme that would impact around 7,500 jobs and support margin improvement through
specific interventions over its duration. The majority of the costs incurred that relate to the productivity programme were for redundancy and are recognised as
restructuring in line with our policy. The remaining costs comprise technology and supply chain projects.
(d) 2024 includes an impairment charge of €127 million relating to Blueair, an air purification business. 2022 includes an impairment charge of €192 million relating to
Dollar Shave Club.
44
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
UNDERLYING OPERATING PROFIT AND
UNDERLYING OPERATING MARGINS
Underlying operating profit and underlying operating margin
mean operating profit and operating margin before the
impact of non-underlying items within operating profit.
Underlying operating profit represents our measure of
segment profit or loss as it is the primary measure used for
making decisions about allocating resources and assessing
performance of the segments.
The Group reconciliation of operating profit to underlying
operating profit is as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
2022
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
10,755
Non-underlying items within operating
profit
1,779
173
(1,072)
Underlying operating profit
11,179
9,931
9,683
Turnover
60,761
59,604
60,073
Operating margin (%)
15.5
16.4
17.9
Underlying operating margin (%)
18.4
16.7
16.1
Further details on non-underlying items can be found on
page 43 of the consolidated financial statements.
Refer to note 2 on page 146 for the reconciliation of operating
profit to underlying operating profit by division. For each
division, operating margin is computed as operating profit
divided by turnover and underlying operating margin is
computed as underlying operating profit divided by turnover.
UNDERLYING EFFECTIVE TAX RATE
The underlying effective tax rate is calculated by dividing
taxation excluding the tax impact of non-underlying items by
profit before tax excluding the impact of non-underlying items
and share of net profit/(loss) of joint ventures and associates.
This measure reflects the underlying tax rate in relation to
profit before tax excluding non-underlying items before tax
and share of net (profit)/loss of joint ventures and associates.
Tax impact on non-underlying items within operating profit
is the sum of the tax on each non-underlying item, based on
the applicable country tax rates and tax treatment.
This is shown in the table:
€ million
2024
2023
Taxation
2,500
2,199
Tax impact of:
Non-underlying items within operating profit
129
207
Non-underlying items not in operating profit but
within net profit(a)
90
12
Taxation before tax impact of non-underlying
items
2,719
2,418
Profit before taxation
8,869
9,339
Share of net (profit)/loss of joint ventures and
associates
(255)
(231)
Profit before tax excluding share of net profit/
(loss) of joint ventures and associates
8,614
9,108
Non-underlying items within operating profit
before tax (a)
1,779
173
Non-underlying items not in operating profit but
within net profit before tax
155
153
Profit before tax excluding non-underlying items
before tax and share of net profit/(loss) of joint
ventures and associates
10,548
9,434
Effective tax rate (%)
29.0
24.1
Underlying effective tax rate (%)
25.8
25.6
(a) See page 43 for further details.
UNDERLYING EARNINGS PER SHARE
Underlying earnings per share (underlying EPS) is calculated
as underlying profit attributable to shareholders’ equity
divided by the diluted average number of ordinary shares.
In calculating underlying profit attributable to shareholders’
equity, net profit attributable to shareholders’ equity is
adjusted to eliminate the post-tax impact of non-underlying
items. This measure reflects the underlying earnings for each
share unit of the Group.
The reconciliation of net profit attributable to shareholders’
equity to underlying profit attributable to shareholders’ equity
is as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
2022
Net profit
6,369
7,140
8,269
Non-controlling interests
(625)
(653)
(627)
Net profit attributable to shareholders’
equity – used for basic and diluted
earnings per share
5,744
6,487
7,642
Post-tax impact of non-underlying
items
1,736
101
(1,074)
Underlying profit attributable to
shareholders’ equity – used for
underlying earnings per share
7,480
6,588
6,568
Diluted average number of shares
(millions of share units)
2,507.1
2,532.4
2,559.8
Diluted EPS (€)
2.29
2.56
2.99
Underlying EPS – diluted (€)
2.98
2.60
2.57
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
45
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
CONSTANT UNDERLYING EARNINGS PER SHARE
Constant underlying earnings per share (constant underlying
EPS) is calculated as underlying profit attributable to
shareholders’ equity at constant exchange rates and
excluding the impact of both translational hedges and
price growth in excess of 26% per year in hyperinflationary
economies, divided by the diluted average number of ordinary
share units. This measure reflects the underlying earnings
for each ordinary share unit of the Group in constant
exchange rates.
The reconciliation of underlying profit attributable to
shareholders’ equity to constant underlying earnings
attributable to shareholders’ equity and the calculation
of constant underlying EPS is as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
Underlying profit attributable to shareholders’
equity
7,480
6,588
Impact of translation from current to constant
exchange rates and translational hedges
272
(45)
Impact of price growth in excess of 26% per year in
hyperinflationary economies (a)
(274)
Constant underlying earnings attributable to
shareholders’ equity
7,478
6,543
Diluted average number of shares (millions of
units)
2,507.1
2,532.4
Constant underlying EPS (€)
2.98
2.58
(a) See pages 41 to 42 for further details.
NET DEBT
Net debt is a measure that provides valuable additional
information on the summary presentation of the Group’s net
financial liabilities and is a measure in common use elsewhere.
Net debt is defined as the excess of total financial liabilities,
excluding trade payables and other current liabilities, over
cash, cash equivalents and other current financial assets,
excluding trade and other current receivables, and non-
current financial asset derivatives that relate to
financial liabilities.
The reconciliation of total financial liabilities to net debt is
as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
Total financial liabilities
(32,053)
(29,622)
Current financial liabilities
(6,987)
(5,087)
Non-current financial liabilities
(25,066)
(24,535)
Cash and cash equivalents as per
balance sheet
6,136
4,159
Cash and cash equivalents as per
cash flow statement
5,950
4,045
Add: bank overdrafts deducted
therein
180
116
Less: cash and cash equivalents
held for sale
6
(2)
Other current financial assets
1,330
1,731
Non-current financial assets
derivatives that relate to financial
liabilities
68
75
Net debt
(24,519)
(23,657)
UNDERLYING EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST,
TAXATION, DEPRECIATION AND AMORTISATION
(UEBITDA)
Underlying earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation
and amortisation means operating profit before the impact
of depreciation, amortisation and non-underlying items
within operating profit. We use UEBITDA in assessing our
leverage level, which is expressed as net debt/UEBITDA. The
reconciliation of operating profit to UEBITDA is as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
Net profit
6,369
7,140
Net finance costs
604
486
Net monetary loss arising from hyperinflationary
economies
195
142
Share of net profit of joint ventures and associates
(255)
(231)
Other income/(loss) from non-current investments
and associates
(13)
22
Taxation
2,500
2,199
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
Depreciation and amortisation
1,624
1,578
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortisation (EBITDA)
11,024
11,336
Non-underlying items within operating profit
1,779
173
Underlying earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortisation (UEBITDA)
12,803
11,509
46
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
FREE CASH FLOW
Free cash flow (FCF) is defined as cash flow from operating
activities, less income taxes paid, net capital expenditure
and net interest payments. It does not represent residual
cash flows entirely available for discretionary purposes; for
example, the repayment of principal amounts borrowed is
not deducted from FCF. FCF reflects an additional way of
viewing our liquidity that we believe is useful to investors
because it represents cash flows that could be used for
distribution of dividends, repayment of debt or to fund
our strategic initiatives, including acquisitions, if any.
The reconciliation of cash flow from operating activities to
FCF is as follows:
€ million
2024
2023
2022
Cash flow from operating activities
12,144
11,561
10,089
Income tax paid
(2,625)
(2,135)
(2,807)
Net capital expenditure
(1,934)
(1,703)
(1,627)
Net interest payments
(653)
(632)
(457)
Free cash flow
6,932
7,091
5,198
Net cash flow (used in)/from investing
activities
(625)
(2,294)
2,453
Net cash flow used in financing
activities
(6,941)
(7,193)
(8,890)
CASH CONVERSION
Unilever defines cash conversion as free cash flow excluding
tax on disposal as a proportion of net profit, excluding P&L
on disposal and income from joint ventures, associates and
non-current investments. This reflects our ability to convert
profit to cash.
€ million
2024
2023
Net profit
6,369
7,140
Loss/(gain) on disposal of group companies
406
(489)
Share of net profit of joint ventures and associates
(255)
(231)
Other (income)/loss from non-current investments
and associates
(13)
22
Tax on gain on disposal of group companies
140
(69)
Net profit excluding P&L on disposals, JV,
associates, NCI
6,647
6,373
Cash flow from operating activities
12,144
11,561
Free cash flow
6,932
7,091
Cash impact of tax on disposal
111
14
Free cash flow excluding cash impact of tax on
disposal
7,043
7,105
Cash conversion from operating activities (%)
191
162
Cash conversion (%)
106
111
UNDERLYING RETURN ON INVESTED CAPITAL
Underlying return on invested capital (ROIC) is a measure of
the return generated on capital invested by the Group. The
measure provides a guide rail for long-term value creation
and encourages compounding reinvestment within the
business and discipline around acquisitions with low returns
and long payback. Underlying ROIC is calculated as underlying
operating profit after tax divided by the annual average of:
goodwill, intangible assets, property, plant and equipment,
net assets held for sale, inventories, trade and other current
receivables, and trade payables and other current liabilities.
€ million
2024
2023
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
Tax on operating profit(a)
(2,726)
(2,352)
Operating profit after tax
6,674
7,406
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
Non-underlying items within
operating profit
1,779
173
Underlying operating profit before
tax
11,179
9,931
Tax on underlying operating profit(b)
(2,882)
(2,545)
Underlying operating profit after
tax
8,297
7,386
Goodwill
22,311
21,109
Intangible assets
18,590
18,357
Property, plant and equipment
11,669
10,707
Net assets held for sale
119
516
Inventories
5,177
5,119
Trade and other current receivables
6,011
5,775
Trade payables and other current
liabilities
(16,690)
(16,857)
Period-end invested capital
47,187
44,726
Average invested capital for the
period
45,957
45,487
Return on invested capital (%)
14.5
16.3
Underlying return on invested
capital (%)
18.1
16.2
(a) Tax on operating profit is calculated as operating profit before tax multiplied
by the effective tax rate of 29.0% (2023: 24.1%), which is shown on page 44.
(b) Tax on underlying operating profit is calculated as underlying operating profit
before tax multiplied by underlying effective tax rate of 25.8% (2023: 25.6%),
which is shown on page 44.
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
47
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
UNDERLYING RETURN ON ASSETS
Underlying return on assets is a measure of the return
generated on assets for each Business Group. This measure
provides additional insight on the performance of the Business
Groups and assists in formulating long-term strategies with
respect to allocation of capital across Business Groups.
Business Group underlying return on assets is calculated as
underlying operating profit after tax for the Business Group
divided by the annual average of: property, plant and
equipment, net assets held for sale (excluding goodwill and
intangibles), inventories, trade and other current receivables,
and trade payables and other current liabilities for each
Business Group. The annual average is computed by adding
the amounts at the beginning and the end of the calendar
year and dividing by two. Where possible, balances are
specifically attributed to each Business Group. For trade and
other current receivables, balances are allocated to Business
Groups in the ratio of annual Business Group turnover to total
Unilever turnover. For trade and other payables, balances are
allocated to Business Groups in the ratio of annual Business
Group cost of sales to total Unilever cost of sales.
€ million
Beauty &
Wellbeing
Personal Care
Home Care
Foods
Ice Cream
Total
2024
Operating profit
1,970
2,739
1,521
2,599
571
9,400
Tax on operating profit
(571)
(794)
(441)
(754)
(166)
(2,726)
Operating profit after tax
1,399
1,945
1,080
1,845
405
6,674
Operating profit
1,970
2,739
1,521
2,599
571
9,400
Non-underlying items within operating profit
(582)
(275)
(264)
(248)
(410)
(1,779)
Underlying operating profit before tax
2,552
3,014
1,785
2,847
981
11,179
Tax on underlying operating profit
(658)
(777)
(460)
(734)
(253)
(2,882)
Underlying operating profit after tax
1,894
2,237
1,325
2,113
728
8,297
Property, plant and equipment
1,939
2,813
2,131
2,388
2,398
11,669
Net assets held for sale
(7)
19
13
25
Inventories
1,243
1,172
738
1,094
930
5,177
Trade and other receivables
1,302
1,347
1,222
1,321
819
6,011
Trade payables and other current liabilities
(3,570)
(3,569)
(3,557)
(3,536)
(2,458)
(16,690)
Period-end assets (net)
914
1,756
553
1,280
1,689
6,192
Average assets for the period (net)
817
1,394
436
995
1,817
5,459
Return on assets (%)
171
140
248
185
22
122
Underlying return on assets (%)
232
161
304
212
40
152
2023
Operating profit
2,209
2,957
1,419
2,413
760
9,758
Tax on operating profit
(532)
(713)
(342)
(582)
(183)
(2,352)
Operating profit after tax
1,677
2,244
1,077
1,831
577
7,406
Operating profit
2,209
2,957
1,419
2,413
760
9,758
Non-underlying items within operating profit
(122)
165
(77)
(47)
(92)
(173)
Underlying operating profit before tax
2,331
2,792
1,496
2,460
852
9,931
Tax on underlying operating profit
(597)
(716)
(383)
(631)
(218)
(2,545)
Underlying operating profit after tax
1,734
2,076
1,113
1,829
634
7,386
Property, plant and equipment
1,773
2,340
1,979
1,976
2,639
10,707
Net assets held for sale
(31)
15
(16)
Inventories
1,179
1,128
785
1,090
937
5,119
Trade and other receivables
1,208
1,340
1,180
1,279
768
5,775
Trade payables and other current liabilities
(3,439)
(3,746)
(3,626)
(3,646)
(2,400)
(16,857)
Period-end assets (net)
721
1,031
318
714
1,944
4,728
Average assets for the period (net)
880
1,164
421
866
1,910
5,241
Return on assets (%)
191
193
256
211
30
141
Underlying return on assets (%)
197
178
265
211
33
141
OTHER INFORMATION
Accounting standards and critical accounting policies
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared
in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the UK and IFRS as
issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The
accounting policies are consistent with those applied in 2023
except for the recent accounting developments as set out in
note 1 on pages 142 to 144. The critical accounting estimates
and judgements and those that are most significant in
connection with our financial reporting are set out in note 1
on pages 142 to 144.
Auditor's report
The Independent Auditor’s Report issued by KPMG LLP on the
consolidated results of the Group, as set out in the financial
statements, was unqualified and contained no exceptions or
emphasis of matter. For more details, see pages 121 to 137.
2023 financial review
The financial review for the year ended 31 December 2023 can
be found on pages 58 to 64 of our Annual Report and Accounts
on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission on 14 March 2024.
48
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
Non-financial performance
Climate
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Reduce absolute operational GHG emissions (Scope 1 & 2)
by 100% by 2030 from a 2015 baseline(b)(c)(d)
-100%
-72%
-70%
-63%
Reduce absolute Scope 3 energy and industrial (E&I) GHG
emissions by 42% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline(e)
-42%
-8%
Reduce absolute Scope 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG)
GHG emissions by 30.3% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline(e)
-30.3%
-14%
Nature
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Implement Regenerative Agriculture practices on 1 million
hectares of agricultural land by 2030
1m
0.13m
0.06m
0.05m
Help protect and restore 1 million hectares of natural
ecosystems by 2030
1m
0.43m
0.29m
0.20m
95% volume of key crops to be verified as sustainably
sourced by 2030
95%
79%
79%
81%
Maintain no deforestation across our primary
deforestation-linked commodities(f)
95%
97%
98%
Implement water stewardship programmes in 100 locations
in water-stressed areas by 2030
100
21
13
8
Plastics
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Reduce our virgin plastic footprint – by 30% by 2026,
and 40% by 2028, from a 2019 baseline(a)(c)
-30%
-23%
-21%
-21%
100% of our plastic packaging to be reusable,
recyclable or compostable(a)(b)
100%
57%
53%
55%
  by 2030 (for rigids)
100%
76%
  by 2035 (for flexibles)
100%
13%
Use 25% recycled plastic in our packaging by 2025(a)(c)
25%
21%
20%
18%
Collect and process more plastic packaging than
we sell by 2025(a)(c)
100%
93%
68%
61%
Livelihoods
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Suppliers representing 50% of our procurement spend
to sign the Living Wage Promise by 2026
50%
32%
Help 250,000 smallholder farmers in our supply chain
access livelihoods programmes by 2026
0.25m
0.08m
Help 2.5 million SMEs in our retail value chain grow their
business by 2026(g)
2.5m
2.58m
1.91m
1.83m
(a) The scope of our plastic packaging targets includes plastic packaging in 26 countries, which account for approximately 82% of Unilever’s sales.
(b) 2023 and 2022 performance measured for 12-month period ended 30 September.
(c) 2023 and 2022 performance restated due to change in measurement methodology. See Sustainability Statement for further details.
(d) Baseline period measured for 12-month period ended 30 September 2015.
(e) Baseline period measured for 12-month period ended 30 September 2021.
(f) 2023 performance measured for all commodity volumes ordered for 3-month period October to December, except for palm oil in India measured only for December.
(g) 2023 and 2022 performance measured for 3-month period October to December.
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
49
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
NON-FINANCIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INFORMATION STATEMENT
Unilever’s Sustainability Statement can be found on pages 222 to 299 of the Annual Report and Accounts. The statement
incorporates requirements for non-financial and sustainability reporting including sections 414CA and 414CB of the Companies
Act 2006, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (the ESRS) and our Climate Transition Action Plan progress report. It
includes our climate-related financial disclosures, as required by the Financial Conduct Authority Listing Rules 6.6.6R(8), which
are consistent with the four recommendations and 11 recommended disclosures of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial
Disclosures (TCFD).
The table below is intended to provide our stakeholders with an overview of the non-financial reporting requirements and the
content they need to understand our development, performance, position and the impact of our activities with regards to
specified non-financial matters. Our business model can be found on pages 2 to 5, which identifies our stakeholder groups, and
our principal risks can be found on pages 51 to 59. Further information on these matters can be found on our website and in our
Human Rights Report, including relevant policies.
In the following pages, we provide our Section 172 disclosure, our Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting disclosure and our
employee gender reporting.
Non-financial matter and relevant
sections of Annual Report
Page reference
Environmental matters, including Climate
Sustainability Review
Climate, including: Task Force on Climate-related Financial
Disclosures and our Climate Transition Action Plan: Annual
Progress
Pollution
Water
Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Resource Use and Circular Economy
Governance: pages 65 and 224.
Risks and Impacts: pages 36, 51, 227 and 230. This is
supported by a detailed scenario analysis: pages 235 and 262.
Due diligence and policies: pages 225 and 232.
Position and performance (including relevant non-financial
KPIs): pages 36 to 37, 48 and 50, with further details for
Climate: pages 246 to 247, Pollution: page 250, Water: page
253, Biodiversity and Ecosystems: page 257, and Resource Use
and Circular Economy: page 260.
Climate Transition Action Plan: Annual Progress is outlined
in Climate Actions disclosures: pages 240 to 241. For more
details, refer to www.unilever.com/files/ctap.pdf. Refer to
note 1 of the consolidated financial statements for further
information relating to any considerations of physical and
transition climate risks on the current valuation of our assets
and liabilities.
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, pages
295 to 296, outlines how our TCFD disclosures are mapped
across the relevant sections of the Sustainability Statement.
Social and Employee matters, including Human Rights
Our People & Culture
Own Workforce
Workers in the Value Chain
Affected Communities
Consumers and End-Users
Approach to Human Rights
Governance: pages 65, 74, 79, 92 to 93, 224 and 272 to 278.
Risks and Impacts: pages 36, 51, 227 and 267.
Due diligence and policies: pages 74, 79, 92 to 93, 225 and 270.
Position and performance (including relevant                             
non-financial KPIs): pages 34, 36, and 48 , with further details
for Own Workforce: pages 244 to 278, and for Workers in the
Value Chain: pages 279 to 283.
Approach to Human Rights: pages 270 to 271.
Business Conduct matters, including anti-corruption and bribery
Our People & Culture
Business Conduct
Governance: pages 65 and 224.
Risks and Impacts: pages 34, 51, 227 and 287.
Due diligence and policies: pages 225, 270, 287 and 289.
Position and performance (including relevant                                   
non-financial KPIs): pages 34, 48, 92 to 93, and 289 to 291.
Prevention and detection of corruption and bribery: page 289.
Our Code and Code Policies set out Unilever’s zero-tolerance
approach towards corruption and bribery. Our partners must
adhere to Unilever’s anti-corruption and bribery policies, as
defined in the Responsible Partner Policy.
50
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PERFORMANCE
SECTION 172 STATEMENT
Under Section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (‘Section 172’) directors must act in the way that they consider, in good faith,
would be most likely to promote the success of their company. In doing so, our Directors must have regard to stakeholders and
the other matters set out in Section 172. Our Section 172 statement includes the information set out on pages 74 to 77 of the
Governance Report. Pages 74 and 75 identifies our key stakeholders and provides examples of how the business engaged with
them during 2024, with cross references to the Review of the Year section for more detail. Pages 76 and 77 details how our
Directors have taken steps to understand the needs and priorities of these stakeholders when setting Unilever’s strategy
and taking decisions concerning the business, including by direct engagement or via their delegated committees and forums.
The relevance of each stakeholder group may vary depending on the matter at hand.
STREAMLINED ENERGY AND CARBON REPORTING (SECR)
In line with the requirements set out in the UK Government’s guidance on Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting, the table
below represents Unilever’s energy use and associated GHG emissions from electricity and fuel in the UK, calculated with
reference to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The scope of this data includes seven manufacturing sites, two logistics sites and
eight non-manufacturing sites based in the UK. In 2024, the UK accounted for 4% of our global total Scope 1 and 2 GHG
emissions as well as 5% of our global energy use, outlined in the table below.
See our Climate actions on page 240 for details on energy efficiency measures taken during 2024, and our Gross Scope 1, 2 and 3
emissions, as well as the Total GHG emissions table on page 244, disclosed in our consolidated Sustainability Statement.
UK operations (thousands kWh)
2024
2023(a)(b)
2022(a)(b)
Biogas
13,350
9,354
13,520
Natural gas
215,052
232,083
249,098
LPG
0
0
937
Fuel oils
666
2,061
1,302
Coal
0
0
0
Electricity
91,543
102,599
132,903
Purchased heat and steam
0
0
0
Total UK energy
320,612
346,097
397,759
Total global energy
6,482,654
6,377,192
7,080,534
Total UK Scope 1 emissions (tonnes CO2e)(c)(e)
24,065
47,014
50,386
UK Scope 1 emissions (kg CO2e) per tonne of production
36
73
64
Total UK Scope 2 emissions (tonnes CO2e)(d)(f)
1,666
1,568
1,421
UK Scope 2 emissions (kg CO2e) per tonne of production
3
2
2
(a) 2023 and 2022 measured for 12-month period ended 30 September.
(b) 2023 and 2022 data has been restated in line with our improved GHG measurement methodology detailed on page 243 and with ESRS reporting requirements.
(c) Restated from 41,594 kg CO2 in 2023 and 39,545 kg CO2 in 2022.
(d) Restated from 0 kg CO2 in 2023 and 2022.
(e) Certified Biomethane UK Renewable Gas Guarantee's of Origin (RGGOs) purchased for 98,000 MWh.
(f) Scope 2 emissions for grid electricity calculated according to the market-based method.
EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY
As part of our disclosure to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018 and the Companies Act 2006, the table below
shows our workforce diversity by gender and work level as at 31 December 2024.
2024
2023
Gender statistics
Female
Male
Not reported(c)
Female
Male
Not reported(c)
Board
4
5
0
5
7
0
44%
56%
0%
42%
58%
0%
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE)
4
9
0
2
11
0
31%
69%
0%
15%
85%
0%
Senior management(a)
31
65
0
29
52
0
32%
68%
0%
36%
64%
0%
Management(b)
8,999
7,472
5
9,468
7,885
3
55%
45%
0%
55%
45%
0%
Total workforce
44,313
75,530
197
47,633
80,718
26
37%
63%
0%
37%
63%
0%
(a) Employees in senior management roles one work level below ULE (based on internal reporting definitions).
(b) Employees in management roles including ULE and senior management.
(c) ‘Not reported’ includes those categorised as ’Other’, ‘Unspecified’ or ‘Prefer not to say’.
Employees who are statutory directors of the corporate entities included in this Annual Report and Accounts: 446 (62%) males
and 272 (38%) females (see Group Companies on pages 200 to 210).
         
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
51
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Our Principal Risks
OUR RISK APPETITE AND APPROACH
TO RISK MANAGEMENT
Risk management is integral to Unilever’s strategy and
the achievement of Unilever’s long-term goals. Our success
as an organisation depends on our ability to identify and
exploit the opportunities generated by our business and in
our markets. In doing this, we take an embedded approach
to risk management which puts risk at the core of the Board
agenda, which is where we believe it should be.
Unilever’s appetite for risk is driven by the following:
Our growth should be consistent, competitive,
profitable and responsible.
Our actions on issues such as climate, nature, plastics
and livelihoods must reflect their urgency, and not be
constrained by the uncertainty of potential impacts.
Our behaviours must be in line with our Code of Business
Principles and Code Policies.
Our ambition to continuously improve our operational
efficiency and effectiveness.
Our aim to maintain a minimum A/A2 credit rating on
a long-term basis.
Our approach to risk management is designed to provide
reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that our assets are
safeguarded, the risks facing the business are being assessed
and mitigated, and all information that may be required to
be disclosed is reported to Unilever’s senior management
including, where appropriate, the CEO and CFO.
ORGANISATION
The Board has overall accountability for the management
of risks and opportunities and reviewing the effectiveness
of Unilever’s risk management and internal control systems.
The Board has established a clear organisational structure
with well-defined accountabilities for the principal risks that
Unilever faces in the short, medium and long term. In this
structure, the Board has delegated the overall accountability
for risk management to both the CEO and CFO. The
distribution of accountabilities and responsibilities ensures
that every segment (either Business Group or country) through
which we operate has specific resources and processes for
risk reviews and risk mitigation. This is supported by the ULE,
which takes active responsibility for focusing on the principal
areas of risk to Unilever, including any emerging areas of
risks. The Board regularly reviews these risk areas, including
consideration of environmental, social and governance
matters, and retains responsibility for determining the nature
and extent of the significant risks that Unilever is prepared to
take to achieve its strategic objectives.
FOUNDATION AND PRINCIPLES
Unilever’s approach to doing business is framed by our
purpose and values (see page 4). Our Code of Business
Principles (CoBP) and a framework of Code Policies that
underpins the CoBP set out the standards of behaviour
that we expect all employees to adhere to. The day-to-day
responsibility for ensuring these principles are applied rests
with senior management across Business Groups, geographies
and functions. They are supported by Business Integrity
Officers and Committees who communicate the Code, deliver
training, maintain processes and procedures (including
support lines) to report and respond to alleged breaches,
and to capture and communicate learnings.
For each of our principal risks, we have a risk management
framework detailing the controls we have in place and who
is responsible for managing both the overall risk and the
individual controls mitigating that risk. Unilever’s functional
standards define mandatory requirements across a range
of specialist areas such as product safety and cyber, which
are key controls in mitigating these risks.
Our assessment of risk considers short-, medium- and long-
term risks, including how these risks are changing, together
with emerging risk areas. These are reviewed on an ongoing
basis, and formally by senior management and the Board at
least once a year.
PROCESSES
Unilever operates a wide range of processes and activities
across all its operations covering strategy, planning, execution
and performance management. Risk management is
integrated into every stage. In 2024, for the purposes of
compliance with the European Union Corporate Sustainability
Reporting Directive, Unilever completed a double materiality
assessment (DMA) to identify material sustainability matters.
The outcome of the DMA has been reviewed by management
to ensure that these matters are aligned with the principal risks.
ASSURANCE AND RE-ASSURANCE
Assurance on compliance with the Code of Business Principles
and our Code Policies is obtained annually from Unilever
management via a formal Code declaration. In addition,
specialist awareness and training programmes are run
throughout the year and vary depending on the business
priorities. An integrated assurance map is maintained across
the principal risks to confirm the mitigation in place through
the three lines of defence. Our Corporate Audit function plays
a vital role in providing to both management and the Board
an objective and independent review of the effectiveness of
risk management and internal control systems throughout
Unilever.
BOARD ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE
RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORKS
The Board, advised by its committees and subcommittees where
appropriate, regularly review the significant risks and decisions
that could have a material impact on Unilever. These reviews
consider the level of risk that Unilever is prepared to take in pursuit
of the business strategy and the effectiveness of the management
controls in place to mitigate the risk exposure.
The Board, through the Audit Committee, has reviewed the
assessment of risks, internal controls and disclosure controls
and procedures in operation within Unilever. It has also
considered the effectiveness of any remedial actions taken
for the year covered by this Annual Report and Accounts and
up to the date of its approval by the Board.
Details of the activities of the Audit Committee in relation
to this can be found in the Report of the Audit Committee
on pages 86 to 90.
Further statements on compliance with the specific risk
management and control requirements in the UK Corporate
Governance Code (2018), the US Securities Exchange Act (1934)
and the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) can be found on page 80.
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Principal Risks
Our business is subject to risks and uncertainties. On the following pages, we have identified the risks and opportunities that
we regard as the most material to Unilever’s business and performance at this time.
Our principal risks include risks that could impact our business in the short term (i.e. the next two years), medium term (i.e. the
next three to ten years) or over the longer term (i.e. beyond ten years). As part of our process to review our principal risks, we also
consider any additional risks that could emerge in the future.
Our principal risks have been reviewed and updated as appropriate to reflect the current and relevant risks and opportunities.
We have extended the scope of our existing Climate principal risk to consider those risks relating to nature, of which biodiversity
is a subset. We also reflect on whether we think the level of risk associated with each of our principal risks is increasing or
decreasing. There are three principal risks where we believe there is an increased level of risk compared with last year:
Business Transformation: we announced the separation of the Ice Cream business and a multi-year productivity programme
to strengthen and simplify our business. The scale and impact of the ongoing transformation requires close monitoring.
Legal and Regulatory: the increasing regulatory landscape, such as with product formulations, plastic packaging,
environmental compliance and data protection, require us to continually assess the impact on our business and take
necessary action.
Systems and Information: technology is disrupting the way we do business, and we need to accelerate innovation to keep
pace with the developments. The cyber threat landscape has increased in the recent past and continues to remain volatile.
The rapid advancements in generative AI capabilities heightens the risk of misuse, leading to loss of trust and credibility as well
as the risk of legal liability. We have a task force set up to identify and take responsible action as we continue to monitor this as
an emerging risk. We recognise the opportunities brought by AI as part of our principal risks.
We set out below certain mitigating actions that we believe could help us to manage our principal risks. However, we may not
be successful in deploying some or all of these mitigating actions. If the circumstances in these risks occur or are not successfully
mitigated, our cash flow, operating results, financial position, business and reputation could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to vary from those described, which may include forward-looking
statements, or could impact on our ability to meet our targets or be detrimental to our profitability or reputation.
Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Consumer
preference
Our success depends on the value and
relevance of our brands and products to
consumers around the world and on our
ability to innovate and remain competitive.
Consumer tastes, preferences and
behaviours are changing more rapidly
than ever before. We see a growing trend
for consumers preferring brands that both
meet their functional needs and have an
explicit social or environmental purpose.
Technological change is disrupting our
traditional brand communication models.
Our ability to develop and deploy the right
communication, both in terms of messaging
content and medium is critical to the
continued strength of our brands.
We are dependent on creating innovative
products that continue to meet the needs
of our consumers in times of economic
instability and volatility. We also need to be
competitive, bringing innovation to market
with speed in areas such as personalised
and premium beauty offerings, health
and hygiene.
We monitor external market trends and
collate consumer, customer and shopper
insights in order to develop brand strategies
and build competitive advantage. We are
focused on elevating brand experience with
a particular focus on our Power Brands.
The Unmissable Brand Superiority (UBS)
framework provides a holistic and systematic
way of measuring consumer perception of
our brands.
Our Research and Development function
actively searches for ways in which to
translate the trends in consumer preference
and taste into new technologies for
incorporation into future products. Our
innovation management process converts
strategies into projects to launch new
products in the market, scale technology
across categories, and build up the multi-year
innovation pipeline. This enables us to
respond to rapidly changing consumer trends
with speed.
Our brand communication strategies are
designed to engage with consumers to build
our brand equity. We aim to connect with
consumers with relevant brand messaging
content on a continuous basis. We adapt
both the message and media to be relevant
for specific touchpoints with increasing
emphasis on digital and social platforms.
No change
         
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Portfolio
management
Unilever’s strategic investment choices will
affect the long-term growth and profits of
our business.
Unilever’s growth and profitability are
determined by our portfolio of Business
Groups, geographies and channels and
how these evolve over time. If Unilever does
not make optimal strategic investment
decisions, then opportunities for growth
and improved margin could be missed.
Our Business Group strategies and our
business plans are designed to ensure
that resources are prioritised towards
those categories and markets having the
greatest long-term potential for Unilever.
Our acquisition and disposal activity is
driven by our portfolio strategy with a clear,
defined evaluation process.
No change
Climate and
nature
Tackling climate change-related physical
and transitional risks and loss of nature is
important to increase our resilience and
future-proof our business.
Climate change is already impacting our
business in various ways, although there
has not been a material impact during the
year. As it worsens, it is likely to increase the
frequency and severity of extreme weather
events such as heat waves, hurricanes,
floods or droughts.
Government action to mitigate climate
change, such as the introduction of carbon
taxes, land use regulations or product
composition regulations that restrict or ban
certain GHG-intensive ingredients, could
also impact our business in the short term
through higher costs or reduced flexibility
of operations.
Our business depends on nature, making
its loss a significant risk. Intensive
agricultural practices, land conversion and
rising temperatures could lead to loss of
biodiversity and ecosystems. This could in
turn lead to reduction in crop yield and
therefore increase in prices for scarce
resources.
Deforestation poses a particular risk to
our business, both reputational and to
our supply chain. Land use regulations
to conserve and expand forest land could
reduce land available in the short term for
agricultural produce, which could result in
increase in raw material prices.
Water is a critical resource to grow
agricultural produce, and for both the
manufacturing and consumer use of our
products. Water scarcity can therefore
impact our agricultural sourcing and our
operations as well as reducing consumer
demand for products that require water in
their use phase.
In 2024, we published our updated Climate
Transition Action Plan, which sets out new
more ambitious decarbonisation targets for
our Scope 3 emissions, and the key actions we
will take to achieve them (update on progress
included on page 240).
We are decarbonising our operations through
eco-efficiency measures, transitioning to
renewable energy for heating and cooling,
and replacing climate harmful refrigerants.
We monitor trends in raw material availability
and pricing due to short-term weather
impacts to ensure continued availability of
input materials and integrate weather system
modelling into our forecasting process.
We monitor government policy and actions to
combat climate change and take proactive
action to minimise the impact on our
business. We also advocate for changes to
public policy frameworks consistent with the
1.5°C pathway of the Paris Agreement.
To address the risk posed by water scarcity
in our sourcing supply chain, we are working
with farmers to implement regenerative
agriculture practices that use less water to
grow crops. We are developing products
that do not use water in their formulas (e.g.
laundry sheets) as well as investing in new
products that can work with less or no water.
In our operations, we are implementing
water stewardship programmes at Unilever
manufacturing sites located in water-stressed
locations.
No change
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Plastic
packaging
We use a significant amount of plastic
to package our products. A reduction in
the amount of virgin plastic we use and
an increase in the recyclability of our
packaging are critical to delivering
a sustainable business.
Both consumer and customer responses to
the environmental impact of plastic waste
and emerging regulations by governments
to tax or ban the use of certain plastics
requires us to find solutions to reduce the
amount of plastic we use and increase the
amount of packaging which is recyclable.
We are also dependent on the work of our
industry partners to create and improve
recycling infrastructure throughout the
world.
Besides the overarching risk of consumer
and customer acceptance of the new
materials, there is a risk around finding
appropriate replacement materials that
do not have trade-offs on functionality,
performance and safety. Due to high
demand and the green premium, the
cost of recycled plastic or other alternative
packaging materials could significantly
increase in the foreseeable future and this
could impact our business performance.
In addition, we are also exposed to higher
costs as a result of taxes or fines if we are
unable to comply with plastic regulations.
For instance, the Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR) regulations in some
markets adds an obligation on Unilever to
take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of
our products, including end-of-life disposal
and recycling, which could again impact
our profitability and reputation.
During 2024, we restated our commitment to
end plastic pollution through several near-
and medium-term goals. We are working with
partners and consumers to raise awareness
and find solutions to improve the recycling
infrastructure for plastics. This includes
supporting infrastructure development and
optimising EPR schemes, as well as helping
consumers to understand disposal and
collection methods.
We are working on innovative solutions that
target a shift to new business models (reuse
and refill), new formats (concentration) and
new materials (paper-based packaging).
Driving industry-wide systemic changes
through external advocacy is also a critical
pillar of our strategy. Amongst others, we are
advocating for well-designed EPR schemes
and for harmonised mandatory business rules
as co-lead of the Global Plastics Treaty. We
are continuing to work with external partners
(such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation) to
explore and create ways to drive a circular
economy and improve downstream collection
and processing infrastructure.
No change
Customer and
channel
Successful customer relationships are vital
to our business and continued growth.
Maintaining strong relationships with
our existing customers while building
relationships with new customers is critical
to our success because we believe customers
are the gateway to shoppers and consumers.
To mitigate risks and ensure sustainable
growth, we aim to strengthen our existing
customer channels while strategically
expanding into growth channels, particularly
digital commerce, which remains a critical
channel for growth.
The strength of our customer relationships
impacts our ability to land our strategic
pricing and competitive trade terms.
Failure to maintain strong relationships
with customers could negatively impact our
terms of business with affected customers
and reduce the availability of our products
to consumers.
We build and maintain trading relationships
across a broad spectrum of channels ranging
from centrally managed international
customers through to small traders accessed
via distributors in many emerging markets.
We continually identify changing shopper
habits and build relationships with new
customers, such as those serving the digital
commerce channel.
We develop joint business plans with our key
customers that include detailed investment
plans and customer service objectives, and
we regularly monitor progress of key
deliverables on both sides.
We have developed capabilities for our
customer sales team and outlet design,
which enable us to find new ways to improve
customer performance and enhance our
customer relationships. We invest in data
and technology to optimise order and stock
management processes for our distributive
trade customers.
No change
         
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Talent
A skilled workforce and agile ways of
working are essential for the continued
success of our business.
With the rapidly changing nature of work
and skills, there is a risk that our workforce
is not equipped with the skills required for
the new environment.
Our ability to attract, develop and retain
a diverse range of skilled people is critical
if we are to compete and grow effectively.
This is especially true in our key emerging
markets where there can be a high level
of competition for a limited talent pool.
The loss of management or other key
personnel or the inability to identify, attract
and retain qualified personnel could make
it difficult to manage the business and
could adversely affect operations and
financial results.
We have an integrated management
development process that includes regular
performance reviews, underpinned by a
common set of leadership behaviours, skills
and competencies. We have development
plans to upskill and reskill employees for
future roles and will bring in flexible talent
to access new skills.
We have targeted programmes to attract
and retain top talent and we actively monitor
our performance in retaining a diverse talent
pool within Unilever.
We regularly review our ways of working
to drive speed and simplicity through our
business in order to remain agile and
responsive to marketplace trends.
No change
Business
operations
Our business depends on purchasing
materials, efficient manufacturing and
the timely distribution of products to
our customers.
Our supply chain network is exposed
to potentially adverse events such as
geopolitical sanctions, physical disruptions,
trade restrictions and tariffs or disruptions
at a key supplier, which could impact our
ability to deliver orders to our customers.
Geopolitical tensions have continued to
challenge our supply chain in 2024.
Maintaining manufacturing operations
while adhering to changing local regulations
and meeting enhanced health and safety
standards has proven possible but has
required significant management.
In addition, ensuring the operation of
a global logistics network for both input
materials and finished goods continues to
present challenges and requires continued
focus and flexibility.
The cost of our products is being affected
by the cost of the underlying commodities
and materials from which they are made.
Fluctuations in these costs cannot always be
passed on to the consumer through pricing
and will need to be carefully managed.
We have contingency plans designed to
enable us to secure alternative key material
supplies at short notice, to transfer or share
production between manufacturing sites and
to use substitute materials in our product
formulations and recipes.
We monitor ongoing geopolitical events,
trade policies and assess the impact of
potential areas of concerns. We work with
various functions in the business to manage
and respond to such risks.
We have policies and procedures designed
to ensure the health and safety of our
employees and the products in our facilities,
and to deal with major incidents including
business continuity and disaster recovery.
Commodity price risk is managed through
forward buying of traded commodities,
other appropriate hedging mechanisms and
product pricing. Trends are monitored and
modelled regularly and integrated into our
forecasting process.
No change
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Safe and
high-quality
products
The quality and safety of our products are
of paramount importance for our brands
and our reputation.
The increasing laws and regulations
concerning product formulation and use of
ingredients of concern can lead to litigation
and therefore impact financial performance
and reputation.
The risk that raw materials are accidentally
or maliciously contaminated throughout the
supply chain or that product defects occur
due to human error, equipment failure or
other factors cannot be excluded.
Labelling errors can have potentially serious
consequences for both consumer safety
and brand reputation. Therefore, on-pack
labelling needs to provide clear and
accurate ingredient information in order
that consumers can make informed
decisions regarding the products they buy.
Our Code of Business Principles and Code
Policies sets out our commitment to
conduct responsible and safe research and
innovation, to produce safe and high-quality
products that meet all applicable standards
and regulation.
Our product safety and quality processes
and controls are comprehensive, from
product design to customer shelf. They are
verified annually and regularly monitored
through performance indicators that drive
improvement activities. Our key raw material
suppliers are externally certified and the
materials received are monitored to ensure
that they meet the rigorous quality standards
that our products require. We also have
stringent requirements for the design,
manufacture and delivery of our products to
ensure we consistently supply the safe and
high-quality products that our customers and
consumers expect.
In the event of a marketplace incident relating
to the safety of our consumers or the quality
of our products, incident management teams
are activated in the affected business units
and markets, supported by our product
quality, safety and communications experts,
to ensure timely and effective action.
We have processes in place to ensure that the
data used to generate on-pack labelling and
the final labels themselves are compliant with
applicable regulations and with relevant
Unilever labelling policies in order to provide the
clarity and transparency needed for consumers.
No change
Systems and
information
Unilever’s operations are increasingly
dependent on IT systems and safeguarding
the confidentiality, integrity of data and the
management of information.
The cyber-attack threat of unauthorised
access and misuse of sensitive information
or disruption to operations continues to
increase. Unilever has in the past been,
and expects to be the subject of cyber
security attacks. Such an attack inhibits our
business operations in a number of ways,
including disruption to sales, production
and cash flows, ultimately impacting our
results. However, none of these attacks have
had a material impact during the year.
In addition, increasing digital interactions
with customers, suppliers and consumers
place ever greater emphasis on the need
for secure and reliable IT systems and
infrastructure and careful management
of the information that is in our possession
to ensure data privacy.
To reduce the impact of cyber-attacks on our
business, we are following a defence in-depth
strategy, guided by industry standards
frameworks. We have many Identify, Protect,
Detect, Respond, Recover and Govern
capabilities in place which are continuously
being monitored and improved.
We have policies covering the protection of
both business and personal information, as
well as the use of IT systems and applications
by our employees. Our employees are trained
to understand these requirements.
We also have a set of cyber security standards
and closely monitor their operation to protect
our systems and information. Hardware that
runs and manages core operating functions
and data is fully backed up with separate
contingency systems to provide real-time
backup operations should they ever be
required.
We have standardised ways of hosting
information on our public websites and have
systems in place to monitor compliance with
appropriate privacy laws and regulations,
and with our own policies.
We also maintain a global system for the
control and reporting of access to our critical
IT systems. This is supported by an annual
programme of testing of access controls.
Increase
         
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Business
transformation
Successful execution of business
transformation projects is key to
delivering their intended business
benefits and avoiding disruption to
other business activities.
In 2024, we announced the separation of
our Ice Cream business and the launch
of a major productivity programme to
accelerate our Growth Action Plan (GAP).
As a result of the separation of Ice Cream,
we recognise the heightened risk of
operational disruption that could result in
higher costs and impact our performance.
We also recognise the risks in managing
business continuity associated with the
productivity programme due to the pace
of change and operating model, which
could disrupt our growth momentum
and our ability to unlock and realise
planned benefits.
We are also continually engaged in
acquisitions and disposals that could
strengthen our portfolio and capabilities.
Any potential challenges during integration
could lead to financial exposure.
Continued digitalisation of our business
models and processes, together with
enhancing data management capabilities,
is a critical part of our transformation.
Advancements in artificial intelligence
(AI) capabilities, with the evolution of
generative AI, provides opportunities to
become efficient and effective in consumer
insights, demand creation, customer and
channel management, and operations. We
see these as opportunities to step up our
growth, unlock productivity and accelerate
cultural transformation.
The Ice Cream separation is managed by
a dedicated project team that identifies,
manages and reviews risks on an ongoing
basis. They are supported by external and
internal experts from different functions such
as legal, tax, finance to ensure timely and
seamless set up of the new organisation.
The productivity programme is a multi-year
programme overseen and governed by a
dedicated senior management team. They
ensure that the remaining organisation
design is aligned to delivering the GAP
with a simpler structure and relevant
technological intervention.
Acquisitions and disposals are governed
by dedicated teams including functional
specialists and the Business Groups. Specific
focus areas identified during the acquisition
process are managed and mitigated during
the integration period.
The digitalisation of our business and use of
AI is led by a team of specialists together with
the business, piloting projects in a phased
manner. This involves leveraging technology
to drive best-in-class capabilities across
operations, and to help deliver on the
innovation, projects, data management,
automation of business processes and
delivery of operational excellence with speed.
We are piloting AI transformation projects
across all areas of our business, supported
by an AI framework that guides how we can
support the Business Groups, units and
functions. These are overseen by a governing
board of experts, ensuring risks and rewards
are assessed before implementation.
Increase
Economic
and political
instability
Adverse economic conditions may affect
one or more countries, regions or may
extend globally. Economic and political
instability impacts consumer demand for
our products, disrupts sales operations
and/or impacts the profitability of our
operations.
In 2024, organisations have continued to see
geopolitical and economic volatility leading
to significant disruption to supply chain and
logistics, including consumer boycotts
impacting parts of the business.
Government actions such as trade and
economic sanctions, foreign exchange or
price controls can impact on the growth
and profitability of our local operations.
Unilever has more than half of its turnover
in emerging markets, which can offer
greater growth opportunities but also
exposes Unilever to related economic
and political volatility.
The breadth of Unilever’s portfolio and
our geographic reach help to mitigate our
exposure to any particular localised risk.
Our flexible business model allows us to
adapt our portfolio and respond quickly to
develop new offerings that suit consumers’
and customers’ changing needs during
economic downturns.
We regularly update our forecast of business
results and cash flows and, where necessary,
rebalance investment priorities.
We believe that many years of exposure to
emerging markets have given us experience
of operating and developing our business
successfully during periods of economic and
political volatility.
Trade and economic sanctions developments
are monitored, and our policies and
procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure
compliance and resilience planning.
No change
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Treasury and
tax
Unilever is exposed to a variety of external
financial risks in relation to Treasury
and Tax.
The relative value of currencies can
fluctuate widely and could have a
significant impact on business results.
Further, because Unilever consolidates its
financial statements in euros, it is subject
to exchange risks associated with the
translation of the underlying net assets
and earnings of its foreign subsidiaries.
We are also subject to the imposition of
exchange controls by individual countries
or economic sanctions, which could limit
our ability to import materials paid in
foreign currency or to remit dividends
to the parent company.
A material shortfall in our cash flow could
undermine Unilever’s credit rating, impair
investor confidence and restrict Unilever’s
ability to raise funds. In times of financial
crisis, there is a further risk that we may
not be able to raise funds due to market
illiquidity.
We are exposed to counter-party risks with
banks, suppliers and customers, which could
result in financial losses.
Tax is a complex and evolving area where
laws and their interpretation are changing
regularly, leading to the risk of unexpected
tax exposures. International tax reform
remains a key focus of attention.
Currency exposures are managed within
prescribed limits and by the use of financial
hedging instruments. Further, operating
companies borrow in local currency, except
where inhibited by local regulations, lack of
local liquidity or local market conditions.
We seek to maintain access to global debt
markets through short-term and long-term
debt programmes. In addition, we maintain
significant undrawn committed credit
facilities for general corporate purposes
as disclosed in note 16A.
Group treasury regularly monitors exposure
to our banks, tightening counter-party limits
where appropriate. Unilever actively manages
its banking exposures on a daily basis. We
regularly assess and monitor counter-party
risk in our suppliers and customers and take
appropriate action to manage our exposures.
Our Global Tax Principles provide overarching
governance and we have a process in place
to monitor compliance with the Tax Principles.
We have a Tax Risk Framework in place which
sets out the controls established to assess
and monitor tax risk for direct and indirect
taxes. We monitor proposed changes in
taxation legislation and ensure these are
taken into account when we consider our
future business plans.
No change
Ethical
Unilever’s brands and reputation are
valuable assets and the way in which we
operate, contribute to society and engage
with the world around us is always under
scrutiny both internally and externally.
Acting in an ethical manner, consistent with
the expectations of customers, consumers
and other stakeholders, is essential for the
protection of the reputation of Unilever and
its brands.
Our ethical approach is grounded in our
commitment to embed respect for human
rights throughout our business, in line with
the United Nations Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights.
The safety of our employees and the people
and communities we work with is critical.
Failure to meet these high standards could
impact our reputation and business results.
Our Code of Business Principles and our
Code Policies govern the behaviour of our
employees. Our processes for identifying and
resolving breaches of our Code of Business
Principles and our Code Policies are clearly
defined and regularly communicated
throughout Unilever. Data relating to such
breaches is reviewed by the ULE and by
relevant Board Committees and helps to
determine the allocation of resources for
future policy development, process
improvement, training and awareness
initiatives.
Our Responsible Partner Policy sets out our
expectations that all our business partners
must meet in order to do business with
Unilever, with respect to Business Integrity
& Ethics, Human Rights and the Planet.
Our Human Rights Policy Statement outlines
our approach to embedding respect for
human rights throughout our value chain.
We have detailed safety standards and
monitor safety incidents at the highest level.
No change
         
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Risk
Risk description
Management of risk
Level of risk
Legal and
regulatory
Compliance with laws and regulations is
an essential part of Unilever’s business
operations.
Unilever is subject to national and regional
laws and regulations in diverse areas such
as to environmental compliance (e.g.
greenwashing), product and ingredient
safety, chemicals management, product
claims, trademarks, copyright, patents,
competition, health and safety, data privacy,
corporate governance, anti-bribery and anti-
corruption, listing and disclosure, human
rights due diligence, employment and taxes.
Changes to these laws and regulations,
as well as introduction of new laws and
regulations, could have a material impact
on the cost of doing business.
Failure to comply could expose Unilever to
civil and/or criminal enforcement actions
or litigation leading to damages, fines and
criminal sanctions against us and/or our
employees with possible consequences
for our corporate reputation.
Unilever is committed to complying with the
laws and regulations of the countries in which
we operate. In specialist areas, the relevant
teams at global, regional or local levels are
responsible for setting detailed standards
and ensuring that all employees are aware
of and comply with regulations and laws
specific and relevant to their roles.
Our legal and regulatory specialists are
heavily involved in monitoring and reviewing
our practices to provide reasonable
assurance that we remain aware of and
in line with all relevant laws and legal
obligations. Similarly, our litigation specialists
are equipped to protect, defend and advance
Unilever’s interests in civil litigation.
Intellectual property rights underpin our
scalable multi-year innovations as well as
our Power Brands. We strategically protect,
defend and enforce our intellectual property
rights (including patents and trademarks) to
ensure that our differentiated science-backed
innovations and unmissably superior brands
contribute to our long-term growth and
business success. We also acknowledge
others’ rights and some of our operations
are conducted under licenses. We are not
dependent on any one patent or group
of patents.
Increase
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PRINCIPAL RISKS
Viability statement
The Directors have reviewed the long-term prospects of the
Group in order to assess its viability. This review incorporated
the activities and key risks of the Group together with the
factors likely to affect the Group’s future development,
performance, financial position, cash flows, liquidity position
and borrowing facilities as described on pages 1 to 47. In
addition, we describe in notes 15 to 18, on pages 169 to 184,
the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing
its capital, its financial risk management objectives, details
of its financial instruments and hedging activities, and its
exposures to credit and liquidity risk. Unilever announced the
separation of the Ice Cream business, which is expected to
be completed by the end of 2025. This falls within the period
covered by the viability statement. The Directors have therefore
considered the ability of the Group to continue in its current
form (i.e. scenario where the separation does not happen), as
well as the viability of the Group if the separation completed
as planned.
ASSESSMENT
In order to report on the long-term viability of the Group,
the Directors reviewed the overall funding capacity and
headroom available to withstand severe events and carried
out a robust assessment of the principal risks facing the Group,
including those that would threaten its business model, future
performance, solvency or liquidity. This includes consideration
of external factors such as the impact of climate change,
changing consumer preference and slowdown in economic
growth.
The assessment considers the separation of the Ice Cream
business in 2025 and also a possibility that the existing business
continues over the assessment period. We have also reviewed the
mitigating factors in respect of each principal risk. The risks and
mitigating factors are summarised on pages 52 to 59.
The viability assessment has three parts:
First, the Directors considered the period over which they
have a reasonable expectation that the Group will continue
to operate and meet its liabilities;
Second, they considered the current debt facilities and debt
headroom over the viability period, assuming that any debt
maturing can be re-financed at commercially acceptable
terms; and
Third, they considered the potential impact of severe but
plausible scenarios over this period considering both
possibilities that the existing business continues over this
period as well as the separation of the Ice Cream business
in 2025:
assessing scenarios for each individual, the principal
risks, and their impact on profits and cash, and
assessing scenarios that involve more than one principal
risk including the following multi-risk scenarios:
Multi-risk scenarios modelled
Level of severity reviewed
Link to principal risk
Contamination issue with one of our
brands caused by regulated ingredients
and the temporary closure of three of
our largest factories.
Significant reduction in sales for some of the
Business Groups along with percolating impact
on other brands and closure of three of our
largest factories for a period of six months.
Safe and high-quality products
Consumer preference
Business operations
Increasing geopolitical tensions leading
to subdued macroeconomic scenario
and impacting consumer demand
coupled with failure to find alternatives
to plastic packaging, resulting in both
consumers moving away and higher
costs.
Loss of turnover due to change in consumer
preference and increasing costs due to plastic-
related taxes and levies.
Economic and political
instability
Plastic packaging
Climate change-related extreme
weather events impacting crop yield
and failure to capitalise on changing
consumer perceptions and demands.
Extreme rain and drought impacting
agricultural produce and crop yield, leading to
increase in costs and failure to capitalise on
consumer needs, resulting in turnover loss.
Climate and nature
Business operations
Consumer preference
Cyber-attack causing a sustained
shutdown of manufacturing systems and
the impact on profit if management failed
to deliver a major transformation project.
Loss of confidence from our customers and
consumers, reputational damage resulting in
loss of turnover coupled with additional costs
to mitigate the impact of cyber-attack.
Systems and information
Business transformation
         
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61
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OUR PRINCIPAL RISKS
FINDINGS
Firstly, a three-year period is considered appropriate for this
viability assessment because it is the period covered by the
strategic plan; and it enables a high level of confidence in
assessing viability, even in extreme adverse events, due to
factors such as:
the Group has considerable financial resources together
with established business relationships with many
customers and suppliers in countries throughout the world;
high cash generation by the Group’s operations and
access to the external debt markets;
flexibility of cash outflow with respect to significant
marketing programmes and capital expenditure projects
which usually have a two- to three-year horizon; and
the Group’s diverse product and geographical activities
which are impacted by continuously evolving technology
and innovation.
Secondly, the Group’s debt headroom and funding profile
was assessed. None of the future outlooks considered resulted
in significant liquidity headroom issues, primarily because:
the Group has a healthy balance of short-term and long-term
debt programmes, with repayment profiles ensuring short-
term commercial paper maturities do not exceed €0.5 billion
in any given week and long-term debt maturities do not
exceed €4.0 billion in any given calendar year; and
the Group has the equivalent of €7.6 billion in committed
credit facilities with a maturity of 364 days which are used
for backing up our commercial paper programmes.
Thirdly, for each of our 14 principal risks, worst-case
plausible scenarios have been assessed together with
multi-risk scenarios. Although, it is highly unlikely that all
the individual risks would occur together at once, none of
the scenarios reviewed, either individually or in aggregate
would cause Unilever to cease to be viable.
CONCLUSION
On the basis described above, the Directors have a reasonable
expectation that the Group, with or without the separation of
the Ice Cream business, will be able to continue in operation
and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the three-year
period of their assessment.
62
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Governance Report
64
Governance Report Overview
Board of Directors
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE)
Operation of the Board
Additional Information
Report of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Report of the Audit Committee
Report of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
Directors’ Remuneration Report
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
63
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Governance Report Overview
Our strong corporate governance
informs all of our operations
including the GAP 2030. Details
of our Board and Senior Executive
governance structures are set
out in this Governance Report,
together with key matters arising
in the year.
Ian Meakins
Chair
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INTRODUCTION AND UNILEVER’S STRUCTURE
The corporate governance statement for Unilever PLC (Unilever) is presented below. The following pages outline the Governance
Structure, introduce the members of our Board, and highlight the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE). Details on the Board’s
operations and key activities throughout the year are provided. Relationships with stakeholders are also discussed, with cross
references to the Strategic Report on pages 2 to 61. Additionally, statutory information required across the jurisdictions where
Unilever is listed is included.
Unilever PLC, incorporated in England and Wales in 1894, is the parent company of the Unilever Group. Unilever’s shares are traded
through its Equity Shares (Commercial Companies) category listing on the London Stock Exchange (ULVR) and its listing on the
Amsterdam Exchange Index on Euronext (UNA). Unilever’s shares are also traded on the New York Stock Exchange (UL) in the form
of American Depositary Shares, with one American Depositary Share representing one Unilever ordinary share. Unilever publishes
financial information on a quarterly basis and these reports can be found at www.unilever.com/investors. Details of the quarterly
dividends for the financial year ended 31 December 2024 and other shareholder information can be found on page 159. Unilever’s
significant subsidiaries are set out in note 27 on page 191 and Unilever’s subsidiaries are set out on pages 200 to 210.
The Board of Unilever has implemented standards of corporate governance and disclosure policies
applicable to a UK incorporated company, with listings in London, Amsterdam and New York.
Application of the provisions of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code (the ‘Code’)
In respect of the year ended 31 December 2024, Unilever was subject to the Code (available from www.frc.org.uk). Unilever will
adopt the requirements of the new UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 in respect of reporting years from 1 January 2025
onwards. The Board is pleased to confirm that Unilever applied the principles and complied with all the provisions of the Code
throughout 2024. Further information on compliance with the Code can be found as follows:
Board leadership and Company purpose
page
Long-term value and sustainability
88, 93
Culture
34-35, 73
Shareholder engagement
72
Other stakeholder engagement
74-75
Conflicts of interest
71-72
Role of the Chair
70
Division of responsibilities
Non-Executive Directors
70-71
Independence
71
Composition, succession and evaluation
Appointments and succession planning
82
Skills, experience and knowledge
84
Length of service
85
Evaluation
72
Diversity
83
Audit, risk and internal control
page
Committee
87
Integrity of financial statements
87
Fair, balanced and understandable
88
Risk management and internal controls
89
External auditors
89
Principal and emerging risks
89
Remuneration
Policies and practices
95-117
Link to strategy
102
Independent judgement and discretion
95
Unilever also complied with the Listing
Standards of the New York Stock Exchange
applicable to foreign private issuers.
Please see page 80 for further information.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
65
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
UNILEVER’S GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
UNILEVER’S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The Board has ultimate responsibility for the development
of strategy, material acquisitions and divestments, material
capital expenditure, the Company’s capital structure and
other financing matters, oversight of policies, procedures
and internal controls, and setting and monitoring the
Group’s culture and promoting ethical behaviour. The Board
discharges some of its responsibilities directly and others
through four principal Committees: the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee, the Audit Committee, the
Compensation Committee and the Corporate Responsibility
Committee, as well as two management committees:
the Global Code and Policy Committee and the Disclosure
Committee. A summary of the remit of each Committee is set
out below and further details are provided in the Governance
of Unilever. The Reports of each of these Committees can be
found on pages 81, 86, 91 and 95. The Report of the Audit
Committee includes a description of the risk management
and internal control arrangements for the Group. The Unilever
Leadership Executive (ULE) supports the CEO in his work and
members of the ULE attend Board meetings on relevant items
by invitation (see below and on page 70).
The formal powers of the Board are set out in the Articles of
Association of Unilever PLC. The Articles of Association and the
Governance of Unilever can be found at www.unilever.com/
investors/corporate-governance.
BOARD
The Board’s primary role is to ensure the long-term sustainable success
of Unilever for the mutual benefit of all our stakeholders
Board Committees provide independent oversight and rigorous challenge
Nominating
and Corporate
Governance
Committee (NCGC)
Audit
Committee (AC)
Corporate
Responsibility
Committee (CRC)
Compensation
Committee (CC)
Reviews the composition
of the Board and
Committees and makes
recommendations to
the Board on suitable
candidates for
appointment to the Board
and Committees.
Assists the Board on Board
and senior management
succession planning,
including appointments
to the ULE, conflicts
of interest and
independence.
Monitors the integrity of
Unilever’s financial
statements and
sustainability reporting.
Ensures the effectiveness
of the internal audit
function, internal controls
and risk management
processes, and manages
the relationship with the
external auditor.
Considers policies for
Unilever’s conduct as a
responsible and ethical
global business. Reviews
sustainability-related
risks and reputational
matters, and provides
guidance and
recommendations
to the Board on
sustainability and
reputational matters.
Determines the
remuneration framework/
policy for the Executive
Directors and ULE.
Considers alignment with
regulation, market
practice and principles of
good governance and
ensures remuneration is
linked to corporate and
individual performance.
Reviews remuneration-
related workforce policies
and practices.
CEO & ULE
The CEO, supported by the ULE, is responsible for ensuring delivery of the Group's strategy,
business plans and financial performance.
Disclosure Committee
Responsible for overseeing the accuracy, materiality
and timeliness of disclosure of financial, non-
financial and other public announcements.
Also evaluates and oversees the adequacy of
Unilever's disclosure controls and procedures.
Global Code and Policy Committee
Responsible for ensuring that all employees
of Unilever and third parties working with
or on behalf of Unilever do so in compliance
with the requirements of Unilever's
Code of Business Principles.
Unilever PLC’s Articles of Association,
its principal constitutional document,
were adopted on 1 May 2024. The Articles
may only be amended by a special
resolution of shareholders.
The Governance of Unilever, dated 1 January
2025, sets out a comprehensive summary of
how the Board operates and the terms of
reference for the Committees. The Governance
of Unilever is reviewed and updated
regularly by Board resolution.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Board of Directors
Ian Meakins
Chair and Non-Executive Director
Nationality British    Age 68
Appointed 1 September 2023
Appointed Chair 1 December 2023
Current external appointments
Compass Group plc (Chair).
Previous experience
Rexel SA (Chair); Ferguson plc (CEO);
Travelex Holdings Ltd (CEO); Alliance
UniChem (CEO).
Andrea Jung
Vice Chair/Senior Independent
Director
Nationality American/Canadian
Age 65
Appointed May 2018
Chair of CC and member of NCGC
Current external appointments
Apple, Inc. (NED); Wayfair, Inc. (NED);
Rockefeller Capital Management
(Director); Grameen America, Inc.
(President and CEO).
Previous experience
Avon Products, Inc. (CEO); General Electric
(Board member); Daimler AG (Board
member).
Susan Kilsby
Non-Executive Director
Nationality American/British  Age 65
Appointed August 2019
Chair of CRC and member of AC
Current external appointments
COFRA Holding AG (NED); Fortune
Brands Innovations (Chair); Diageo
plc (SID); UK Takeover Panel.
Previous experience
NHS England (NED); BBA Aviation (SID);
BHP plc (SID); L’Occitane International
(NED); Keurig Green Mountain (NED);
Coca-Cola HBC AG (NED); Goldman Sachs
International (NED); Shire plc (Chair);
Credit Suisse, Mergers & Acquisitions,
EMEA (Chair).
Fernando Fernandez
CEO
Nationality Argentinian   Age 58
Appointed Director 1 January 2024
Appointed CEO 1 March 2025
Current external appointments
None.
Previous experience
CFO; Beauty & Wellbeing (President); Latin
America (EVP); Brazil (EVP); Philippines
(SVP); Global Hair Care (SVP).
Adrian Hennah
Non-Executive Director
Nationality British    Age 67
Appointed November 2021
Chair of AC and member of NCGC
Current external appointments
J Sainsbury plc (NED); Oxford
Nanopore Technologies plc (NED);
Council of Imperial College, London
(Independent member).
Previous experience
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (Executive
Director & CFO); RELX plc (NED).
Hein Schumacher served as Unilever
PLC CEO during 2024, having been
initially appointed on 1 July 2023. He
stood down as a director and as CEO
with effect from 1 March 2025.
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The Board has ultimate responsibility for the management, general affairs,
culture, direction, performance and long-term success of Unilever.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ruby Lu
Non-Executive Director
Nationality Chinese     Age 54
Appointed November 2021
Member of AC and CRC
Current external appointments
Uxin Limited (NED); Yum China
Holdings, Inc. (NED); Volvo Car AB
(Board member).
Previous experience
iKang Healthcare Group (NED); BlueCity
Holdings Limited (NED).
Nelson Peltz
Non-Executive Director
Nationality American    Age 82
Appointed July 2022
Member of CC
Current external appointments
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.
(NED); Trian Fund Management L.P.
(CEO & Founding Partner).
Previous experience
The Wendy's Company (Non-Executive
Chair); Legg Mason, Inc. (NED); Janus
Henderson Group plc (NED); Invesco Ltd
(NED); The Procter & Gamble Company
(NED); Sysco Corporation (NED); Ingersoll
Rand plc (NED); H.J. Heinz Company (NED);
Triarc Companies, Inc. (CEO & Chair).
Zoe Yujnovich
Non-Executive Director
Nationality Australian/British    Age 50
Appointed March 2025
Member of NCGC and CRC
Current external appointments
Shell plc (Integrated Gas and
Upstream Director).
Previous experience
Rio Tinto (President & CEO of the Iron Ore
Company of Canada).
Judith McKenna
Non-Executive Director
Nationality British/American    Age 58
Appointed March 2024
Member of CC and CRC
Current external appointments
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NED).
Previous experience
Walmart International (President & CEO);
Walmart US (EVP & COO); Walmex (Chair);
Flipkart (Director & Compensation
Committee Chair); PhonePe (Director &
Compensation Committee Chair).
Benoît Potier
Non-Executive Director
Nationality French    Age 67
Appointed January 2025
Member of AC and CRC
Current external appointments
Air Liquide (Chair of the Board);
Siemens AG (NED, Supervisory
Board).
Previous experience
Air Liquide (CEO); Danone (NED);
Michelin (NED).
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Changes to the Board effective 1 January 2025
Benoît Potier joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
Changes to the Board effective 1 March 2025
Zoe Yujnovich joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director.
Fernando Fernandez was appointed CEO.
Changes to the Board announced 5 February 2025
Andrea Jung will not stand for re-election at the 2025 AGM.
Key
NCGC is the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
AC is the Audit Committee
CC is the Compensation Committee
CRC is the Corporate Responsibility Committee
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE)
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Fernando Fernandez
CEO
Nationality Argentinian     Age 58
Joined ULE April 2022
Joined Unilever 1988
Additional biographical information can
be found on page 66.
Eduardo Campanella
Business Group President, Home Care
Nationality Brazilian    Age 44
Joined ULE January 2024
Joined Unilever 2003
Current external appointments
None.
Previous experience
Home Care (Chief Marketing Officer); Home
Care Latin America & Brazil (VP); Personal
Care (VP and Digital Champion Mexico &
Caribbean); Personal Care (Marketing
Director and Digital Champion Brazil);
Ice Cream (Regional Marketing Director);
Hair Care (Marketing Manager); Spreads
(Regional Marketing Manager).
Fabian Garcia
Business Group President,
Personal Care
Nationality American    Age 65
Joined ULE January 2020
Joined Unilever 2020
Current external appointments
Wells Fargo Corporation (Board
member); Council on Foreign Relations
in the US (member).
Previous experience
Unilever North America (President); Revlon
(President & CEO); Colgate-Palmolive (COO,
President of the Asia/Pacific Division, EVP
Latin America); P&G (President of Asia Pacific
Fragrance & Beauty Category, General
Manager of Taiwan, General Manager
of Max Factor, Japan); Kimberly-Clark
Corporation (NED); Arrow Electronics (NED).
Esi Eggleston Bracey
Chief Growth & Marketing Officer
Nationality American    Age 54
Joined ULE April 2022
Joined Unilever 2018
Current external appointments
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NED).
Previous experience
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
(NED); Unilever USA (President); Unilever
North America Personal Care (CEO);
Unilever North America Beauty & Personal
Care (EVP & COO); Coty (President,
Consumer Beauty); P&G (SVP & General
Manager, Global Cosmetics).
Reginaldo Ecclissato
President, 1 Unilever Markets
Nationality Brazilian/Italian   Age 56
Joined ULE January 2022
Joined Unilever 1991
Current external appointments
Unilever Fima, Lda. (Board member);
Gallo Worldwide, Lda. (Board
member).
Previous experience
IDH (Supervisory Board Member); Unilever
(Chief Business Operations & Supply Chain
Officer); Mexico, Caribbean & Central
America (EVP); North America & Latin
America (EVP Supply Chain); Home Care
for the Americas (VP Supply Chain).
Rohit Jawa
President of Unilever, South Asia and
CEO & Managing Director, Hindustan
Unilever
Nationality Singaporean    Age 58
Joined ULE April 2023
Joined Unilever 1988
Current external appointments
Breach Candy Hospital Trust
(Nominee Director).
Previous experience
Unilever (Chief of Transformation); Unilever
China (EVP North Asia & Chair); Unilever
Philippines (Chair & CEO).
The ULE is responsible for execution of strategy and day-to-day management of Unilever. The ULE comprises:
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Other Executive Management
Srinivas Phatak
Current external appointments
Acting CFO
Coats plc, (NED).
Nationality Indian   Age 53
Previous experience
Appointed Acting CFO with effect
from 1 March 2025
Unilever (Deputy CFO and Group Controller);
Hindustan Unilever Limited (CFO); VP Finance
Supply Chain Americas; UniOps (Head of
Financial Services).
Joined Unilever 1999
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
UNILEVER LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE (ULE)
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Priya Nair
Business Group President,
Beauty & Wellbeing
Nationality Indian     Age 52
Joined ULE January 2024
Joined Unilever 1995
Current external appointments
CEAT Tyres (Independent Director).
Previous experience
Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing (Global CMO);
Beauty & Personal Care (EVP South Asia);
Home Care (Director & CCVP South Asia).
Richard Slater
Chief R&D Officer
Nationality British    Age 47
Joined ULE April 2019
Joined Unilever 2019
Current external appointments
Future Origins, Inc. (NED); Prime
Minister's Council for Science &
Technology (member).
Previous experience
GSK (Head of R&D, Consumer Healthcare);
Reckitt Benckiser (Head of R&D, Consumer
Healthcare); Reckitt Benckiser (Global
Group Director/VP R&D Personal Care,
Global Director R&D Aircare, Global
Director R&D Analgesics & New Brands);
Boots Healthcare (various roles).
Peter ter Kulve
Business Group President, Ice Cream
Nationality Dutch    Age 60
Joined ULE May 2019
Joined Unilever 1988
Current external appointments
None.
Previous experience
Home Care (President); Unilever South
East Asia & Australasia (President);
Unilever (Chief Digital Transformation &
Growth Officer); Corporate Transformation
(EVP); Unilever Benelux (Chair & EVP); Ice
Cream (Global Head & EVP); various brand
and channel management roles.
Mairéad Nayager
Chief People Officer
Nationality Irish     Age 50
Joined ULE June 2024
Joined Unilever 2024
Current external appointments
None.
Previous experience
Haleon plc (Chief HR Officer); Diageo plc
(Chief HR Officer).
Heiko Schipper
Business Group President, Foods
Nationality Dutch    Age 55
Joined ULE May 2024
Joined Unilever 2024
Current external appointments
Royal FrieslandCampina N.V.
(Member of the Supervisory Board)
Previous experience
Bayer (Member of the Board of
Management & President, Consumer
Health Division); Nestlé (Member of the
Group Executive Board & CEO Nestlé
Nutrition).
Willem Uijen
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Nationality Dutch    Age 49
Joined ULE 1 January 2025
Joined Unilever 1999
Current external appointments
None.
Previous experience
Unilever (Chief Procurement Officer);
Hindustan Unilever (Executive Director of
Supply Chain); South Asia, South East Asia
& Australasia (Head of Supply Chain);
Home Care (VP Supply Chain); Home Care,
Latin America (VP Supply Chain); Mexico &
Caribbean (VP Supply Chain).
Maria Varsellona
Chief Legal Officer & Group Secretary
Nationality Italian    Age 54
Joined ULE April 2022
Joined Unilever 2022
Current external appointments
Sandoz (NED).
Previous experience
ABB (Chief Legal Officer & Company
Secretary); Nokia Group (Chief Legal
Officer); Nokia Siemens (General Counsel);
Tetra Laval Group (General Counsel);
General Electric Oil & Gas (variety of senior
global legal roles); Nordea Bank (NED).
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Appointments to the ULE effective 1 January 2025
Willem Uijen joined as Chief Supply Chain Officer.
Changes to the ULE effective 1 March 2025
Hein Schumacher stepped down as CEO and
will leave Unilever on 31 May 2025.
Fernando Fernandez was appointed CEO.
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ROLE OF THE CHAIR
The Chair leads the Board and is responsible for its overall
effectiveness in directing the Unilever Group. The Chair sets the
Board’s agenda, ensures the Directors receive accurate, timely
and clear information, promotes and facilitates constructive
relationships and effective contribution of all the Executive
and Non-Executive Directors, and promotes a culture of
openness and debate. The Non-Executive Directors provide
constructive challenge, strategic guidance, specialist advice
and hold management to account. The Group Secretary
supports the Board to ensure that it has the policies,
processes, information, time and resources it needs to
function effectively and efficiently.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
There were six scheduled Board meetings in 2024. The
meetings were held in the UK or virtually.
When there is a Board meeting, the Non-Executive Directors
usually also meet without the Executive Directors present.
The Chair, or in his absence, the Senior Independent Director
(SID), chairs such meetings.
Attendance during the year at each of the Committee
meetings is also set out below. Further information is
provided in the relevant Committee reports.
RELATIONSHIP WITH UNILEVER LEADERSHIP
EXECUTIVE
The Board delegates day-to-day management of Unilever
to the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer
leads the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) in carrying
out the strategy determined by the Board and the roles of
the members of the ULE are set out on pages 68 and 69.
The ULE meets regularly to discuss all aspects of the business,
including strategy, the allocation of resources, investment,
M&A opportunities, culture, financial performance and non-
financial performance. Members of the ULE are regularly
required to attend Board meetings to update the Board on
performance and other matters. There is an annual Board
meeting to discuss strategy and there are regular updates
at Board meetings between these times.
The Board has also delegated certain finance matters to both
the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer in
order to facilitate the efficient conduct of such matters.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE
Position
Board
NCGC
AC
CRC
CC
Chair
Ian Meakins
6/6
4/4
5/5
Non-Executive Directors
Adrian Hennah
6/6
2/2
9/9
Andrea Jung
6/6
4/4
5/5
Susan Kilsby
6/6
9/9
3/3
Ruby Lu
6/6
9/9
3/3
Judith McKenna1
5/5
3/3
2/2
Nelson Peltz
5/6
4/5
Executive Directors
Hein Schumacher2
6/6
Fernando Fernandez
6/6
Former Directors
Nils Andersen3
2/2
2/2
3/3
Judith Hartmann3
2/2
2/2
3/3
Strive Masiyiwa3
2/2
1/1
Youngme Moon3
2/2
1/1
1. Joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director on 1 March 2024 and was appointed to the CRC and CC.
2. Stepped down as CEO on 1 March 2025.
3. Stepped down as a Non-Executive Director on 1 May 2024.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS’ ROLE
The Non-Executive Directors exercise objective judgement in
respect of Board decisions, providing scrutiny and challenge to
hold management to account. Non-Executive Directors offer
strategic guidance and specialist advice based on the breadth
of experience and knowledge they bring to the Board.
Non-Executive Directors are required to have sufficient time
available to discharge their responsibilities effectively and
to continuously develop their knowledge of the business. The
role of the Non-Executive Directors incorporates the review
of information in advance of Board meetings to ensure that
thorough preparation for, and debate at, Board meetings is
possible. Non-Executive Directors have full access to senior
management and take opportunities to meet them on a
regular basis. Site visits also give Non-Executive Directors the
ability to meet members of the workforce from different levels
of the organisation.
On appointment, the Non-Executive Directors complete
an induction process, which includes meetings with the
Unilever Leadership Executive, senior members of
management, advisors, and the internal and external auditors.
These include understanding key risk areas in the business and
providing an understanding of the culture of the organisation.
There is also an opportunity to visit Unilever’s operations in
person. This is regularly supplemented throughout each year
with ongoing updates and information on key matters relating
to the business, including governance, sustainability, risk
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management and regulatory issues, as well as updates on the
business itself. In 2024, the Board considered presentations on
R&D, Technology and Artificial Intelligence.
All Directors are expected to attend each Board meeting
and each Committee meeting of which they are members,
unless there are exceptional reasons preventing them from
participating. Only members of the Committees are entitled
to attend Committee meetings, but others may attend at
the Committee Chair’s discretion. Executive Directors attend
Committee meetings by invitation only.
If Directors are unable to attend a Board or Committee
meeting, they have the opportunity beforehand to discuss
any agenda items with the Chair or the Committee Chair.
BOARD APPOINTMENT
The report of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee on pages 81 to 85 describes the work of
the Committee including in relation to Board appointments
and recommendations for re-election. The procedure for the
nomination and appointment of Directors is also contained
within the document entitled ‘Appointment procedure for
PLC Directors', which is available on our website. Directors may
be appointed by a simple majority vote of shareholders at a
general meeting, or on an interim basis by the Board (in which
case they will offer themselves for election at the next AGM).
COMPOSITION, BALANCE AND INDEPENDENCE
OF THE BOARD
As at 31 December 2024, the Unilever Board comprised
nine Directors: the Chair, two Executive Directors and six
independent Non-Executive Directors. In addition, a Non-
Executive Director, Benoît Potier, joined the Board on 1 January
2025, and a further Non-Executive Director, Zoe Yujnovich,
joined the Board on 1 March 2025. Effective 1 March 2025,
Hein Schumacher stepped down from the Board.
The balance of Directors on the Board ensures that no
individual or small group of Directors can dominate the
decision-making process. The biographies on pages 66 and 67
and the table on page 84 in the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee Report demonstrate a diverse Board
with a broad range of sector experience, skills and knowledge.
The Board carries out an annual review of the performance
of the Directors in addition to a thorough review of the Non-
Executive Directors’ and their related or connected persons’
relevant relationships in line with the best practice guidelines
in the UK and US. The criteria chosen by the Board to assess
the independence of the Non-Executive Directors, as set out
in detail in the Governance of Unilever, include, in summary:
no additional remuneration or other benefits from any
Group company;
no material business relationships within the last three
years, including shareholder, customer, adviser and supplier
relationships, with any Group company;
no cross-directorships or significant links with other Directors
through involvement in other companies or bodies;
not more than nine years of service on the Board in normal
circumstances;
not a former employee of any Group company within the last
five years;
no close family ties with any of Unilever’s advisers, Directors
or senior management; and
no significant shareholdings in Unilever or any Group
company.
All the Non-Executive Directors are considered to have the
appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and character to bring
objective and constructive judgement and valuable insights to
the Board’s deliberations. The Board has concluded that all the
Non-Executive Directors were independent during the period
covered by this report.
The Chair was considered to be independent on appointment
and is committed to ensuring that the Board continues to
comprise a majority of independent Non-Executive Directors.
BOARD SUSTAINABILITY PROCESSES AND SKILLS
Sustainability is central to what Unilever stands for. Leadership
starts at Board level, with sustainability being a key strategic
focus. All Directors are actively engaged in these matters.
In 2024, the Board approved the updated Climate Transition
Action Plan and the Modern Slavery Statement, both available
on our website. The Board also reviewed the sustainability
targets for Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods with the
Growth Action Plan 2030. Additionally, the Board fully supports
Unilevers €1 billion Climate & Nature Fund and continued
commitment to Human Rights and Equality, Diversity and
Inclusion.
The governance of sustainability, covering social, human
rights, business conduct and environmental matters, is
detailed in the Sustainability Statement and this Governance
Report. The Corporate Responsibility Committee, under the
Boards governance, primarily handles these issues. The
Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer attends
all Corporate Responsibility Committee meetings, ensuring
external expertise is included as needed. The Committee Chair
ensures that the Board receives relevant information in the
form of briefing materials and access to external expertise,
in particular when specific matters are under consideration
for Board approval. The Chair reports the Committees
considerations to the Board, which are then discussed in
Board meetings.
The Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer reports
to the CEO on all sustainability matters relating to our four
priority areas: Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. The
Chief Supply Chain Officer, who is involved in key social and
environmental issues within Unilevers Supply Chain, reports to
the CFO. This ensures that both executive directors are closely
involved in assessing the impacts, risks and opportunities
related to social and sustainability matters.
The CEO has extensive experience in sustainability which
derives from the Unilever sustainability agenda in his previous
Unilever roles. The Non-Executive Directors bring significant
experience in social and sustainability issues from various
industries, including retail, energy, technology, financial, and
other industrial sectors. The recruitment of new Non-Executive
Directors focuses on their skills and experience as set out in
the matrix on page 84, which encompasses sustainability to
ensure a diverse range of views.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Directors have a statutory duty to avoid actual or potential
conflicts of interest. The Board ensures that effective
procedures are in place to avoid conflicts of interest by
Directors. A Director must without delay report any conflict of
interest or potential conflict of interest to the Chair and to the
other Directors and the Group Secretary, or, in case any conflict
of interest or potential conflict of interest of the Chair, to the
SID, the other Directors and the Group Secretary. The Director
in question must provide all relevant information to the Board,
so that the Board can decide whether a reported (potential)
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conflict of interest of a Director qualifies as a conflict
of interest within the meaning of the relevant laws.
Unless authorised by the Board, together with compliance with
any restrictions that have been required of such a Director, a
Director may not take part in the decision-taking process of
the Board in respect of any situation in which he or she has
a conflict of interest. The Board considers that the procedures put
in place to deal with conflicts of interest are operating effectively.
The interests of new Directors are reviewed during the recruitment
process and authorised (if appropriate) by the Board at the time
of their appointment. Directors have a continuing duty to update
the Board on any changes to their external appointments, which
are also reviewed by the Board on a regular basis.
Unilever recognises that the Executive Directors acting as directors
of other companies is beneficial from a personal development
perspective and, therefore, also beneficial to the Group. The
number of external directorships of listed companies is generally
limited to one per Executive Director to reduce the risk of excessive
commitment and prior approval is required from the Chair.
BOARD EVALUATION
Each year, the Board formally assesses its own performance,
including with respect to its composition, diversity and how
effectively its members work together to achieve objectives.
In 2024, a self-evaluation of the Board’s effectiveness was
conducted.
The evaluation consisted of a questionnaire completed
by each of the Directors, followed by a Board discussion in
November 2024, covering both the outcome of the evaluation
and the proposed actions to enhance the effectiveness of
the Board. The outcome of such discussions is taken into
account in the assessment of Directors when proposals for
the re-election of Directors are considered and also in Board
composition.
The evaluation looked at key areas of the functioning and
operation of the Board. The Directors considered the level
of information provided to the Board, the identification of
strategic priorities, its consideration of business performance,
the timing and frequency of meetings, relationships with
senior management, workforce engagement, oversight of
emerging risks and ensuring adequate time for discussion
and debate.
It was concluded that the Board operated effectively, that
the Board processes were being managed for continuous
improvement and that each of the Directors contributed
effectively to the Board. The Board will in particular:
ensure that information provided to it and presentations
from management, including analysis and insights on
trends and innovations, are sufficiently detailed to enable
the Board to oversee the execution of the Company’s
strategy and its business performance; and
review the approach to workforce engagement at Board
level with a view to identifying opportunities for increasing
or broadening engagement activities.
The evaluation of the Board’s principal Committees was
performed under the supervision of the respective Chairs and
the Chief Legal Officer & Group Secretary, taking into account
the views of respective Committee members and the Board
members. The key actions arising from these Committee
evaluations can be found in each of the Committee Reports.
WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT
The Board believes that taking into account feedback from
the workforce widens the diversity of its views when making
business decisions. In view of Unilever’s global footprint and
scope of operations, the Board decided that the most effective
way of organising its engagement with employees is to share
the responsibility among all Non-Executive Directors.
Unilever’s Workforce Engagement Policy provides for
workforce engagement in a variety of ways, both face-to-face
and virtually, through sessions with Non-Executive Directors,
engaging with employee representatives, site visits, and
employee surveys such as UniVoice (see below for further
information). These engagement activities cover the entire
workforce demographic in terms of geography, all Business
Groups, length of service, work level/seniority and supply
chain and office staff.
In 2024, Non-Executive Directors participated in six workforce
engagement events held virtually and one held in person in
India. A wide range of topics were discussed, including those
that are personal to the workforce and those of a more
business and strategic nature. Topics included: back to growth
performance, reward and performance culture, inclusion,
sustainability, Unilever’s Climate Transition Action Plan and
Unilever as an employer of choice. In addition, as part of
workforce engagement, Directors were able to make site visits
in the UK, South Africa, China, New Zealand and the US.
Perspectives from the workforce have been taken into
consideration in decision-making. Employee survey results
from 2024 indicated that engagement remains over industry
benchmarks but there was understandably uncertainty in
some office-based teams around the separation of the Ice
Cream business and the productivity programme. Leaders
around the business take these findings into account with their
teams. In addition, the Growth Action Plan 2030 announced
in November 2024 sets the expectations for the performance
culture and actions required for success in the business.
The Board evaluates the effectiveness of workforce engagement
on an annual basis and feedback is also sought from employees
who take part in the workforce engagement sessions, thereby
creating a feedback loop between the Board and employees.
Please also see ’Engaging with own workforce and workforce
representatives’ on page 272 of the Sustainability Statement.
SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The Board values open and meaningful discussions with our
shareholders on all matters.
The CFO has lead responsibility for shareholder engagement,
with the active involvement of the CEO and supported by the
Investor Relations department.
The CEO and CFO regularly meet with investors. In 2024, the CEO
and CFO held roadshows after Unilever’s quarterly, half-year
and full-year results, with meetings across the UK, the US and
several other European countries. Following the launch of the
Company’s Growth Action Plan 2030 in November, the CEO and
CFO hosted a capital markets day in the UK, attended by over
100 investors and counterparties.
Additionally, the CEO and CFO met with a majority of our
top 50 shareholders in March regarding the announcement
to separate the Ice Cream business and the launch of our
productivity programme.
The Board receives regular briefings on investor reactions
to Unilever’s quarterly, half-year and full-year results
announcements, on key issues such as the Climate Transition
Action Plan and on any issues raised by shareholders that
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are relevant to their responsibilities. We maintain a frequent
dialogue with our principal institutional shareholders and
regularly collect feedback. In 2024, the new Chair actively
engaged with key shareholders throughout the year, building
on introductory meetings held at the end of 2023.
Private shareholders are encouraged to give feedback via
shareholder.services@unilever.com. Our shareholders are
also welcome to raise any issues directly with the Chair or
the SID. The Chair, the Executive Directors and other Directors
are also available to answer questions from the shareholders
at the AGM each year.
GENERAL MEETINGS
At the AGM, the Chair and the CEO give their thoughts on
governance aspects of the preceding year and the Groups
strategy together with a review of the performance of the
Group over the last year. Shareholders may attend and ask
questions either in advance, via the Unilever website, or at the
meeting. The auditors attend the AGM and may address the
AGM on any matter that concerns them as auditors.
At the 2024 AGM, all resolutions were put to a poll to ensure an
exact and definitive result and to facilitate maximum participation
by Unilevers geographically spread shareholders. All resolutions
were passed with in excess of 80% of votes cast in favour.
The Company is required to provide notices of meeting for both
the AGM, which must be given with no less than 21 clear days’
notice pursuant to the Companies Act 2006, and for extraordinary
meetings, which are called with no less than 14 clear days’ notice
pursuant to a resolution put to the AGM each year.
BOARD FOCUS
During the year, the Board considered a comprehensive
programme of regular matters drawn from the schedule
of matters reserved for the Board and the immediate and
prospective operating environment. The Board also conducted
a three-day Strategy Review exercise in October 2024,
including presentations and engagement sessions with both
ULE members and other senior members of management. This
focused in particular on:
approval and review of our ongoing productivity programme
and the constituent elements of this, including business
performance and the prioritisation of our Power Brands in
our top markets;
approval of our Growth Action Plan 2030, incorporating the
Company’s purpose to brighten everyday life for all, and the
areas of focus, excel and accelerate (see page 4);
our performance culture and how this will assist employees
in delivering the Growth Action Plan 2030, including focus
on values, people and behaviours and thereby nurturing
the culture to care deeply, focus on what counts, stay three
steps ahead and deliver with excellence (see page 35);
a review of each of our Business Groups;
the portfolio and a review of acquisitions;
the Company’s approach to research and development; and
our supply chain.
The schedule below is not exhaustive and demonstrates
the breadth of oversight provided by the Board. Some of the
Board’s key decisions in 2024 are discussed in more detail
on pages 76 and 77. The Board:
Strategy and business plan
approved the separation of the Ice Cream business and
the launch of the Companys productivity programme;
approved the disposals of its water purification businesses
Pureit and Qinyuan Group, its Russian subsidiary and its
business in Belarus, and the Elida Beauty business;
reviewed the Unilever strategy at Business Group level; and
reviewed the R&D strategy including the Groups innovation
pipeline.
Operational performance and financial management
regularly reviewed Unilever Group operational and financial
performance and delivery against strategic objectives,
business plans including budget and forecast, financial
and non-financial KPIs and against analysts’ consensus
and market guidance;
considered and approved quarterly dividends;
approved two share buyback tranches in 2024 totalling €1.5
billion; and
considered and approved the issuance of new shares to be
used to settle the vesting of share awards granted to
employees under various employee share plans.
Governance and external reporting
considered feedback from the Audit Committee in relation to
significant judgements, fair, balanced and understandable
assessment, going concern basis of preparation, viability
statement and the reporting of non-financial KPIs in relation
to sustainability reporting;
approved each of the quarterly results and the Annual
Report and Accounts and Form 20-F;
approved the notice of meeting for the AGM;
oversaw consultation and communication with shareholders
on executive pay; and
considered the work of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee on Board composition and
succession planning and approved the appointments of
Judith McKenna and Benoît Potier as Non-Executive Directors.
Culture and stakeholders
reviewed the 2024 workforce engagement programme
covering both employees and employee representatives
and considered feedback from the sessions; and
regularly reviewed investor feedback reports and analysts'
reports.
Sustainability
considered and approved the Modern Slavery Act Statement;
approved the updated Climate Transition Action Plan put to
shareholders at the 2024 AGM; and
reviewed the sustainability strategy and performance,
including review of the regulatory development of
sustainability reporting requirements.
Political and regulatory environment
received updates from external speakers on the macro
environment from social and political perspectives and
global security issues; and
received updates on emerging legislation and regulation.
Risk and internal controls
considered feedback from the Audit Committee on its
assessment of the ongoing effectiveness of the Group’s
internal controls; and
reviewed the findings from the assessment of the Group’s
register of principal risks and focus risks and approved
the related risk management plans.
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Stakeholder engagement
SECTION 172: COMPANY AND BOARD ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS
The information set out below, together with the information on pages 76 and 77 of this Governance Report, explains how
the Board considers and engages with stakeholders. Together, these form our Section 172 statement under the UK Companies
Act 2006. Unilever at a glance on page 3 details the six stakeholder groups we have identified as critical to our future success:
shareholders, our people, consumers, customers, suppliers & business partners, and planet & society. Throughout the Strategic
Report, we have provided examples of how we engage with, and create value for, our stakeholders.
Unilever stakeholders
How Unilever engages with stakeholders
How the Board interacts on
stakeholder issues
Further
information
Shareholders
We aim to deliver best-
in-class performance
with market-making
unmissably superior
brands.
Quarterly results broadcasts.
Conference presentations.
Meetings and calls about aspects of business
performance, consumer trends and
sustainability issues.
Senior leaders and our Board speak directly
to shareholders on a broad range of issues.
For example, in 2024, we discussed our
Directors’ Remuneration Policy, our proposed
updated Climate Transition Action Plan and
our Growth Action Plan 2030 with investors.
AGM.
Meetings with shareholders
on performance and key
issues.
The Board approve all
quarterly results
announcements and
dividends.
Unilever Investor Relations
provide analysts’ reports
and investor feedback to
the Board.
See pages 72, 76
and 77
Our People
Over 120,000 talented
people give their skills
and time in Unilever
offices, factories and
R&D laboratories.
Through our UniVoice survey, we engaged
with around 100,000 office- and factory-based
employees in 2024 on topics such as culture,
engagement, strategy, safety, careers and
sustainability.
Continued our ‘Unilever Live’ sessions with our
CEO and ULE members to give our workforce
direct and regular access to our leadership
team to ask questions on issues of concern
to them as employees, such as financial
performance strategy and reward. Included
in this are quarterly briefings for employees
on Unilever Live to ensure that all employees
have a common awareness of the Company‘s
financial performance and the financial
operating environment. The Growth Action
Plan 2030 was also launched in 2024 in a
dedicated Unilever live session, sharing
a new company purpose, strategic objectives
and a new culture with all employees.
At a market level, we held regular local,
leader-led virtual town hall meetings to
engage with employees on locally relevant
topics and issues.
Under our Code of Business Principles,
we maintain whistleblowing procedures
available to all employees wherever they
are and however they work including
anonymous helplines.
Review of UniVoice survey
2024 results and feedback
to ULE on key issues.
The CEO, together with
other senior members of
management including
the CFO and ULE members,
provide direct answers on
the ‘Unilever Live‘ open
Questions sessions including
the quarterly results briefing
and company performance
updates.
Metrics on our Code of
Business Principles cases are
reviewed by the Corporate
Responsibility Committee
and the Board as
appropriate.
See pages 34, 35
and 72
Consumers
We aim to excel in
consumer preferences
for product, proposition,
packaging, place,
promotion and pricing.
We use consumer research from partners
such as Kantar, NielsenIQ and Ipsos, who
we engage through their regular surveys
and panels as well as ad hoc research.
We engage over 3 million consumers
through our various consumer engagement
platforms annually.
Board papers and
presentations capturing
consumer trends.
Regular updates from
Business Groups on
opportunities and portfolio
choices in line with
consumer trends.
See pages 14 to 33
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Unilever stakeholders
How Unilever engages with stakeholders
How the Board interacts on
stakeholder issues
Further
information
Customers
We partner with large
and small retailers
across different trading
environments around
the world to grow
categories through
market-making
innovations and
brilliant execution to
build our business
and theirs.
We are members of the Advantage Group
Survey to help us understand how we can
improve our customers’ experience.
Our customers across different channels
and trading environments partner with our
customer business development teams to
grow categories by meeting regularly to turn
shopper insights into growth action plans.
These relationships create Joint Business
Plans for mutual benefit.
We use an online platform to provide shopper
insights and research for our smaller retailer
customers.
Business Group feedback
to the Board on customer
landscape and priorities.
Direct engagement with
key customers during region
and market visits by Board
members.
See pages 14 to 33
Suppliers & Business
Partners
We work with suppliers
around the world to
source materials and
provide critical services
for us.
Through our Supply Chain and Procurement
teams, we communicate with our suppliers
and business partners frequently.
We conduct an annual Partner to Win survey
to understand how our suppliers feel about
working with Unilever and areas for
improvement.
We operate a Responsible Partner Policy
to define the mandatory requirements that
all our supply chain partners must confirm
they can meet.
The Board receives regular
reports in relation to supply
chain matters.
See pages 36
and 37
Planet & Society
We are taking more
focused, urgent and
systemic action in four
priority areas: Climate,
Nature, Plastics and
Livelihoods.
As part of our sustainability double materiality
assessment, we analyse insights from our key
stakeholders to make sure we are focusing
on the most important impacts, risks and
opportunities, which inform our approach
and reporting.
We continued our partnerships with other
businesses throughout the year, advocating
for policy change on a range of social and
environmental issues, including increased
levels of national climate ambition and a
Global Plastics Treaty.
Our Chief Corporate Affairs
and Sustainability Officer
provides reports to the
Board.
The Board reviews updates
to the Climate Transition
Action Plan and progress
with respect to it, based
on reports on this from
the Chair of the Corporate
Responsibility Committee.
Unilever was represented
by its Chief Corporate Affairs
and Sustainability Officer at
COP29 in November 2024.
See pages 36
and 37
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KEY DECISIONS BY THE BOARD INCLUDING SECTION 172 CONSIDERATIONS
The table below shows some of the key decisions of the Board in 2024. The Directors confirm that the deliberations of the Board
incorporated appropriate consideration of the matters detailed in Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006. The Board recognises
that having regard to the needs and expectations of stakeholders is crucial, as it ensures that Unilever is well positioned to
deliver long-term sustainable growth for the benefit of all its stakeholders.
Strategy, Growth Action Plan 2030 and Productivity Programme
Background
The Board continued to maintain oversight of the Growth Action Plan, which was announced in October 2023. As part of the
Growth Action Plan, on 19 March 2024, Unilever announced the separation of Unilever’s Ice Cream business into a standalone
business. The Board concluded that a demerger of the Ice Cream business is the most likely route to achieve separation.
Following the separation of the Ice Cream business, Unilever will continue to operate on a more focused basis around four
similarly sized Business Groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods. Alongside this, a productivity
programme was announced to drive focus and faster growth through a leaner and more accountable organisation.
The Board conducted a review of all Business Groups, including Ice Cream, in October 2024 and the progress of the productivity
programme. Following the review, the Unilever Leadership Executive updated the business globally on the Company’s
operating model and, in November 2024, announced the Growth Action Plan 2030 together with the tools and performance
culture for the business to deliver on this plan.
Stakeholder considerations
The Board considers that the Ice Cream business has distinct characteristics compared with Unilever’s other operating
businesses. These include a supply chain and point of sale that support frozen goods, a different channel landscape, more
seasonality, and greater capital intensity. As a standalone, more focused business, the Ice Cream management team will have
operational and financial flexibility to grow its business and allocate capital and resources in support of the companys distinct
strategy. This would support all stakeholders in the Ice Cream business including customers and consumers as well as the
supply chain, employees and shareholders.
The Growth Action Plan 2030 and the productivity programme aim to drive greater returns for shareholders both in the
short and medium term, as well as build long-term growth potential into Unilever’s business. In particular, the productivity
programme focuses on science and technology, a lean and agile supply chain, and the scaled use of AI, which, together
with our new performance culture, will provide employees with the tools to deliver on the Company’s growth agenda. The
productivity programme is being implemented with care for the 7,500 mostly office-based employees whose roles are
impacted. Our suppliers are key to the development and use of science and technology in our business and our innovations
support our supplier base. The Growth Action Plan 2030 also supports our customers with its focus on our Power Brands and
our consumers through the aims of unmissably superior brands.
Sustainability
Background
Unilever continues to build on its commitment to sustainability. In 2024, our focus was on accelerating progress against
the four key priority areas of climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods. As part of this, the Board and the Unilever Leadership
Executive are responsible for setting and implementing Unilever’s climate strategy. Following review and approval by the
Board, we published our updated Climate Transition Action Plan in March 2024, which included new higher ambition near-term
Scope 3 GHG reduction targets, a continued focus on absolute emission reductions rather than carbon offsetting and a shift to
focus on the specific Scope 3 emissions which we believe we can influence. The updated Climate Transition Action Plan was
overwhelmingly supported by shareholders through a non-binding advisory vote at our Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2024.
The updated Climate Transition Action Plan sets out targets together with priority action areas for delivering these and they are
embedded into the ULE Quarterly Business Review processes by our Business Groups. The updated Climate Transition Action
Plan also includes information on governance, advocacy priorities, our commitment to transparent and regular reporting,
Board oversight and climate-linked executive remuneration.
Stakeholder considerations
The Board draws on a range of internal and external stakeholders through its engagement with Unilever’s sustainability
agenda. The Climate Transition Action Plan, updated in 2024, brings together our business operations, our supplier base and
our employees around a common agenda. Our customers and consumers are also important in our sustainability agenda as
they seek products that support a transition to net zero and work to end plastic waste. We engaged with certain shareholders
in updating the Climate Transition Action Plan and sought their feedback so that we could take it into account in relation to
the updating process. The non-binding advisory vote on the Climate Transition Action Plan is also a way for all shareholders
to provide us with input on our activities, while not asking shareholders to take responsibility for Unilever’s strategy in this
area. This provides a way for shareholders to participate in a vital area of Unilever’s activities while sustainability is further
embedded in what we do and the wider operating environment.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
77
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
OPERATION OF THE BOARD
Appointments of new Non-Executive Directors
Background
The Board approved the appointment of Judith McKenna as a Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 March 2024. Judith’s
appointment was subsequently put to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2024 and confirmed. The Board
also approved the appointment of Benoît Potier with effect from 1 January 2025 and Benoît’s appointment will be put to
shareholders at the Unilever PLC Annual General Meeting to be held on 30 April 2025.
Stakeholder considerations
The Board considered Judith McKenna’s extensive experience of the consumer goods and retail sector, having spent 27 years
of her career at Walmart, serving in senior capacities both within Walmart US, Asda in the UK and Walmart’s international
business. The Board considered that Unilever and its shareholders would benefit from the experience and leadership of our
industry that Judith would bring.
The Board considered Benoît Potier’s wealth of experience across the industrials and consumer goods sectors, together with his
experience of sustainability matters in the businesses that he has led. The Board considered that Unilever and its shareholders
would benefit from this deep experience of industry.
Executive Pay
Background
A resolution to approve a new Directors’ Remuneration Policy was put to the Unilever PLC Annual General Meeting on 1 May
2024. The overall structure and quantum of the previous Directors’ Remuneration Policy was followed with changes to the
implementation of the policy in relation to (1) the remuneration benchmarking peer group to focus on global consumer
companies and (2) the performance measures and weightings used in the annual bonus and performance share plan for
2024 onwards. As noted above, the implementation of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy continues to include climate-linked
executive remuneration. The Directors’ Remuneration Policy confirmed the Company’s position that the fixed pay of Hein
Schumacher, who was Chief Executive Officer until 1 March 2025, would not be amended in 2024 or 2025. The Directors’
Remuneration Policy, which is intended to be in place for three years in accordance with standard corporate governance
practice, was approved by 97.69% of shareholders voting.
Stakeholder considerations
The changes to the Directors’ Remuneration Policy were made following engagement with shareholders and reflected the
feedback received. Amendments to the benchmarking peer group also followed from this feedback from investors. The
amendments to the performance measures and weightings used in the annual bonus and performance share plan for 2024
onwards aligned Directors’ remuneration with the focus of investors following the consultation with them.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Additional Information
Additional disclosures
The following disclosures are made in compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing Rule 6.6.1:
Listing Rule 6.6.1
Interest capitalised by the Group during the year
None
Publication of unaudited financial information
Not applicable
Details of any long-term incentive schemes
under Listing Rule 9.3.2R(2)
Not applicable
Director waiver of emoluments
Not applicable
Director waiver of future emoluments
Not applicable
Allotments for cash of equity securities made
during the year
None
Allotment for cash of equity securities made by
a major unlisted subsidiary during the year
Not applicable
Details of participation of parent undertaking
in any placing made during the year
Not applicable
Details of relevant material contracts in which
a Director or controlling shareholder was
interested during the year
Not applicable
Contracts for the provision of services by a
controlling shareholder during the year
Not applicable
Details of any arrangement under which a
shareholder has waived or agreed to waive
any dividends
As at 21 February 2025, Unilever PLC held 47,651,677 ordinary shares of 31/9p each as
Treasury shares. No dividends are payable on these shares. As at 21 February 2025, Fidelity
held 443,095 ordinary shares of 31/9p of Unilever PLC on behalf of the Company to be used in
satisfaction of employee share scheme (‘ESS‘) obligations. Fidelity has agreed to waive on
an ongoing basis any dividends payable in respect of such shares. As at 21 February 2025,
the Trustee of the Company’s Employee Benefit Trust (‘EBT’) held 1,569,662 ordinary shares
of 31/9p of Unilever PLC. The Trustee of the EBT has agreed to waive, on an ongoing basis, any
dividends payable on shares it holds in trust for use under the Company’s ESS. The practice
of Fidelity and the Trustee of the EBT is to abstain from voting on the shares that they hold.
Details of the employee share schemes can be found on pages 95 and 96 and 99 to 108.
Details of where a shareholder has agreed to
waive future dividends
See above
Statements relating to controlling shareholders
and ensuring company independence
Not applicable
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPORTANT EVENTS
Certain information required to be included in the Directors'
Report has been included in the Strategic Report given its
strategic importance to Unilever. This includes information in
respect of important events that have occurred since the end of
the financial year, an indication of likely future developments in
the business of the Group and an indication of activities of the
Group in the field of research and development.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO THE
EXTERNAL AUDITOR
Each of the Directors who held office at the date of approval
of this report confirms that, to the best of each of the Directors’
knowledge and belief, and having made appropriate enquiries,
all information relevant to enabling the auditors to provide their
opinions on the Company’s consolidated and parent company
accounts has been provided. Furthermore, each of the Directors
has taken all reasonable steps to ensure their awareness of any
relevant audit information and to establish that the Company’s
auditors are aware of any such information. This confirmation is
given and should be interpreted in accordance with the
provisions of Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006.
DIRECTORS' SHARE INTERESTS
Details of the Directors’ interests in shares can be found in the
Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 103 to 109 and 112.
CONTRACTS OF SIGNIFICANCE
During the year, no Director had any interest in any shares or
debentures in the Company’s subsidiaries, or any material
interest in any contract with the Company or a subsidiary being
a contract of significance in relation to the Company’s business.
No member of the Group is party to any significant agreement
that takes effect, alters or terminates upon a change of control
or following a takeover of Unilever PLC. In addition, there are
no agreements providing for compensation for loss of office
or employment as the result of a takeover of Unilever PLC.
There are no controlling shareholders of Unilever PLC.
APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS
The rules governing the appointment and retirement of directors
are set out in the appointment procedure for PLC Directors,
available on our website, and are summarised in the report
of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
POWERS OF THE DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors is responsible for the management of the
business of the Company and may exercise all powers of the
Company subject to applicable legislation and regulation and
the Company’s Articles. Further details are set out on page 65.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Details of the Company’s engagement with stakeholders are
given on pages 74 and 75.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DIRECTORS' INDEMNITIES AND DIRECTORS'
AND OFFICERS' INSURANCE
The power to indemnify Directors, together with former
Directors, the Company Secretary and the directors of
subsidiary companies, is provided for in the Company’s
Articles of Association.
Unilever maintains appropriate D&O insurance to the extent
permitted by law. In addition, Unilever has granted indemnities
to each Director and the Group Secretary, together with former
Directors and Company Secretaries of Unilever and the directors
of subsidiary companies, whereby the Company indemnifies
these individuals in respect of any proceedings brought by third
parties against them personally in their capacity as Directors
or Officers of the Company or any Group company. These
''qualifying third-party indemnity provisions'' were in force
during the course of the financial year ended 31 December 2024
and remained in force at the date of this report. The Company
would also fund ongoing costs in defending a legal action as
they are incurred rather than after judgment has been given. In
the event of an unsuccessful defence in an action against them,
individual Directors would be liable to repay the Company for
any damages and to repay defence costs to the extent funded
by the Company. Neither the indemnity nor the D&O insurance
cover provides cover in the event a Director or Officer is proved
to have acted fraudulently or dishonestly.
In addition, the Company provides indemnities (including, where
applicable, a qualifying pension scheme indemnity provision) to
the Directors of three subsidiaries, each of which acts or acted as
trustee of a Unilever UK pension fund. Appropriate trustee liability
insurance is also in place. As above, these indemnities were in
force during the course of the financial year ended 31 December
2024 and remained in place at the date of this report.
POLITICAL DONATIONS
At the 2024 AGM, shareholders passed a resolution to authorise
the Company and its subsidiaries to make political donations to
political parties or independent election candidates, to other
political organisations, or to incur political expenditure (in each
case as defined in the Companies Act 2006). As the authority
granted at the 2024 AGM will expire, renewal of this authority will
be sought at this year’s AGM. Further details are available in the
Notice of AGM, available on the Company’s website.
It is the policy of the Company not to make such political
donations or to incur political expenditure (within the ordinary
meaning of those words) and the Directors have no intention
of changing that policy. However, as the definitions used in
the Companies Act 2006 are broad, it is possible that normal
business activities, which might not be thought to be political
donations or expenditure in the usual sense, could be caught.
On that basis, the authority is sought purely as a precaution.
The Board members have each confirmed compliance with
Unilever’s Code of Business Principles, as is required on an
annual basis, and that there has been no political activity
or payments by the Unilever Group.
SHARES
Share capital
Unilever’s issued share capital on 31 December 2024 was made
up of £78,446,584 split into 2,521,497,338 ordinary shares of 31/9p
each and each carrying one vote. A total of 43,550,481 Unilever
ordinary shares were held in treasury as at 31 December 2024,
representing 1.73% of Unilever’s issued share capital.
Share issues and purchase of shares
At the 2024 AGM held on 1 May 2024, Unilever’s Directors were
authorised to:
issue new shares, up to a maximum of £25,946,666 nominal
value (which at the time represented approximately 33% of
Unilever’s issued ordinary share capital);
disapply pre-emption rights up to a maximum of £3,892,715
nominal value (which at the time represented approximately 5%
of Unilever’s issued ordinary share capital) for general corporate
purposes and an additional 5% authority in connection with
an acquisition or specified capital investment; and
make market purchases of its ordinary shares, up to a
maximum of 250,200,000 ordinary shares (which at the time
represented just under 10% of PLC’s issued ordinary share
capital) and within the price limits prescribed in the resolution.
Unilever undertook a €1.5 billion share buyback programme
in 2024. The purpose of the share buyback programme was
to reduce the capital of Unilever, and Unilever bought back
27,368,909 Unilever ordinary shares of 31/9p each in two
tranches which are held in treasury. The shares repurchased in
2024 comprised 1.08% of Unilever’s issued share capital as at
31 December 2024. Outside of this share buyback programme,
no other company within the Group purchased any Unilever
ordinary shares or American Depositary Shares during 2024.
During 2024, there were 4,900,000 Unilever ordinary shares
of 31/9p each issued in satisfaction of employee share
scheme awards.
Right to hold and transfer ordinary shares or exercise
voting rights
Unilever’s constitutional documents place no limitations on the
right to hold or transfer Unilever ordinary shares. There are no
limitations on the right to hold or exercise voting rights on the
ordinary shares of Unilever imposed by English law. Unilever
is not aware of any agreements between holders of securities
that may result in restrictions on transfer or voting rights. Please
also see page 211.
SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDERS OF UNILEVER
As far as Unilever is aware, the only holders of more than 3%
of, or 3% of voting rights attributable to, Unilever’s ordinary
share capital (‘Disclosable Interests’) on 31 December 2024,
were Blackrock, Inc. with a shareholding of 8.4%, Vanguard
Group Holdings with a shareholding of 5.0% and Wellington
Management Group with a shareholding of 3.1%.
No Disclosable Interests have been notified to Unilever
between 1 January 2025 and 21 February 2025 (being a date
not more than one month prior to the date of the Company’s
Notice of Annual General Meeting). As far as Unilever is aware,
between 1 January 2022 and 21 February 2025, only Vanguard
Group Holdings, BlackRock, Inc. and Wellington Management
Group have held more than 3% of, or 3% of voting rights
attributable to, Unilever’s ordinary shares.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES, FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
AND RISK
Details of the Group’s accounting policies, together with post-
balance sheet events and details of financial instruments and risk
(including the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for
managing its capital; its financial risk management objectives;
details of its financial instruments and hedging activities, and its
exposures to price, credit liquidity and cash flow risk), are
provided in notes 1, 16, 18 and 26 on pages 142, 174, 183 and 190
respectively to the Financial Statements.
EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PEOPLE
Disability inclusion is a part of Unilever’s diversity and inclusion
agenda. Unilever has a range of employment policies that
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
clearly detail the standards, processes, expectations and
responsibilities of its people and the organisation. These
policies are designed to ensure that everyone – including those
with existing or new disabilities and people of all backgrounds
– is dealt with in an inclusive and fair way from the recruiting
process and ongoing through their career at Unilever. This
includes access to appropriate training, development
opportunities or job progression.
EMPLOYMENT SHARE PLANS
The Company operates a number of employee share plans, details
of which are set out in note 4C to the Financial Statements on
pages 155 to 156 and in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on
pages 95 and 96 and 99 to 108.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Transactions with related parties are conducted in accordance
with agreed transfer pricing policies and include sales to joint
ventures and associates. Other than those disclosed in note 23 to
the consolidated financial statements (and incorporated herein
as above), there were no related party transactions that were
material to the Group or to the related parties concerned that are
required to be reported in 2024 or in 2025 up to 21 February 2025
(the latest practicable date for inclusion in this report).
BRANCH OFFICES
Details of branch offices are given on page 210.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMPLIANCE
We conduct our operations in accordance with internationally
accepted principles of good governance and best practice,
while ensuring compliance with the corporate governance
requirements applicable in the countries in which we operate.
Unilever is subject to corporate governance requirements
(legislation, codes and/or standards) in the UK and the US,
and in this section, we report on our compliance against these.
United Kingdom
In 2024, Unilever has applied the principles and complied with
the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code. Further
information on how Unilever has applied the five overarching
categories of principles can be found on the following pages –
(i) Board Leadership: pages 70 to 73 and 76 and 77; (ii) Division of
Responsibilities: pages 70 and 71; (iii) Composition, Succession
and Evaluation: pages 71 to 73 and 82 and 83; (iv) Audit, Risk and
Internal Controls: pages 86 to 89; and (v) Remuneration: pages 95
to 117. The UK Corporate Governance Code is available on the
Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) website.
Risk management and control
Our approach to risk management and systems of internal
control is in line with the recommendations in the FRC’s revised
guidance ‘Risk management, internal control and related
financial and business reporting’ (the Risk Guidance). It is
Unilever’s practice to review acquired companies’ governance
procedures and to align them to the Group’s governance
procedures as soon as is practicable.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Information on GHG emissions can be found on page 50.
Employee involvement and communication
Unilever’s UK companies maintain formal processes to inform,
consult and involve employees and their representatives.
A National Consultative Forum comprising employees and
management representatives from key locations meets regularly
to discuss issues relating to Unilever sites in the UK. We recognise
collective bargaining on a number of sites and engage with
employees via the Sourcing Unit Forum, which includes national
officer representation from the three recognised trade unions.
A European Works Council, embracing employee and
management representatives from countries within Europe,
has been in existence for several years and provides a forum
for discussing issues that extend across national boundaries.
Further details on how the Board has engaged with the
workforce can be found on page 72.
Equal opportunities and diversity
Consistent with our Code of Business Principles, Unilever aims
to ensure that applications for employment from everyone are
given full and fair consideration, and that everyone is given
access to training, development and career opportunities.
Every effort is made to reskill and support employees who
become disabled while working within the Group.
United States
Unilever is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As such,
Unilever must comply with the requirements of US legislation,
regulations enacted under US securities laws, and the Listing
Standards of the NYSE that are applicable to foreign private
issuers, copies of which are available on their websites.
We comply with the Listing Standards of the NYSE applicable to
foreign private issuers. We are required to disclose any significant
ways in which our corporate governance practices differ from
those required of US domestic companies listed on the NYSE.
Our corporate governance practices are primarily based on
the requirements of the UK Listing Rules and the UK Corporate
Governance Code but substantially conform to those required of
US domestic companies listed on the NYSE. The only significant
way in which our corporate governance practices differ from
those required of US domestic companies under Section 303A
Corporate Governance Standards of the NYSE is that the NYSE
rules require that shareholders must be given the opportunity
to vote on all equity compensation plans and material revisions
thereto, with certain limited exemptions. The UK Listing Rules
require shareholder approval of equity compensation plans only
if new or treasury shares are issued for the purpose of satisfying
obligations under the plan or if the plan is a long-term incentive
plan in which a director may participate. Amendments to plans
approved by shareholders generally only require approval if they
are to the advantage of the plan participants.
All senior executives and senior financial officers have declared
their understanding of and compliance with Unilever’s Code of
Business Principles and the related Code Policies. No waiver
from any provision of the Code of Business Principles (published
on our website) or Code Policies was granted in 2024 to any of
the persons falling within the scope of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements.
Risk management and control
Following a review by the Disclosure Committee, Audit
Committee and Board, the CEO and the CFO concluded that
the design and operation of the Group’s disclosure controls
and procedures, including those defined in the US Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 – Rule 13a – 15(e), as at 31 December 2024
were effective. Unilever is required by Section 404 of the US
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to report on the effectiveness of
its internal control over financial reporting. This requirement is
reported on within the section entitled ‘Management’s Report
on Internal Control over Financial Reporting’ on page 221.
The Directors’ Report has been approved by the Board, and
signed on its behalf by Maria Varsellona, Chief Legal Officer
and Group Secretary.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
81
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Report of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
People intro image holders11.png
The Committee was engaged
in three Non-Executive
Director appointments
and supporting the GAP 2030
through appointments to the
Unilever Leadership Executive.
Ian Meakins
Chair
I am pleased to present the report of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee for the year ended
31 December 2024.
At the conclusion of the AGM of the Company, held on 1 May
2024, a number of Non-Executive Directors retired from the
Board as they had reached or were approaching the end
of their nine-year terms. Nils Andersen, Judith Hartmann,
Strive Masiyiwa and Youngme Moon all left their positions
as Non-Executive Directors at this time, and our thanks go
to them for their service to Unilever.
The Committee has looked carefully at the requirements
for Non-Executive Directors and a further Non-Executive
Director, Judith McKenna, with extensive retail experience in
Walmart and Asda, joined the Board on 1 March 2024. Judith’s
appointment was confirmed by shareholders at the 2024 AGM.
As mentioned in my Chair’s statement:
Hein Schumacher stepped down as Chief Executive Officer
and as a Board Director on 1 March 2025 and will leave the
Company on 31 May 2025;
Fernando Fernandez was appointed Chief Executive Officer
with effect from 1 March 2025;
Benoît Potier joined the Board on 1 January 2025;
Zoe Yujnovich joined the Board on 1 March 2025; and
a thorough internal and external search process is being
initiated to appoint a permanent CFO. With effect from
1 March 2025, Srinivas Phatak, previously Unilevers
Deputy CFO and Group Controller, became Acting CFO.
Andrea Jung, Non-Executive Director, has decided not to
stand for re-election at the 2025 AGM.
The Committee considers that the Board’s current size,
with the additional Board members appointed in 2025,
and its collective experience are effective for the running
of the Company. The Committee will maintain the size and
experience of the Board under review on a continuous basis.
The Committee has also been involved in the consideration of
candidates for positions on the Unilever Leadership Executive
(ULE) during the year. In January, Esi Eggleston Bracey joined
as Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Priya Nair joined as
Business Group President, Beauty & Wellbeing and Eduardo
Campanella was appointed Business Group President, Home
Care. In addition, Heiko Schipper joined as Business Group
President, Foods in May and Mairéad Nayager joined as Chief
People Officer in June.
Further appointments have subsequently been made with
effect from 1 January 2025, with Reginaldo Ecclissato, an
existing ULE member, taking on the role of President, 1
Unilever Markets, and Willem Uijen joining as Chief Supply
Chain Officer. The Board welcomes and supports these new
members of the ULE in their roles and as a key part of our
Growth Action Plan 2030. The background details of all ULE
members can be found on pages 68 and 69.
Diversity and inclusion is key for the long-term success of
Unilever in the global marketplace in which we operate.
As at 31 December 2024, the Board was 44% female and the
Unilever Leadership Executive was 31% female with 62% ethnic
minority participation.
The Committee reviewed the Workforce Engagement Policy
and further details are included in the Report. The Committee
also continued to review and approve the nature of the
workforce engagement activities that the Board undertook
in the year, and details of these are set out on page 72.
In 2025, the Committee will remain focused on supporting
the ULE in its implementation of the Growth Action Plan 2030.
The Committee will also continue to review the long-term
succession plans for the Board and the ULE.
I would like to thank the members of the Committee for their
commitment and contribution throughout the year.
Ian Meakins
Chair of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REPORT OF THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ATTENDANCE
Attendance
Ian Meakins Chair
4/4
Nils Andersen
2/2
Judith Hartmann
2/2
Adrian Hennah
(member from 1 May 2024)
2/2
Andrea Jung
4/4
The Chair of the Board, Ian Meakins, chairs the Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee. Adrian Hennah and
Andrea Jung are independent Non-Executive Directors and
members of the Committee. The Chief Legal Officer and Group
Secretary is secretary to the Committee. Other attendees,
including the CEO, the Chief People Officer and the Deputy
Secretary, attend the meetings when invited to do so.
There were four meetings of the Committee in 2024, and the
table above shows attendance at meetings of the Committee
in the year. Nils Andersen and Judith Hartmann stepped down
from the Committee in May 2024. Given the changes in the
Committee membership this year, attendance is expressed
as the number of meetings attended out of the total number
each Director was eligible to attend during their respective
tenure on the Committee.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is
primarily responsible for:
periodically assessing the structure, size and composition
of the Board;
evaluating the balance of skills, experience, independence,
diversity and knowledge of the Board;
ongoing succession planning (including the development
of a diverse pipeline for succession);
drawing up selection criteria and appointment procedures
for Directors;
reviewing the feedback in respect of the role and functioning
of the Board Committees arising from Board and Board
Committee evaluations;
periodically reviewing and assessing Unilever’s practices
and procedures in relation to workforce engagement; and
considering current and developing corporate governance
matters, which it brings to the attention of the Board where
deemed necessary.
The Committee’s terms of reference are set out in the Governance
of Unilever, which can be found on the Company’s website.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
During the year, the Committee:
recommended the election and re-election of Directors
at the 2024 AGM, following a review of their performance
and, where relevant, their independence;
reviewed the composition of the Board and its Committees,
taking into account the experience, skills, knowledge,
diversity and attributes of the Directors and the length of
tenure of the Non-Executive Directors resulting in changes
to the Committee memberships;
appointed Egon Zehnder to support the Committee in the
search for new Non-Executive Directors, culminating in the
appointments of Judith McKenna and Benoît Potier. Egon
Zehnder is an independent search firm that has undertaken
several non-executive searches for Unilever. Egon Zehnder
does not have any connection to the Directors or Unilever
except for normal course recruitment processes;
kept under review best practice guidelines and preferences
of certain institutional investors in relation to overboarding
to ensure continued compliance;
reviewed the ULE succession plan and talent pipeline;
conducted an annual review of the diversity policy
applicable to the Board;
conducted a review of workforce engagement activities in
the year and the plan for the following year, the terms of
reference for the Committee and the annual work plan for
the Committee;
considered the process and timetable for the Board
evaluation and maintained oversight of the process
(see page 72 for further information);
received updates on current and emerging corporate
governance legislation, regulation and best practice
guidelines including in relation to directors’ duties; and
considered the Committee’s draft report for inclusion in
the 2023 Annual Report and Accounts.
APPOINTMENT AND REAPPOINTMENT OF
DIRECTORS TO THE BOARD
All Directors (unless they are retiring) are nominated by the
Board for election or re-election at the AGM each year on the
recommendation of the Committee. The Committee takes into
consideration the outcomes of the Chairs discussions with
each Director on individual performance and the evaluation
of the Board and its Committees. Non-Executive Directors
normally serve for a period of up to nine years.
Fernando Fernandez was appointed as Chief Financial Officer
and a director of the Company with effect from 1 January 2024
and was therefore put forward for election by shareholders
as a director for the first time at the 2024 AGM. Nils Andersen,
Judith Hartmann, Strive Masiyiwa and Youngme Moon all
stood down as Non-Executive Directors on 1 May 2024.
The Board appointed Judith McKenna as an independent
Non-Executive Director on 1 March 2024. She was therefore
put forward for election by shareholders for the first time at
the 2024 AGM.
The Committee proposed the election or re-election of all
Directors, other than those retiring, at the 2024 AGM.
All the Directors proposed were appointed by shareholders
by a simple majority vote at the 2024 AGM.
The Committee reviews the composition of the Board
Committees. The Committee recommended in May 2024 that
Adrian Hennah be appointed a member of the Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee, that Judith McKenna
be appointed a member of the Compensation Committee and
the Corporate Responsibility Committee, and that Ruby Lu be
appointed a member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee.
In July 2024, Unilever announced the appointment of Benoît Potier
as a Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 January 2025.
Benoît has joined the Audit Committee and the Corporate
Responsibility Committee, and will be put forward for election
by shareholders for the first time at the AGM in 2025.
In February 2025, Unilever announced the appointment of
Zoe Yujnovich as a Non-Executive Director with effect from
1 March 2025. Zoe has joined the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee and the Corporate Responsibility
Committee, and will be put forward for election by
shareholders for the first time at the AGM in 2025.
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REPORT OF THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
In February 2025, we also announced that, with effect from
1 March 2025, Hein Schumacher would step down as CEO and
as a director and would leave the Company on 31 May 2025.
Fernando Fernandez was appointed CEO with effect from
1 March 2025.
OVERBOARDING
As part of the annual evaluation process for each Director,
full consideration was given to the number of external
positions held to ensure that the time commitment required
did not compromise the Director’s commitment to Unilever.
The Committee took into account the views of various investor
bodies and certain institutional investors to anticipate any
perception of overboarding.
The Committee did not identify any instances of overboarding
and concluded that all individual Directors had sufficient time
to commit to their appointment as a Director of Unilever.
The full list of external appointments held by our Directors
can be found in their biographies on pages 66 and 67.
BOARD DIVERSITY POLICY
Unilever has long understood the importance of diversity
and inclusion within our workforce. This commitment forms
part of Unilever’s Code of Business Principles and is embedded
in the way we do business and conduct ourselves at all levels
in the organisation. Unilever’s Growth Action Plan 2030 focuses
on having the best talent and most engaged employees
through a diverse workforce and inclusive leadership. Please
see Our People & Culture section on pages 34 and 35 for
more information.
Unilever’s Board Diversity policy, which is reviewed by the
Committee each year, is available on the Company’s website.
The objective of the policy is to provide guidance that the
composition and quality of the Board should be in keeping
with the size and geographical spread of Unilever, its portfolio,
culture and status as a listed company. The Board Diversity
Policy is taken into account when making appointments to
the Board and its committees and developing a succession
plan by assessing candidates on merit, considering their
wide-ranging experience, backgrounds, skills, knowledge
and insight, with a continuing emphasis on diversity, including
but not limited to factors outlined in applicable regulations,
guidance, and industry and government best practices.
Appointments to the ULE are conducted in accordance with
our Code of Business Principles.
The Board supports the recommendations of the FTSE Women
Leaders Review on gender diversity and the Parker Review on
ethnic diversity. Specifically:
As at 31 December 2024, we continue to have a female
Senior Independent Director and we have 44% female
Board members (including Executive Directors). 36% of
the Unilever Leadership Executive are female (excluding
Executive Directors), which is an increase from 11% at 2023
year-end. There is also a promising pipeline of talent, with
40% of Senior Management (direct reports to the Unilever
Leadership Executive) being female as at 31 October 2024.
We have 33% ethnic minority Board membership as at 31
December 2024 (including Executive Directors), exceeding
the Parker Review recommendation of one ethnic minority
Board member. Our ethnic minority membership of the ULE
stands at 66% (excluding Executive Directors).
In 2024, the Parker Review updated its approach to cover
Senior Management working in the UK only (rather than
globally). Therefore, Unilever was able to review ethnicity
data disclosed voluntarily by employees on the HR
information system, which showed that 24% of Senior
Management are minority ethnic, 52% white and
24% undisclosed. Under the revised scope of the Parker
Review, we set an ethnic minority target of 28% for Senior
Management working in the UK by 31 December 2027. This
is based on our available baseline and pipeline data, 2021
UK census statistics, the global nature of Unilever’s business,
business restructuring and benchmarking. We will keep this
under review and disclose progress against, and any revision
of, the target in future annual reports.
Please also refer to the information on gender reporting on
page 50.
WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT POLICY
The Committee reviewed the Workforce Engagement Policy
and the number of workforce engagements was reduced
from six to four per year. The remaining elements of the policy
were unchanged.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
Board
The Committee reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of
succession planning processes, and the Board reviews the
succession plan in conjunction with the Committee.
The succession plan is based on merit and objective criteria.
The Board should comprise a majority of Non-Executive
Directors who are independent of Unilever, free from any
conflicts of interest and able to allocate sufficient time to
carry out their responsibilities effectively. With respect to
composition and capabilities, the Board should be in keeping
with the size of Unilever, its strategy, portfolio, consumer
base, culture, geographical spread and its status as a listed
company. The Board should also have sufficient understanding
of the markets and business where Unilever is active in order
to understand any relevant key trends and developments.
The Board believes that a diverse Board with a range of views
enhances decision-making, which is beneficial to Unilever’s
long-term success and is in the interests of its stakeholders.
As can be seen in the biographies on pages 66 and 67, and the
tables on page 84, the Board meets this profile.
ULE
In conjunction with the Committee, the Board reviews the
succession plan for the ULE. In line with the Board succession
plan approach, the succession plan for the ULE is also based
on merit and objective criteria. Developing an internal talent
pipeline for leadership roles is critical for Unilever. The
succession plan identifies potential successors who are
considered able to fulfil the roles in the short term and those in
the longer term. Development initiatives for senior executives
are put in place and usually include executive mentoring and
coaching. Senior managers and executives are encouraged to
take on a non-executive directorship role as part of their
personal development.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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REPORT OF THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Skills and experience matrix
Fernando
Fernandez
Adrian
Hennah
Andrea
Jung
Susan
Kilsby
Ruby
Lu
Judith
McKenna
Ian
Meakins
Nelson
Peltz
Benoît
Potier
Zoe
Yujnovich
Business growth and leadership
of large global corporations
Strategy, corporate transactions
and transformation
International experience
(including emerging markets)
Financial expertise
FMCG and consumer insights
Technology, digital and
innovation
Marketing and sales channels
Risk management and
operational excellence (including
sustainability and community)
Society, politics and geopolitics
Science and innovation
People, culture and reward
Corporate governance
In compliance with the FCA Listing Rules, the tables below
show that as at 31 December 2024, we have 44% female Board
members (including Executive Directors) against the target
of 40%. The position of Senior Independent Director is held by
a female, and at least one Board member is from a minority
ethnic background. There is a 13-member ULE, including
Executive Directors, of which four (31%) are women.
We collect both gender and ethnicity data directly from
Board and ULE members annually on a self-identifying basis
in a questionnaire. This data is used for statistical reporting
purposes and provided with consent. Board members are
asked to identify their gender and ethnicity based on the
categories set out in the tables below.
Gender representation on the Board and ULE as at 31 December 2024
Number of
Board members
Percentage of the
Board
Board (CEO, CFO,
SID and Chair)
Number of ULE
members
Percentage
of the ULE
Men
5
56
3
9
69
Women
4
44
1
4
31
Other
Not specified/prefer not to say
Ethnicity representation on the Board and ULE as at 31 December 2024
Number of
Board members
Percentage of the
Board
Board (CEO, CFO,
SID and Chair)
Number of ULE
members
Percentage
of the ULE
White British or other White (including
minority-white groups)
6
67
2
5
38
Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups
2
15
Asian/Asian British
2
22
1
2
15
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
1
9
Other ethnic group, including Arab
1
11
1
3
23
Not specified/prefer not to say
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REPORT OF THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Board tenure as at 31 December 2024
168775034863811
Board independence as at 31 December 2024
168775034863869
The Non-Executive Directors (including the Chair) comprised
78% of the Board of Directors as at 31 December 2024.
COMMITTEE EVALUATION
A self-assessment was carried out, overseen by the Chief
Legal Officer and Group Secretary, involving the completion
of a questionnaire that was reviewed by the Chairs of the
Committees. The Committee considered the questionnaires,
and the Board agreed with the Committee’s proposal for the
Board and Committee evaluation in 2024.
The Board and each of the Committees considered their
respective feedback in November 2024.
The work of the Committee had been strongly focused on
succession planning for the Board. The Committee concluded
that it had effective decision-making and strong connectivity
to the Board in relation to the matters that it considered.
The evaluation confirmed that the Committee should place
additional focus on its wider remit, including around people
and talent, and the agendas and materials provided to the
Committee in 2025 should reflect this.
Ian Meakins
Chair of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee
Adrian Hennah
Andrea Jung
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Report of the Audit Committee
People intro image holders12.png
We focused this year on
sustainability reporting,
cyber security, data privacy
and supply chain resilience,
in addition to our reporting
and control responsibilities.
Adrian Hennah
Chair of the Audit Committee
On behalf of the Audit Committee, I am pleased to present
the Committee’s report for the year ended 31 December 2024.
In 2024, the Committee consisted of three members: Susan
Kilsby, Ruby Lu and myself as the Committee Chair.
The Committee believes it has carried out its duties
effectively throughout the year and to a high standard,
providing independent oversight. It has had good support
from management, the internal audit team and the
external auditors.
This year marked a year of transformation for the company,
with a full year of the Growth Action Plan and the Ice Cream
business separation. While these have been very much in
the mind of the Committee, our primary focus has been to
maintain the integrity of Unilever’s financial and non-financial
reporting, to ensure the adequacy of its internal controls, and
to oversee the management of the company’s principal and
emerging risks, including its approach to risk appetite and
risk mitigation.
This year, we continued to focus on topics that are subject to
current regulatory change, including sustainability reporting,
particularly in relation to the European Sustainability
Reporting Standards (ESRS), as well as Corporate Governance
Reform and Data Privacy. The Committee also allocated
considerable time to other risk management topics, including
cyber security and supply chain resilience. We also met with
management to discuss emerging developments in
international taxation, pensions and treasury.
Early in 2024, we extended the scope of our external
auditors, KPMG, by including assurance work with regard to
sustainability reporting in their remit. I am pleased to report that
we have progressed well in our compliance and reporting of the
same. The Sustainability Statement is on pages 223 to 299.
In addition to the formal meetings this year, the Committee
members continued engaging with the business through
a number of market visits including trips to China, the UK
and South Africa during the year.
2025 will see the appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer
and the Audit Committee will be actively involved in its
selection.
As part of the standard five-year rotation for external audit
partners as required by UK regulation, the Committee will
oversee the selection of a new lead KPMG audit partner in
2025. This new partner is expected to bring a fresh perspective
and expertise to our audit processes from the 2026 financial year.
Adrian Hennah
Chair of the Audit Committee
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE
Attendance
Adrian Hennah Chair
9/9
Susan Kilsby
9/9
Ruby Lu
9/9
The Audit Committee is comprised only of independent Non-
Executive Directors with a minimum requirement of three such
members. The Audit Committee was chaired by Adrian Hennah.
The other Committee members are Susan Kilsby and Ruby Lu.
The Board is satisfied that the members of the Audit
Committee are competent in financial matters and have
recent and relevant experience. For the purposes of the US
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Adrian Hennah is the Audit
Committee’s financial expert.
Other attendees at Committee meetings included the
Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Auditor, Deputy CFO
and Controller, Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary,
General Counsel Corporate and Deputy Group Secretary,
EVP Sustainable Business Performance and Reporting, and
the external auditors. Throughout the year, the Committee
members met periodically without others present and also
held separate private sessions with the CFO, Chief Auditor
and the external auditors, to discuss issues in greater detail.
There were nine scheduled Committee meetings during the
year. Attendance at the scheduled meetings is shown above.
CODE OF BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
All actions by Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors
or any Unilever staff are guided to comply with the set of
policies of the Code of Business Principles. This includes, in
accordance with the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the
SEC requirements, the relevant provisions in relation to a code
of ethics for Senior Financial Officers. No waivers have been
requested or granted for this.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE
The role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee are set
out in written terms of reference, which the Committee reviews
annually, considering relevant legislation and recommended
good practices. The terms of reference are contained within
‘The Governance of Unilever’, which is available on our website.
The Committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited
to, the following matters:
oversight of the integrity of Unilever’s financial statements;
review of Unilever’s half-yearly and annual financial statements
(including clarity and completeness of disclosure) and the
trading statements for quarter 1 and quarter 3;
review of Unilever’s non-financial statements and
Sustainability Statement;
oversight of risk management and internal control
arrangements;
oversight of compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements;
oversight of the external auditors’ performance, objectivity,
qualifications and independence;
the approval process of non-audit services;
recommendation to the Board of the nomination of the
external auditors for shareholder approval, and approval
of their fees, as referred to in note 25 on page 190; and
performance of the internal audit function.
All relevant matters arising are brought to the attention of
the Board.
Committee Reviews
To help the Committee meet its oversight responsibilities,
focused knowledge sessions are organised throughout the
year, with examples in 2024 including Sustainability Reporting,
our Financial Controls Automation project and the Ice Cream
separation.
In addition, Committee members visited businesses in China,
the UK and South Africa, which provided them with insight into
local market challenges and risk and control management.
The Committee also received presentations from management
and had discussions on the businesss risk management
activities, the preparation of the financial statements, the
overall control environment, and the operation of the financial
reporting controls.
Special focus has been given to:
Cyber security: The Committee was provided with regular
updates on the Cyber Security Programme, which was
assessed and challenged by the Committee against the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
framework. Any cyber security operational incidents and
threats were highlighted and discussed. For further details,
please refer to the description of our cyber security
governance and processes on page 217.
Data privacy: Management provided an update on the
global privacy landscape, key enterprise privacy risks and
the evolution of Unilever’s global privacy programme. The
Committee discussed the deployment of generative AI tools
across the organisation and noted the importance of striking
a balance between ensuring the protection of confidential
information and quicker deployment of these tools.
Supply chain resilience: Management provided an update on
the risks associated with the supply of materials and finished
goods within their global extended value chain, with special
focus on locations with supplier concentrations. The
Committee reviewed potential disruptions of key supplies
and the mitigation plans established by management.
In addition, the Committee discussed the control environment of
acquired businesses such as Liquid I.V. and Nutrafol, which are
not integrated into the main legacy ERP systems, as well as the
work done in tax, treasury and pension matters.
REPORTING AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Committee reviewed, prior to publication, the quarterly
financial press releases together with the associated internal
quarterly reports from the Chief Financial Officer and the
Disclosure Committee and, with respect to the full-year results,
the external auditor’s report. It also reviewed the Annual
Report and Accounts and the Annual Report on Form 20-F 2024.
These reviews incorporated the accounting policies, significant
judgements and estimates underpinning the financial
statements as disclosed within note 1 on page 142.
Particular attention was paid to the following significant
matters in relation to the financial statements:
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)/Sustainability
Reporting: The Committee discussed and challenged the
governance and approval processes concerning
sustainability assurance and subsequently reviewed and
approved KPMG’s Sustainability Assurance Strategy and Plan
for 2024.
The new UK Corporate Governance Code was published on
22 January 2024 and introduced a limited set of changes. The
most notable change, relating to audit, risks and controls, is
the material controls declaration, which will be required for
reporting years commencing 1 January 2026. Unilever will
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
adopt these changes for the 2026 financial year when they
come into formal effect. The Committee will review the
approach for meeting the requirements with the Board
during 2025.
The presentation of non-underlying items. The Committee
took into account management’s responses to its review,
the observations made by the external auditor, and the
communication received from the SEC.
Indirect tax provisions and contingent liabilities related to
Brazil, refer to notes 19 and 20 on pages 185 and 186. The
Committee agreed that the tax provisions and judgements
around the likelihood, as well as the disclosures, are
appropriate in the Annual Report and Accounts 2024.
Functional currency change of Unilever PLC: The Group’s
ultimate parent company has now completed the change
of its functional currency from GBP to EUR, effective from
1 January 2024. The Committee provided oversight of the
change and reviewed the plans ahead of its
implementation.
Revenue recognition: The Committee reviewed the adequacy
of the policy around the cut-off and appropriateness of
discounts accruals.
For each of the above areas, the Committee considered the
key facts and judgements outlined by management. Members
of management attended the section of the Committee
meeting where their item was discussed to answer any
questions or challenges posed by the Committee. The
Committees feedback has been incorporated into the final
approach. The matters were also discussed with the external
auditors and further information can be found on pages 121
to 137.
The Committee specifically discussed with the external
auditor how management’s judgement and assertions
were challenged and how professional scepticism was
demonstrated during their audit of these areas; this included
the disclosures for each matter noted above. The Committee is
satisfied that the relevant accounting policies are in place in
relation to these significant matters and that management
has correctly applied these policies.
In addition to the matters noted above, our external auditors,
as required by auditing standards, also consider the risk
of management override of controls. Nothing has come to
our attention or their attention to suggest any material
misstatement with respect to suspected or actual fraud
relating to management override of controls.
At the request of the Board, the Committee undertook to:
review the appropriateness of adopting the going concern
basis of accounting in preparing the annual and half-yearly
financial statements;
assess whether the business was viable in accordance with
the requirement of the UK Corporate Governance Code. The
assessment included a review of the principal and emerging
risks facing Unilever, their potential impact, and how they
were being managed, together with a discussion as to the
appropriate period for the assessment. The Committee
recommended to the Board that there is a reasonable
expectation that the Group will be able to continue in
operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over
the three-year period (consistent with the period of the
strategic plan for Unilever PLC) of the assessment; and
consider whether the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts
2024 was fair, balanced and understandable, and whether
it provided the necessary information for shareholders to
assess the Group’s year-end position and performance,
business model and strategy. To make this assessment,
the Committee received copies of the Annual Report and
financial statements to review during the drafting process
to ensure that the key messages were aligned with the
Company’s position, performance and strategy. The
Committee also reviewed the processes and controls
that are the basis for its preparation. The Committee was
satisfied that, taken as a whole, the Unilever Annual Report
and Accounts 2024 is fair, balanced and understandable.
Regulator Correspondence
During the year, the US SEC reviewed the Unilever Annual
Report on Form 20-F 2023, and the UK Financial Reporting
Council (FRC) reviewed the company’s annual report and
accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 in accordance
with the FRCs Operating Procedures for Corporate Reporting
Review. The SEC had three comments relating to the
presentation of non-GAAP measures, including the
prominence of their disclosure, expanding the definition of
non-underlying items, and including the GAAP equivalent
measure for our return on invested capital, return on assets
and cash conversion measures alongside the non-GAAP
equivalent. Unilever responded to these queries and the
Committee reviewed the response letters. No changes to the
past disclosures were needed in respect of the Unilever Annual
Report on Form 20-F 2023 but the Company will amend its
disclosures as appropriate in this (current) and future filings.
The FRC did not have any questions that required a response
but made a few observations. We have taken these
observations into consideration in determining this year’s
disclosures.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and
the ESRS require companies operating in the European Union
to report on their sustainability performance and engage
limited assurance work from an external auditor. The CSRD
sets out the requirements, while the ESRS provides the detailed
standards for reporting on a range of environmental, social
and governance matters. For the financial year ended 31
December 2024, Unilever PLC is newly required to comply with
the ESRS because of our presence in European markets.
The Committee reviewed the double materiality assessment
(DMA), including the process and output, and was satisfied it
reflected Unilevers material impacts, risks and opportunities
relating to sustainability matters. The Committee also
reviewed the non-financial disclosures, which encompass
disclosures under the ESRS, in this Annual Report and
Accounts.
During 2024, the Committee approved the KPMG Sustainability
Assurance Strategy and Plan for 2024 and reviewed the limited
assurance work performed by them on the Sustainability
Statement.
In future years, there will be further mandatory non-financial
reporting standards applicable to the Group, including further
development of ESRS sector-specific standards and the
expected implementation of international sustainability
standards by the International Sustainability Standards Board
(ISSB) into legal reporting requirements by countries in which
Unilever operates (including the UK). Currently, the ISSB has
issued two sustainability reporting standards.
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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
RISK MANAGEMENT & INTERNAL CONTROLS
(ASSURANCE)
The Committee reviewed Unilever’s overall approach to risk
management, risk appetite and control, and its processes,
outcomes and disclosure. The assessment was undertaken
through a review of:
the yearly report detailing the risk identification and
assessment process, together with any emerging risks
identified by management;
reports from senior management on risk areas for which the
Committee had oversight responsibility: treasury, tax and
pensions, information security, data privacy, legal and
regulatory compliance supply chain, and the project
management of business transformation;
the proposed risk areas identified by the management team;
the Quarterly Risk and Control Status Reports, including
Code of Business Principles cases relating to frauds and
financial crimes;
a summary of control deficiencies identified through controls
testing activities together with action plans to address
underlying causes;
management’s improvements to reporting through further
automation and centralisation; and
the annual financial plan and Unilever’s dividend policy and
dividend proposals.
The Committee reviewed the application of the requirements
under Section 404 of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 with
respect to internal controls over financial reporting.
In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in relation to risk
management and internal controls, the Committee met
regularly with senior members of management and is satisfied
with the key judgements taken.
The Committee has completed its review for 2024 on both risk
management and internal controls, and was satisfied that
the process had worked effectively. Where specific areas for
improvement were identified, there was adequate mitigation
or alternative controls in place, and processes were under
way to ensure sustainable improvements. An area of focus
has been ensuring that the controls impacted by the
transformation programmes are appropriately designed and
implemented effectively. Through its review, the Committee
also ensured that appropriate procedures are in place for
detecting and preventing fraud.
INTERNAL AUDIT
The Committee reviewed internal audit’s plan, which focuses
on Unilever’s risk areas, including sustainability, cyber security,
data privacy, financial control processes, product safety and
supply chain resilience. The Committee ensured the necessary
resources were in place to perform the audits effectively. The
usage of data and analytics continues to enable the internal
audit team to deliver their audits efficiently and with sufficient
coverage. In 2024, the internal audit team introduced value
assessments to their programme on a pilot basis, which aim
to detect cultural misalignments in tested subsidiaries.
The Committee reviewed quarterly and year-end summary
reports, including the results of audit activities and the
completion status of agreed actions. During the year, the
Chief Auditor and his team undertook business visits in person,
in particular in a number of the Group’s critical markets. Most
audits have been conducted as hybrids (a combination of
virtual and physical).
Every five years, the Committee engages an independent third
party to perform an effectiveness review of the function. This
was last completed in 2022 and is planned for 2026. In 2024,
the Committee evaluated the performance of the internal
audit function through a questionnaire. The feedback
was reviewed and the Committee was satisfied with the
effectiveness of the internal audit function. During the year,
the Committee also met independently with the Chief Auditor
and discussed the results of the audits performed and any
additional insights obtained from the Chief Auditor.
AUDIT OF THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
KPMG, Unilever’s external auditors and an independent registered
public accounting firm, reported in depth to the Committee on the
scope and outcome of the annual audit, including their audit of
internal controls over financial reporting as required by Section
404 of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Their reports included
audit and accounting matters, governance and control, and
accounting developments. Additionally, KPMG provided
assurance on Unilevers compliance with the Corporate
Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), ensuring that the
sustainability information disclosed is accurate and reliable.
The Committee held independent meetings with the external
auditors during the year and reviewed, agreed, discussed and
challenged their audit plan, including the materiality applied,
and the scope and assessment of the financial reporting risk
profile of the Group.
The Committee discussed the views and conclusions of KPMG
regarding management’s treatment of significant transactions
and areas of judgement during the year. The Committee
considered these and is satisfied with the treatment in the
financial statements.
EXTERNAL AUDITORS
KPMG has been the Group’s auditors since 2014 and
shareholders approved their reappointment as the Group’s
external auditors at the 2024 AGM.
The Committee confirms that the Group is in compliance
with The Statutory Audit Services for Large Companies Market
Investigation (Mandatory Use of Competitive Tender Processes
and Audit Committee Responsibilities) Order 2014, which
requires Unilever to tender the audit every ten years.
The last tender for the audit of the Annual Report and
Accounts was performed in 2022, during which the decision
to reappoint KPMG was unanimously recommended by the
Committee and approved by the Board of Unilever PLC. At
present, we are satisfied with the effectiveness of our current
auditors and, therefore, have no plans to re-tender the
external auditor appointment for an earlier period. This
position is re-evaluated each year.
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Both Unilever and KPMG have safeguards in place to avoid
the possibility that the external auditors’ objectivity and
independence could be compromised, such as audit partner
rotation and the restriction on non-audit services that the
external auditors can perform as described below. KPMG has
issued a formal letter to the Committee outlining the general
procedures to safeguard independence and objectivity,
disclosing the relationship with the Company, and confirming
their audit independence.
Each year, the Committee assesses the effectiveness of the
external audit process, which includes discussing feedback
from the members of the Committee and stakeholders at all
levels across Unilever. Interviews are also held with key senior
management within Unilever and KPMG. In 2024, Unilever has
engaged KPMG for limited assurance of the Sustainability
Statement, which is prepared in accordance with European
Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), after the Corporate
Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force.
The Committee also reviewed the statutory audit, other audit
and non-audit services provided by KPMG and compliance with
Unilever’s documented approach, which prescribes in detail
the types of engagements, listed below, for which the external
auditors can be used:
statutory audit services, including audit of subsidiaries;
other audit services – audits that are not required by law
or regulation; and
non-audit services – work that our external auditors are
best placed to undertake, which may include:
services required by law or regulation to be performed
by the audit firm; and
services where knowledge obtained during the audit is
relevant to the service, such as bond issue comfort letters.
Unilever has for many years maintained a policy that
prescribes in detail the types of engagements for which the
external auditors can be used, with all other engagements
being prohibited. The policy is aligned with both UK and SEC
regulations and is updated in line with these regulations.
Audit Fees
All non-audit services are pre-approved by the Audit
Committee in line with the non-audit service policy. The
Committee further reviews all non-audit services on a quarterly
basis to ensure the scope of service aligns with the list of pre-
approved services included in the policy and that the fees are
deemed appropriate, as authorised by Group management
in line with the table of authorities. These authorities are
reviewed regularly and updated as necessary. The Company
has taken appropriate steps to ensure that KPMG LLP is
independent of the Company and has obtained written
confirmation that it complies with guidelines on independence
issued by the relevant accountancy and auditing bodies.
Although, during the year, the Company engaged KPMG LLP
for certain audit-related, non-audit services, the Committee
concluded that KPMG LLP remains independent to provide
objectivity in the conduct of the current audit.
Use of auditors for non-audit work
The Committee recognises that the use of audit firms for non-
audit services can potentially give rise to conflicts of interest.
The Group has a formal policy regarding its use of audit firms
for non-audit services. The Committee, in addition to being
responsible for the oversight of our auditor on behalf of the
Board, also has the responsibility for monitoring how the
policy is implemented.
In 2024, the level of non-audit fees is around 52% of the annual
statutory audit fees. The increase (FY23: <8%) is primarily driven
by the appointment of KPMG LLP for the CSRD assurance
reporting non-audit service and the preparation of the
reporting accountant’s reports on historical financial
information. The Committee concluded that the appointment
of KPMG LLP to undertake such non-audit services would not
compromise audit quality or threaten auditor independence,
prior to approving such appointments. The Committee noted
that the appointment of an auditor to perform these services
is in accordance with standard practice. KPMG also sought and
received approval from the UK FRC to be engaged for these
services because it is likely that for FY25, the non-audit fees
subject to the FRC fee cap requirements, exceed 70% of the
average statutory audit fee for the previous three years. The
Committee is satisfied that the overall levels of audit-related
and non-audit fees, and the nature of services provided,
are such that they will not compromise the objectivity and
independence of our auditor. Further details are given in
note 25 to the financial statements on page 190.
EVALUATION OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee carried out an assessment of its effectiveness
and performance in the year. The process was overseen by the
Chief Legal Officer & Group Secretary.
The Committee considered the output from that process at
its meeting in November 2024. Feedback was also provided to
the Board as part of its evaluation of the overall effectiveness
of the Board. The Committee concluded that it is performing
effectively and will remain focused on internal control
and external reporting. The area of evolving ESG reporting
requirements will continue to receive attention by the
Committee.
Adrian Hennah
Chair of the Audit Committee
Susan Kilsby
Ruby Lu
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Report of the Corporate
Responsibility Committee
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In addition to our reporting
and control responsibilities, we
focused this year on key areas of
corporate and reputational risk
management including litigation,
sustainability, business integrity,
health, safety and wellbeing.
Susan Kilsby
Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
On behalf of the Corporate Responsibility Committee, I am
pleased to present our report for 2024.
This year marked significant changes for the Committee.
We worked closely with Unilever management and the Board
to shape the Committee’s role in providing governance and
oversight on key areas of corporate responsibility, focusing
on overall reputational issues and risk management, including
litigation, sustainability, business integrity, health, safety and
wellbeing. Consistent with our commitment to socially and
environmentally responsible corporate behaviour, we also
discussed in detail human rights and geopolitics, ensuring
the business has robust processes in place to address any
resulting risks and opportunities.
Unilever has long been a leader in sustainable business.
This year, the business relaunched its sustainability strategy,
focusing on climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods, areas
where Unilever can have the greatest impact. We are now
focusing on fewer priorities where we have the biggest
opportunity to drive impact at scale. The Committee will be
closely monitoring progress and supporting the Unilever
leadership in delivering the sustainability strategy and targets.
This year, the Committee endorsed the Climate Transition
Action Plan (CTAP), which includes an ambitious Scope 3
emissions reduction target set for 2030. This plan was
approved at the AGM by 97.5% of those voting.
In May 2024, I assumed the role of Chair, following the
retirement of Strive Masiyiwa (Chair) and Youngme Moon.
I was also joined at that time by new members Ruby Lu and
Judith McKenna. On behalf of the Committee, I would like
to thank Strive and Youngme for their diligent leadership,
which has ensured that the Committee is well equipped to
oversee Unilever’s conduct as a responsible global business.
I would also like to thank Unilever’s management for its
leadership on the issues addressed by the Committee.
We enter the new year with strengthened governance
practices and clear business and sustainability priorities,
as set forth in the Growth Action Plan 2030, ensuring that
Unilever is well positioned to address its most material
issues and to navigate external challenges.
I look forward to further constructive engagements with
my fellow Committee members and management and to
welcoming new directors Benoît Potier and Zoe Yujnovich
to the Committee in 2025.
Susan Kilsby
Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
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COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ATTENDANCE
Attendance
Strive Masiyiwa Former Chair
1/1
Youngme Moon
1/1
Susan Kilsby Chair
3/3
Ruby Lu
3/3
Judith McKenna
3/3
This table shows the membership of the Committee together
with their attendance. If Directors are unable to attend a
meeting, they have the opportunity to discuss any agenda
items beforehand with the Committee Chair. Attendance is
expressed as the number of meetings attended out of the
number eligible to be attended.
The Corporate Responsibility Committee comprises three
Non-Executive Directors: Susan Kilsby (Chair), Ruby Lu and
Judith McKenna. Strive Masiyiwa and Youngme Moon retired
from the Committee in March 2024.
The Chief R&D Officer and the Chief Corporate Affairs and
Sustainability Officer attend the Committee meetings. The
Board Chair, the Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary, the
Global Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, the
Head of Litigation and the Chief Business Integrity Officer may
also join the Committee’s discussions, as may other members
of management at the invitation of the Chair.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE
The Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees Unilever’s
conduct as a responsible global business. Core to this remit is
its governance of progress on Unilever’s sustainability agenda.
Part of this responsibility is reviewing and managing
sustainability-related risks, opportunities and trends material
to Unilever. The Committee also reviews and provides
recommendations to the Board about the Climate Transition
Action Plan (CTAP), which sets out the actions Unilever intends
to take to reduce the business’s direct and indirect emissions
and make progress on our net zero goal by 2039.
The Committee oversees business integrity, health, safety
and wellbeing, as well as significant litigation matters with
potential reputational risk for the Company. The Committee
also has responsibility for the oversight of Unilever’s conduct
regarding corporate and societal obligations and its
reputation as a responsible company. This includes Unilever’s
Code of Business Principles and third-party compliance with
our Responsible Partner Policy.
The Committee considers the Company’s influence and impact
on stakeholders. Central to this is the identification of external
developments and risks that are likely to impact Unilever’s
corporate reputation and to ensure that appropriate and
effective policies and practices are in place, ensuring that
both Unilever’s direct employees and those working within the
Company’s value chain comply with the expected standards
of conduct.
The Committee’s discussions are informed by the experience
of the Unilever Leadership Executive, which is accountable
for driving responsible and sustainable growth through
Unilever’s operations, Business Groups, value chain and
brands. The Chief R&D Officer and Chief Corporate Affairs and
Sustainability Officer lead on behalf of management, with
further senior leaders invited to the Committee as relevant to
share their perspectives and insights on key issues, challenges
and external developments.
The Committee’s terms of reference are set out at:
www.unilever.com/corporategovernance.
HOW THE COMMITTEE HAS DISCHARGED ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES
In 2024, the Committee’s principal activities were as follows:
Navigating a changing external landscape
The world continues to be a turbulent place. As a business, we
continue to navigate growing economic, environmental and
social challenges. Many of the challenges, such as the climate
emergency, nature degradation and plastic pollution, are
compounded by growing geopolitical divides and economic
difficulties. At the same time, there is an increase in the
number of litigation cases, investors are demanding stricter
environmental and social governance, and there is progressive
regulation on sustainability and reporting. The result is an
operating context that requires the utmost diligence and
awareness of emerging risks, and capacity to respond.
Committee members closely scrutinised the processes for
forecasting, tracking and managing issues that present
material risks to the reputation of the business. In addition,
at each meeting, the Committee reviews significant
developments in the corporate sustainability landscape,
and litigation and regulatory matters that may have
reputational impact.
This year, the Committee also discussed litigation and
trends arising from emerging regulation, competition law
compliance, as well as stakeholder and media response to
Unilever’s new climate strategy and advocacy priorities, NGO
activism and government response on ESG. Among other
things, the Committee also had detailed discussions on
occupational health, safety and security, the updated CTAP,
business integrity risks, human rights, and women’s safety.
Overseeing Code of Business Principles compliance
Our consumers trust us to do business with integrity.
Maintaining our reputation and continued business success
requires the highest standards of behaviour and compliance.
The Code and associated Code Policies set out the ethical
standards of conduct expected of all Unilever employees in
their business endeavours. Any breach is classified as an
ethical, legal and regulatory risk to the business (see pages
58 and 59).
The Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees the Code
and Code Policies, including those related to anti-corruption
and bribery, ensuring that they remain fit for purpose and
are appropriately applied, including the mechanisms for
implementing the Code and Code Policies. The Committee
actively reviews an analysis of investigations into non-
compliance with the Code and Code Policies, including
those related to anti-corruption and bribery, and discusses
any trends or learnings arising from these investigations. There
were no material matters in the context of the Unilever Group.
This year, the Committee acknowledged Unilever’s strong
speak-up culture and strong recognition of Business Integrity
in the UniVoice survey.
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Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) compliance
Extending Unilever’s business principles to our suppliers
and distributors is essential if Unilever is to do business with
integrity, demonstrate high standards, and fight corruption
in all forms. The Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) sets out
Unilever’s requirements that third parties conduct business
with integrity and with respect for human rights and core
labour principles. Breaches of third-party compliance can
pose a risk to the business.
The Committee rigorously examines Unilever’s compliance
processes and programmes, and management of the risk
of our external business partnerships. In addition, the
Committee tracks compliance with Unilever’s RPP to identify
any trends or process improvements. This year, the Committee
focused on the creation of a singular programme for upstream
suppliers and downstream customers and distributors, and the
roadmap to address third parties of non-integrated parts of
Unilever, such as new acquisitions and other standalone
entities.
Promoting safety and security
Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) continue to be key
priorities at Unilever. Unilever is focused on promoting a
safety-first culture and “Unilever is committed to my safety”
was the top-rated question in our UniVoice survey.
The Committee oversees Unilever’s approach to safety. It
reviewed performance including TRFR as reported under the
Health and Safety Metrics. Particular emphasis was on road
safety, safety culture communications, and contractor risk
management. The Committee noted the business’s use of
influence to raise standards in the industry.
This year saw an increase in security challenges and risks:
elections took place in over 60 countries creating domestic
turbulence, meanwhile international tensions increased. As
a global business, Unilever must remain aware of and agile to
security risks and have processes in place to respond quickly
to protect our people and our business. Throughout the year,
the Committee received updates on the global security context
and examined Unilever’s approach to managing heightened
geopolitical and safety risks. The Committee affirmed the
importance of proactively responding to geopolitical issues
and the potential significant impact on the business.
Improving the health and wellbeing of employees
The CRC holds responsibility for the health and wellbeing of
Unilever employees, and protection from hazards. In a time of
public health threats, natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts,
and increasing global burden of chronic health conditions,
proactive and focused management is essential to optimise
employee wellbeing. The Committee commended the actions
taken by the business to support employees, such as the
Healthier U programme, which continues to deliver externally
validated, statistically significant improvements in nutrition
and BMI, quality of life, sleep, and mental health and work
productivity. Psychological safety strongly correlates with
higher performance and is a key enabler of employee
wellbeing. The business has also deployed a psychological
safety assessment instrument and multiple training pathways
and toolkits.
Respecting and promoting human rights
Respect for human rights remains a foundation of Unilever’s
business, serving to reduce risk, enhance reputation and
support brand growth. Whilst we acknowledge that business
has the ability to contribute to positive human rights
outcomes, we must ensure that we are first addressing any
harm and the ongoing human rights challenges that continue
to be found in every global value chain.
The Committee evaluated the Human Rights strategy,
governance and accountability, focusing on priorities and
potential risks to the strategy and its implementation. The
Committee ensured clear decision-making processes are in
place, and senior leaders are equipped to embed human
rights commitments across business decisions, including
where Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (HHRDD)
should be undertaken.
The Committee also reviewed Unilever’s 2024 Modern Slavery
Statement. The statement is part of Unilever’s legislative
requirement to annually publish a statement describing the
steps taken to prevent modern slavery in the business and
supply chain. In 2024, the Statement focused on the continued
implementation of our forced labour action plan, engagement
with rightsholders and programme evaluation.
The review of the approach and statement content was a new
duty for the Committee, reflecting a more robust governance
procedure and ensuring a deep level of human rights
oversight.
Delivering ambitious new sustainability goals
This year, in line with the Growth Action Plan, Unilever
refocused the sustainability strategy on four priorities: climate,
nature, plastics and livelihoods. These priorities are of material
importance to the business, and where we have the potential
to make the biggest impact. The Committee reviewed the new
15 short- to medium-term goals aligned and corresponding
long-term ambitions, aligned to the four priorities. The goals
are supported by an elevated advocacy agenda to shape the
external context.
The Committee discussed the launch and external
communication of the goals, operational delivery and
performance management, and opportunities to leverage
Unilever’s brands to drive retailer activation and consumer
preference for sustainability. The Committee also discussed
material sustainability-related risks and opportunities for the
business.
Progressing towards net zero
Unilever’s first Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) was
approved by shareholders at the 2021 AGM. It set out Unilever’s
then climate targets, an analysis of our value chain emissions,
and the actions we intended to take to address them. The
Board and management committed to developing the CTAP
in line with best practice.
This year, the Committee reviewed the updated CTAP,
reflecting our new climate goals and a more granular
understanding of our emissions, including Business Group
and operational hotspots. The updated CTAP also considers
new external guidance for transition plans, such as
recommendations from the UK Transition Plan Taskforce,
the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and
International Financial Reporting Standards. The Committee
noted that the CTAP met stakeholders’ expectations for
ambitious 1.5°C-aligned targets, clarity on the priority levers
to reduce emissions, transparency on the risks and scale of
the challenge, and for the Plan to be embedded into overall
business strategy and performance. The updated CTAP was
presented to shareholders at the 2024 AGM for an advisory
vote and received 97.5% approval.
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The Committee also provided guidance on the ‘scaling and
innovation gap’, which represents the gap between our new
2030 target and our forecast 2030 emissions. Delivery of the
identified levers and overcoming the gap will be demanding
and require innovation and systems change – a challenge
facing all companies and society. The Committee and
management will continue to work together on post-2030
pathways to net zero.
Sustainability Progress Index
Unilever’s Reward Framework includes a Performance Share
Plan (PSP). This long-term incentive plan is linked to financial
performance, as well as performance against sustainability
goals (see pages 48, 102 and 225).
To come to a view on Unilever’s performance on its
sustainability goals for the purposes of reward, the Committee
and the Compensation Committee (CC) jointly evaluate
performance against a Sustainability Progress Index (SPI).
2024 SPI outcome
SPI performance is determined by four equally weighted KPIs
and targets – one for each of Unilever’s sustainability pillars.
In making their assessment, the Committee and the CC review
quantitative and qualitative progress across the sustainability
pillar and delivery against the respective sustainability targets.
This year, for the first time, the SPI performance was assessed
using only in-year data.
The Committee considers the performance outcome of SPI and
provides relevant input and guidance to the CC in relation to
the recommendation on SPI outcome. This joint assessment
forms part of the CC’s overall recommendation on the SPI
outcome (see page 103).
Updating the Sustainability Progress Index 2024–2026
Due to the required changes in methodology and scope, it is
necessary to revise our SPI climate targets for 2025 and 2026.
This requires us to update the Scope 1 and 2 emissions targets
for 2025 and 2026 (SPI 2024–2026). The Committee reviewed
the reasons for the change and impact, and agreed to update
the Scope 1 and 2 targets for 2025 and 2026.
Sustainability Progress Index 2025–2027
As agreed in 2023 during the Directors’ Remuneration Policy
review, from SPI 2024–2026 onwards, the SPI will be assessed
using four metrics aligned with Unilever’s sustainability focus
areas. Each target will have a numeric performance range
(threshold and maximum) that will drive the outcome, and the
target will be disclosed prospectively for a three-year period.
The Committee and the CC reviewed and approved the targets
for 2027, as they relate to PSP 2025–2027. 
EVALUATION OF THE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
COMMITTEE
The Committee carried out an assessment of its effectiveness
and performance in the year. The process was administered by
a questionnaire and overseen by the Chief Legal Officer and
Group Secretary.
The Committee noted that the members held a short tenure
at the end of 2024 but observed that the Committee meetings
they attended were positively received. The feedback was also
provided to the Board as part of its evaluation of the overall
performance and effectiveness of the Board.
Susan Kilsby
Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
Ruby Lu
Judith McKenna
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Directors’ Remuneration Report
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The Committee remains
committed to ensuring
that remuneration for the
Executive Directors aligns
with the interests and
experience of shareholders.
Andrea Jung
Vice Chair, Senior Independent Director and
Chair of the Compensation Committee
On behalf of the Compensation Committee, I am pleased
to present Unilever’s Directors’ Remuneration Report 2024.
It describes the 2024 remuneration outcomes, as well as the
implementation of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy in 2025.
BUSINESS PERFORMANCE CONTEXT
The Committee recognised the performance improvements
that have been delivered compared with the prior year. While
it is still early in the delivery of the GAP 2030 strategy, the
Committee noted this positive progress, both in absolute
terms and relative to industry peers.
The Committee also recognised the improvements in
profitability and competitiveness as well as strong cash
generation. Challenges in competitiveness had negatively
influenced the Committee’s final deliberations in 2023.
Additionally, the experience of shareholders during 2024
was a key consideration, with the Committee recognising the
positive movement in the share price, which had also weighed
negatively on overall performance and the annual bonus
outcomes in 2023.
However, the Committee fully acknowledges we have a long
way to go to reach the GAP 2030 objectives.
INCENTIVE OUTCOMES FOR THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORS
2024 annual bonus
Under the formulaic outcomes, a bonus of 122% of target
opportunity was calculated for the Executive Directors.
The Committee reviewed the outcome for the Executive
Directors within the broader performance context and
determined that this was appropriate. The significant
outperformance on the underlying operating profit growth
measure, as well as on the free cash flow measure, was
somewhat balanced with performance slightly below target
on underlying sales growth. When considering financial
performance, the review included measures such as
underlying return on invested capital (ROIC) (18.1%) and
underlying operating margin (18.4%), again demonstrating
positive progress. In particular, the Committee recognised
the improvements in underlying earnings per share, increasing
by 14.7% compared with the prior year.
The Committee also reviewed the competitiveness
performance, and while we are closing the gap, we are not yet
satisfied with our market share. This was considered through
multiple lenses, with support from the CFO and his function,
to understand where progress had been made and where
challenges remain.
The Committee was satisfied that a bonus outcome 7
percentage points higher than the previous year was aligned
with the improvements in performance on both an absolute
and relative basis. It was important to the Committee that
improvements in bonus outcomes were applied across all
levels of the organisation this year, as the performance
enhancements were a product of a collaborative effort
involving everything from strategic decision-making to
disciplined execution.
2022–2024 Performance Share Plan (PSP)
Of the two Executive Directors, the outcomes under this plan
are only relevant to the CFO, as the CEO did not participate
in this award cycle.
Under the formulaic outcomes, a performance-based vesting
of 95% of target opportunity was calculated. As with the
annual bonus, the Committee reviewed this outcome within
the broader performance context and determined that this
was appropriate. Despite showing recent improvement,
the competitiveness measure over the entire three-year
performance period pulled down the overall final outcome.
The level of performance across the other three performance
measures being above target means that the aggregate
outcome is close to target. This was assisted in particular
by the level of outperformance on the ROIC measure, as
noted above.
The improved outcome, compared with the previous cycle
(63%), is also supported by a review of other performance
measures – such as a three-year view of total shareholder
return (TSR) – which were not part of the formulaic calculation
in this award cycle. The positive relative performance on this
measure provided additional reassurance to the Committee
that the formulaic outcome was appropriate, and no
adjustments were made to the formulaic calculation.
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WIDER STAKEHOLDER CONSIDERATIONS
When considering the annual bonus and PSP outcomes, the
Committee carefully reflected upon the experiences of our
wider stakeholders to ensure that outcomes were aligned.
Our shareholders
The Committee conducted comprehensive consultations
with shareholders and proxy advisers in 2023 in respect
of the renewal of the Remuneration Policy and its
implementation. The input gathered from this process
continues to shape the Committee’s thinking and has directly
informed our approach to remuneration. The Directors’
Remuneration Policy was approved with 97.69% of the votes,
and the Directors’ Remuneration Report with 97.96% of the
votes at the 2024 AGM.
The Committee remains committed to ensuring that
remuneration for the Executive Directors aligns with the
interests and experience of shareholders. In particular, the
Committee reviewed the total shareholder return performance
(in euro) over 2024 and over a longer horizon of three years.
On both an absolute and relative basis, the Committee was
satisfied with this performance, with Unilever delivering a
return of 31% over 2024 and 33% from 2022–2024, placing it
first and third, respectively, within its performance peer group
of 18 companies. In 2024, we returned €5.8 billion to PLC
shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, having
completed a €1.5 billion buyback programme during the year.
Our colleagues
The Committee is periodically updated on matters impacting
the compensation of the workforce, including salary reviews
and the operation of annual bonus schemes. Particular
topics of interest for the Committee include the living wage
and the general alignment of incentives and rewards with
Unilever’s culture.
Fairness in the workplace is a core pillar of our Code of
Business Principles and incorporates our Framework for
Fair Compensation. As part of our Framework’s living wage
element, we are committed to paying a living wage to all
our direct employees, which we achieved in 2020. In 2021, we
received our first global independent accreditation as a living
wage employer from the Fair Wage Network. In 2024, we were
awarded our second global independent accreditation as a
living wage employer. The data disclosed excludes employees
who are not integrated into Unilever’s global reward structure
and human resources information system.
Unilever is also using our experience to extend this
commitment to our supply chain. Our goal is to have 50%
of our procurement spend with suppliers who have signed
the Living Wage Promise by 2026. Thanks to investment by
Unilever and others, WageIndicator now provides public
living wage estimates for 173 countries, enabling our
suppliers to get started.
Sustainability
The Committee had one joint meeting with the Corporate
Responsibility Committee (CRC) during the year. The
Committees evaluate the degree of stretch, performance
and external context against the Sustainability Progress Index
(SPI) targets. This joint assessment informs the Compensation
Committee’s overall decision on the SPI outcome, which was
115% for the final year (2024) and 118% over the three-year
performance period for the 2022-2024 PSP. More details are
included in the CRC report.
Due to an improved greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement
methodology and to ensure alignment with our SBTi Scope 1
and 2 target, Unilever is revising its Climate Scope 1 and 2
emissions target for 2025 and 2026. The Committees reviewed
the reasons for the change and impact and agreed to update
the SPI targets accordingly. The Committees also reviewed and
approved the SPI targets for the 2025–2027 PSP.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHANGES
As announced on 25 February 2025, Hein Schumacher stepped
down as CEO and as a Board Director with effect from 1 March
2025 by mutual agreement and will leave the company on 31
May 2025. He will be treated as a good leaver for the purposes
of his remuneration.
Hein will continue to receive his current level of fixed pay up to
the cessation of his employment on 31 May 2025. He will then be
eligible for a payment in lieu of the remainder of his notice period.
He will be eligible to receive a bonus for the period to 30 April 2025
payable at the normal time in 2026 subject to performance and
50% deferral. Hein will not be granted a 2025 PSP award. Hein will
be treated as a good leaver under the Remuneration Policy for the
purposes of his outstanding incentives. All unvested PSP awards
will be pro-rated for time. Further details of Hein’s leaving
arrangements are set out on page 109.
From appointment on 1 March 2025, Fernando’s remuneration will
be aligned with the terms of the Remuneration Policy for the CEO
role. He will receive fixed pay of €1,800,000 (which has been set at
a lower level than that of his predecessor) and be eligible to
participate in an annual bonus with a maximum opportunity of
225% of fixed pay, and a performance share plan with a maximum
opportunity of 400% of fixed pay. For 2025, Fernando’s bonus
opportunity will be pro rated to reflect that he served part of the
year as CFO. In determining Fernando’s fixed pay the Committee
took into consideration his experience and performance in roles
to date, and appropriate benchmarks given Unilever’s global
scale, complexity and market capitalisation. In the Committee's
view the package appropriately reflects his experience combined
with the requirement to provide a market competitive package.
Fernando’s package is below the median of our peer group and
will be eligible for fixed pay review in early 2026 as normal. Further
details of Fernando’s 2025 remuneration are set out on page 100.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REMUNERATION FROM 2025
In addition to aligning pay with performance, the Committee
agreed that consistency in approach over time is valuable
across all our stakeholder groups. The positive feedback and
voting outcome from shareholders last year provided further
support for this view.
We therefore decided to retain the same structure, performance
measures and weightings for the annual bonus and PSP plans
going into 2025. In line with this, the Committee has not made any
changes to the remuneration for the Executive Directors beyond
the fixed pay increase for the CFO (Fernando Fernandez)
described below.
CFO fixed pay increase
As noted in last year’s report, the Committee considered
investor feedback carefully. As a result, the Board decided
to freeze the CEO’s fixed pay for 2024 and 2025. No change has
therefore been made to the departing CEO’s fixed pay for 2025.
As also noted at that time, the Committee set the fixed pay
for Fernando as the incoming CFO (effective 1 January 2024)
around 6% below the incumbent. Given the changes made
to the structure of the Executive Leadership team effective
1 January 2025, the CFO assumed additional responsibilities
for supply chain and procurement, digital and technology,
and business services.
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The Committee considered these factors alongside external
remuneration benchmarking data for the role. We concluded
that an increase of 7.5% for the CFO (slightly higher than the
wider workforce increase) was appropriate in light of all these
factors. No further increase would have been applied for the
CFO for 2025. Following this decision, as disclosed above, it
has subsequently been decided that the CFO would take on
the CEO role from 1 March 2025 and as such, his remuneration
from this date reflects this change in role.
As always, the Committee will continue to benchmark
the Executive Director roles against the external market for
companies of similar size and complexity to ensure we pay
competitively to attract and retain high-quality senior
leadership.
PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
When setting the departure terms of the former CEO (Alan
Jope), the Committee agreed that he would be treated as a
good leaver under the PSP plan rules. His 2021 PSP (in relation
to which he worked throughout the performance period) has
therefore vested and was disclosed last year.
In respect of the 2022 PSP, the Committee at that time agreed,
as part of the former CEO’s legal separation agreement, that
this award should remain eligible to vest on the normal
vesting date without a pro-rata reduction for time served,
provided that at the end of the performance period, the
Compensation Committee is satisfied he has complied with
any requirements concerning the handover of his duties.
Having reviewed this criterion following the end of the
performance period, the Committee has determined that
the former CEO has satisfied the vesting condition. As such,
it vested on 13 February 2025 at 95% of target.
The 2023 PSP award for the former CEO was pro-rated pre-
emptively at grant by 6/36ths, to reflect time in role. Vesting
will be determined based on the performance outcome
assessed in early 2026.
For the former CFO (Graeme Pitkethly), the Committee agreed
as part of his legal separation agreement that he would be
treated as a good leaver under the PSP plan rules. As such, his
2022 and 2023 outstanding PSP awards would continue to vest
on the normal vesting date, subject to the achievement of the
relevant performance conditions, but without any application
of time pro-rating, provided the Committee is satisfied that
the former CFO has remained in retirement. The Committee
is satisfied this criterion has been met, and as such, the
2022–2024 PSP vested on 13 February 2025 at 95% of target.
As for the former CEO, vesting of the 2023 PSP award will be
determined based on the performance outcome assessed in
early 2026.
The discretion applied under the PSP plan rules to allow some
(but not all) of the PSP awards to vest without a pro-rata
reduction for time served was applied at a time of significant
management change and business uncertainty; the
Committee determined that this treatment would facilitate
a smooth transition in this unique and exceptional context
facing Unilever at this time.
The decisions do not set a precedent for how the Policy will be
implemented for future Executives. As demonstrated by the
best practice treatment being applied to Hein Schumacher's
outstanding PSPs, it is important for the Committee to make
clear that we would apply a pro-rata reduction to vesting PSP
awards to reflect time in service for future good leavers.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FEES
Following a detailed review, the Committee decided to
increase the Chair fee by just under 10% to £725,000 per year
(effective 1 April 2025). This aligns to the market median Chair
fee of the FTSE 30, while recognising that the size of Unilever
is considerably above the upper quartile of this group.
Fees for the other Non-Executive Directors will be reviewed
during the first half of 2025 to ensure they remain competitive
and reflective of the size and responsibilities of the roles, with
any updates disclosed in next year’s report.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Committee is firmly committed to ensuring that
remuneration remains closely aligned with performance,
within a robust governance framework.
We will continue to actively engage with management on
the implications of the European Sustainability Reporting
Standards (ESRS) and the EU Pay Transparency Directive on
how we pay our colleagues, as well as how we communicate
pay to our stakeholders. The Committee looks forward to
providing more on this next year.
Finally, I would like to update you that I will not be standing for
re-election as a Director at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Personally, as well as on behalf of the Committee and the
entire Board, I thank all shareholders and their representatives
for their continued support.
Andrea Jung
Chair of the Compensation Committee
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ATTENDANCE
Attendance
Andrea Jung Chair
5/5
Nils Andersen (member until 1 May 2024)
3/3
Judith Hartmann (member until 1 May 2024)
3/3
Judith McKenna (member since 1 May 2024)
2/2
Ian Meakins
5/5
Nelson Peltz
4/5
This table shows the membership of the Compensation
Committee together with their attendance at meetings
during 2024. Attendance is expressed as the number of
meetings attended out of the number eligible to attend.
The Committee is comprised of four Non-Executive Directors,
including Andrea Jung as the Chair. Nils Andersen and Judith
Hartmann stepped down from the Committee at the AGM in
May 2024. Judith McKenna joined the Board on 1 March 2024
and the Committee from 1 May 2024.
Other attendees at Committee meetings in 2024 included
the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Legal Officer & Group
Secretary, Chief Employment Law Counsel, Chief People
Officer, Head of Expertise & Innovation, Group Head of
Reward, Chief Research & Development Officer, Chief
Sustainability Officer, Global Head of Sustainable Business
Performance & Reporting, Global Head of Sustainability
Compass & Markets, Deputy Chief Financial Officer &
Controller, and advisers to the Committee (see below).
No individual Executive Director was present when their
own remuneration was being determined to ensure there
was no conflict of interest.
ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee is concerned with the remuneration and
benefits of the Directors and other members of the Unilever
Leadership Executive. It also has responsibility for the design
and terms of all-employee share-based incentive plans and
Executive cash or share-based incentive plans. Finally, it
sets the remuneration policy for, and is responsible for the
performance evaluation of, the Unilever Leadership Executive
and Executive Directors.
The Committee’s terms of reference are contained within ’The
Governance of Unilever’, which is available on our website.
As part of the Board evaluation carried out in 2024, the Board
evaluated the performance of the Committee. The Committee
also carried out an assessment of its own performance in
2024 via a third-party provider (Nasdaq). Following these
evaluations, improvements will be made in 2025 in relation
to the use of written resolutions and the format of requested
management information by the Committee to provide
suitable context for decision-making. Overall, the Committee
members concluded that the Committee is performing
effectively.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
During 2024, the Committee met five times and its activities
included:
determining the annual bonus outcome;
determining the result of the Performance Share Plan (PSP)
awards for the CFO, former Executive Directors, and the
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE);
setting the annual bonus and PSP performance measures
and targets;
setting fixed pay for the CFO;
tracking external developments and assessing their impact
on Unilever’s Remuneration Policy and its implementation;
reviewing pay gap data; and
assessing Sustainability Progress Index (SPI) performance
outcomes and setting measures and targets along with the
Corporate Responsibility Committee (CRC).
ADVISERS
While it is the Committee’s responsibility to exercise
independent judgement, the Committee requests advice from
management and professional advisers, as appropriate, to
ensure that its decisions are fully informed given the internal
and external environment.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) was appointed by the
Committee to provide independent advice on various matters
it considered. During 2024, the wider PwC network firms have
also provided other tax and consultancy services to Unilever,
including tax compliance and other tax-related services, cyber
security services, internal audit advice, third-party risk and
compliance advice, and merger and acquisition support.
PwC is a member of the Remuneration Consultants Group
and, as such, voluntarily operates under the code of conduct
in relation to executive remuneration consulting in the UK,
which is available online at
www.remunerationconsultantsgroup.com (Code of Conduct:
Executive Remuneration Consulting).
Given that PwC operates under the Remuneration Consultants
Group’s code of conduct, the Committee is satisfied that the
advice of the PwC engagement partner and team, which
provide remuneration advice to the Committee, was objective
and independent. They do not have connections with Unilever
that might impair their independence. The Committee
reviewed the potential for conflicts of interest and judged that
there were appropriate safeguards against such conflicts. In
addition, the Committee conducts annual reviews with each
Executive Director and member of the ULE to ensure there are
no personal conflicts. The fees paid to PwC in relation to advice
provided to the Committee in the year to 31 December 2024
were £145,600. This figure is calculated based on time spent
and expenses incurred for the majority of advice provided, but
on occasion, for specific projects, a fixed fee may be agreed.
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At a glance summary of 2024 remuneration
WHAT DID WE PAY OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS IN 2024?
316
168775034865729
€nil
316
751
751
All figures in the table are in €'000. Performance Share Plan (PSP) actual values for the CEO are nil as he did not receive a grant
under the 2022–2024 PSP given his appointment in 2023. PSP actual values for the CFO reflect awards granted when he was in
a role below Board level.
2024 Annual Bonus Outcomes (Audited)
The measures and performance against targets (shown in the bars) are set out below. All performance ranges are straight line
between threshold and maximum.
Performance measure
Weighting
% of target
Underlying sales growth
40%
1.00%
7.00%
80%
Underlying operating profit growth
(including restructuring costs)
30%
-3.20%
6.80%
150%
Free cash flow(a)
30%
4.8bn
6.3bn
150%
Overall performance based on the
formulaic outcome
0%
150%
122%
168775034865825
4.20%
7.0bn
122%
Maximum
150%
Target
100%
Threshold
0%
9.50%
(a) Free cash flow (excluding taxes paid on disposals)
2022–2024 Performance Share Plan Outcome (Audited)
The measures and performance against targets (shown in the bars) are set out below. All performance ranges are straight line
between threshold and maximum.
Performance measure
Weighting
% of target
Competitiveness: % business winning
25%
45%
60%
0%
Cumulative free cash flow (current FX)
25%
16.0bn
22.0bn
108%
Underlying return on invested capital
(exit year %)
25%
15%
19%
155%
Sustainability Progress Index
(Committee assessment of SPI progress)
25%
0%
200%
118%
Overall performance based on the
formulaic outcome
0%
200%
95%
Maximum
200%
Target
100%
Threshold
0%
168775034866774
44.3%
18.1%
118%
95%
19.2bn
168775034872902
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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
At a glance summary of 2025 remuneration
Elements of remuneration and implementation of the Remuneration Policy for Executive Directors
Elements of
remuneration
Summary of Policy for Executive Directors
Implementation in 2025
Fixed Pay(a)
Paid in cash.
Hein Schumacher: €1,850,000 (0% increase)
Fernando Fernandez
CFO from 1 January 2025 to 28 February 2025: €1,263,125 (7.5%
increase)
CEO from 1 March 2025: €1,800,000
Benefits
Benefits include provision of death, disability and medical insurance cover, Directors’ liability insurance and actual tax
return preparation costs. Other benefits may be provided in the future where it is considered necessary by the Committee
and/or required by legislation.
Annual Bonus
Maximum opportunity: 225% of fixed pay.
Business performance multiplier of between 0% and
150% of target amount.
50% of net bonus deferred into shares for three years.
Dividend equivalents may be earned.
Subject to clawback, malus, recovery, ultimate
remedy and discretion provisions.
Target/Maximum award:
CEO: 150%/225% of fixed pay
2025 pro-ration:
Hein Schumacher will be eligible for a time pro-rated CEO annual
bonus to 30 April 2025
Fernando Fernandez’s 2025 annual bonus opportunity will be
pro-rated to reflect his time as CFO (1 January 2025 to                       
28 February 2025) and his time as CEO (from 1 March 2025)
Performance measures:
Underlying sales growth: 40%
Underlying operating profit growth including restructuring costs: 30%
Free cash flow: 30%
Performance
Share Plan (PSP)
Maximum opportunity: 400% of fixed pay for the CEO
and 320% of fixed pay for the CFO.
At target, 50% of maximum vests.
Vests after three years, with additional two-year
retention period.
Dividend equivalents may be earned to the extent that
the award vests, and in respect of the retention period.
Subject to clawback, malus, recovery, ultimate
remedy and discretion provisions.
Maximum award:
CEO: 400% of fixed pay
CFO: 320% of fixed pay
2025:
Hein Schumacher will not be eligible for a 2025 PSP
Fernando Fernandez’s 2025 target PSP award will be 200% of his
new salary of €1,800,000
Performance measures:
Underlying sales growth: 25%
Relative total shareholder return versus bespoke peer group:(b) 30%
Underlying return on invested capital: 30%
Sustainability Progress Index: 15%
Malus and
clawback
potential
triggers(c)
Malus
Clawback
Downward restatement of results
Error in calculation or misleading data
Corporate failure
Gross misconduct/negligence
Material breach of Unilever’s Code of Business Principles/any Unilever Code Policy
Breach of restrictive covenants
Conduct by the individual that results in significant losses or serious reputational damage to Unilever
Malus applies during the three-year deferral/vesting period for deferred bonuses/PSP awards respectively.
Clawback can be applied for up to three years from the payment of a bonus award, and up to two years from vesting or the
start of any retention period (whichever is later) for the PSP awards.
CFO: 120%/180% of fixed pay
(a) The peer group for pay benchmarking consists of: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Beiersdorf, British American Tobacco, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Diageo,
Haleon, Heineken, Henkel, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Heinz, L’Oréal, LVMH, Mondelēz, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Pernod Ricard, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt Benckiser. The peer
group is reviewed regularly and companies are added and/or removed at the Committee’s discretion to ensure that it remains appropriate.
(b) The 2025 TSR peer group is on page 102.
(c) The malus provision allows the Compensation Committee to adjust the cash bonus or share awards downwards before the award is delivered or vests (should
specified events occur). The clawback provision allows the Compensation Committee to recover the repayment of a cash bonus or shares that formed part or all of an
award that has already been delivered or vested (again, should specified events occur).
Illustration of remuneration delivery timeframes
The timeframe for each of the elements of remuneration is outlined below:
Performance year
+1
+2
+3
+4
Fixed Pay
Benefits
Annual Bonus
Performance
period
Deferral period(a)
PSP
Performance period
Retention period (b)
Malus & Clawback
Malus & Clawback period
50% paid in cash
Vesting
(a) Deferral period – released after three years (50% of bonus earned).
(b) Retention period – released after two years (100% of vested award).
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2025 performance measures and link to strategy
Incentive plan
Performance measure
Link to strategy
Short term: annual
bonus(a)
Underlying sales growth at constant FX rates
(USG) ( 40% )
Clear, simple and well-understood measure supporting the achievement
of Unilever’s growth ambition.
Underlying operating profit growth at
current FX rates (UOP) (30% )
Provides a focus on absolute profitability as an indicator of driving
shareholder value.
Free cash flow (FCF) at current FX rates (30%)
Provides clear focus on the achievement of Unilever’s cash generation
ambition.
Long term: PSP
Underlying sales growth (USG) (25% )
The primary driver of value creation in our multi-year financial growth
model.
Relative total shareholder return(b) (30%)
Aligns remuneration with shareholders’ experience and allows us to
measure relative performance.
Underlying return on invested capital
(average) (30%)
Supports disciplined investment of capital within the business and
encourages acquisitions that create long-term value.
Sustainability Progress Index (15% )
Sustainability is a strategic imperative for our business and a key part of
our Growth Action Plan 2030.
In May 2024, we launched our refocused sustainability strategy, with 15
near- and medium-term goals to accelerate action in four priority areas
where we can deliver the greatest impact: Climate, Nature, Plastics and
Livelihoods. To ensure focused progress, the CRC and Compensation
Committee have agreed four KPIs (one for each priority area) to assess in
progress towards Unilever’s sustainability goals (see pages 36 and 37).
(a) The performance ranges for annual bonus will be disclosed next year.
(b) The TSR peer group for 2025 is shown on page 102.
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2025–2027 PSP performance targets
Measure
Weighting
Vesting at
threshold
Threshold
Maximum (200%
of target)
Underlying sales growth (USG) (average)
25%
50%
3.4%
6.0%
Relative total shareholder return(a)
30%
50%
10th (median)
1st–5th
(upper quartile)
Underlying return on invested capital (average)
30%
0%
18.2%
19.2%
Sustainability Progress Index(b)
15%
0%
Climate: The percentage change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from energy and refrigerant use in our operations in the given period
in the reporting year, in comparison to the same period in 2015.(c)
-75%
-85%
Nature: The total hectares of land, forests and oceans (as measured
by ocean floor area) that Unilever programmes help protect and/or
regenerate, reported annually as a cumulative total as at the end of
the financial year.
1m hectares
1.5m hectares
Plastics: The percentage change in the total tonnes of virgin plastics
used in the packaging for our products, in the given period in the
reporting year in comparison to the same period in 2019.
-30%
-40%
Livelihoods: The percentage of our procurement spend in the financial
year which is with suppliers who have signed the Living Wage promise
by the end of the financial year.
50%
60%
All measures are straight line between threshold and maximum.
(a) The TSR peer group for 2025 is unchanged and consists of: Beiersdorf, Church & Dwight, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Estée Lauder, General Mills, Haleon,
Henkel, Kenvue, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Heinz, L’Oréal, Mondelēz, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt Benckiser.
(b) SPI measures unaudited.
(c) Due to an improved greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement methodology and to ensure alignment with our SBTi Scope 1 & 2 target, Unilever is adjusting its Climate
Scope 1 & 2 emissions targets for 2025 and 2026. The Committees reviewed the reasons for the change and impact and agreed to update the SPI targets accordingly.
The methodology is consistent with that used to set the 2025–2027 PSP targets.
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DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION
This section, including the ’At a glance’ on page 99, sets out how the Remuneration Policy (which was approved by shareholders
at the AGM on 1 May 2024 and is available on our website) was implemented in 2024.
The Remuneration Policy operated as intended in 2024, as set out in the Chair’s letter on page 95.
Unilevers remuneration arrangements are aligned to its culture of rewarding performance through annual bonus and long-term
incentive performance measures. Remuneration is determined throughout Unilever based on the same principles as for the Executive
Directors, as set out in the Remuneration Policy. Remuneration is controlled with pay at risk based on pre-determined performance
measures with a maximum outcome. This results in predictability in the management of risks and costs. Executive remuneration is
proportionate given the financial size and complexity of Unilever as determined through benchmarking with our peers. Unilevers
arrangements provide for clarity and simplicity by consisting of fixed pay, benefits, annual bonus and long-term incentives, which are
transparently detailed in the Remuneration Policy and the relevant Directors Remuneration Report.
2024 outcomes
Single figure of remuneration and implementation of Remuneration Policy in 2024 for Executive Directors (audited)
The table below shows a single figure of remuneration for each of our current Executive Directors for the years 2023 and 2024,
where applicable.
Hein Schumacher CEO (€’000)
Fernando Fernandez CFO (€’000)
2024
Proportion
of Fixed
and
Variable
Rem
2023 (1
June to 31
December)
Proportion
of Fixed
and
Variable
Rem
2024
Proportion
of Fixed
and
Variable
Rem
2023
Proportion
of Fixed
and
Variable
Rem
(A) Total fixed pay(a)
1,850
1,079
1,175
(B) Other benefits(b)
316
311
751
Fixed pay & benefits subtotal
2,166
39.0%
1,390
35.2%
1,926
37.6%
(C) Annual bonus(c)
3,386
1,862
1,720
(D) PSP(d)
0
0
1,478
(D) Buyout awards(e)
694
Variable Remuneration subtotal
3,386
61.0%
2,556
64.8%
3,198
62.4%
Total Remuneration (A+B+C+D)
5,552
3,946
5,124
(a) Hein Schumacher was appointed CEO effective 1 June 2023. Fernando Fernandez was appointed CFO effective 1 January 2024.
(b) Benefits include relocation and are set out on page 104.
(c) In line with the Remuneration Policy, 50% of the 2024 net annual bonus will be deferred into Unilever shares that must be held for a period of three years.
(d) Hein Schumacher is not eligible for the 2022–2024 PSP as he was appointed CEO on 1 June 2023. The data for Fernando Fernandez includes the vesting on 13 February
2025 of 9,938 PLC shares of the 2022–2024 PSP (awarded on 11 March 2022 when not an Executive Director) and 3,459 PLC shares of the 2022–2024 PSP (awarded on
28 October 2022 when not an Executive Director). The value is calculated by multiplying the number of shares granted (including additional shares in respect of
accrued dividends to 31 December 2024) by the level of vesting (% of target award) and the closing share price on 13 February 2025 (£44.83). Values have been
translated into euros using the exchange rate at 13 February 2025 (€1 = £0.8355).
(e) Data for 2023 includes the long-term incentive buyout award for Hein Schumacher, as disclosed in the 2022 Directors’ Remuneration Report, which vested on 7 May
2024. This value has been updated from the forecast figure included in the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report to reflect the final vesting of 9,433 PLC shares
multiplied by the share price at 7 May 2024 (£42.12) and translated into euros at the exchange rate of 7 May 2024 (€1 = £0.8576). The figure also includes the cash
buyout award for Hein Schumacher of €230,572 (rounded) as disclosed in the 2022 Directors’ Remuneration Report, which vested on 15 February 2024.
Unless stated otherwise, amounts for 2024 have been translated into euros using the average exchange rate over 2024 (€1 = £0.8481).
Amounts for 2023 have been translated into euros using the average exchange rate over 2023 (€1 = £0.8700).
We do not grant our Executive Directors any personal loans or guarantees.
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ELEMENTS OF SINGLE FIGURE REMUNERATION
(A) Fixed pay (Audited)
Fixed pay set in euros and paid in 2024: CEO – €1,850,000 and CFO – €1,175,000.
(B) Other benefits (Audited)
For 2024, this comprises:
Hein Schumacher
CEO(€)(a)
Fernando
Fernandez
CFO(€) (a)
2024
2024
Medical insurance cover and actual tax return preparation costs
43,933
81,371
Death and disability
19,062
12,107
Relocation(b)
253,438
657,174
Total
316,433
750,652
(a) The numbers in this table are translated where necessary using the average exchange rate over 2024 of €1 = £ 0.8481.
(b) As disclosed in the 2022 Directors’ Remuneration Report, Hein Schumacher received relocation support in respect of his move to the UK. Hein will leave Unilever on
31 May 2025 by mutual agreement and be treated as a good leaver. The Committee will not claw back any of the relocation allowance. As disclosed in the 2023
Directors’ Remuneration Report, Fernando Fernandez is eligible for relocation support (plus housing costs for up to six months) in respect of his move to the UK. If
Fernando leaves Unilever before 1 January 2026, the Committee may claw back some or all of the relocation allowance. In 2025, relocation expenses are expected to
be in the region of €250,000, with no further payments in 2026.
(C) Annual bonus (Audited)
Performance outcomes for the 2024 Annual bonus are shown in the ’At a glance’ section on page 99. Actual bonus outcomes are
set out below.
Target bonus % of
fixed pay
Bonus outcome as
% of target
Bonus outcome as
% of fixed pay
Fixed pay (€’000)
Bonus outcome
(€’000)
% Bonus deferred
into shares
Hein Schumacher
150%
122%
183%
1,850
3,386
50%
Fernando Fernandez
120%
122%
146%
1,175
1,720
50%
50% of the net annual bonus earned is deferred into shares (€931,013 for Hein Schumacher and €455,853 for Fernando
Fernandez). Shares are deferred for three years and not subject to performance or service conditions, in line with the
Remuneration Policy.
(D) Long-term incentive 2022–2024 PSP (Audited)
This includes PSP shares (operated under the Unilever Share Plan 2017) granted to Fernando Fernandez on 11 March 2022 and
28 October 2022.
Performance outcomes for the 2022–2024 PSP are shown in the ’At a glance’ section on page 99. Further detail on the outcome
for the SPI measure is below.
Outcome of SPI for 2022–2024 PSP (Unaudited):
The SPI is an assessment of the business’s sustainability performance, made jointly by the Corporate Responsibility Committee
(CRC) and the Committee, that captures quantitative and qualitative elements. As disclosed last year, the SPI is now assessed
against four metrics aligned to priority areas. For 2024, the CRC and the Committee agreed on an in-year SPI outcome taking
into account performance in the areas of Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. For the 2022-2024 PSP performance period
the SPI outcome is calculated by taking a simple average of the SPI outcomes across the three years of the performance period.
The in-year and 2022-2024 SPI outcomes are set out at the bottom of the table on the following page.
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Priority
Anchor metric
Target
2024 actual
Outcome(a)
Climate
The percentage change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy and
refrigerant use in our operations in the given period in 2024, in comparison
to the same period in 2015.
-76%
-76.5%
above target
Nature
The total hectares of land, forests and oceans (as measured by ocean floor
area) that Unilever programmes help protect and/or regenerate.
500k
hectares
560k
hectares
above target
Plastics
The percentage change in the total tonnes of virgin plastics used in the
packaging for our products sold between 2019 (baseline) and 2024.
-23%
-23%
on target
Livelihoods
The percentage of our procurement spend in the financial year which is with
suppliers who have signed the Living Wage promise by the end of that
financial year.
28%
32%
above target
Annual SPI outcome
115%
Average SPI outcome
for 2022–2024 PSP(b)
118%
(a) Assessed by the Compensation Committee and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Outcome of 115% for 2024 is in line with the 2023 outcome.
(b) SPI outcome for 2022–2024 PSP is a simple average of 115% for 2024, 115% for 2023 and 125% for 2022. SPI 2022 and 2023 outcomes can be found in the relevant
Directors’ Remuneration Reports.
In 2024, Unilever scored above target for climate, nature and livelihoods. On plastics, Unilever was on-target (23% virgin plastic
reduction). Our plastics performance reflects the changes we made in the year to improve the measurement of our virgin plastic
and recycled plastic packaging, as part of our continuous efforts to enhance the quality of our reporting.
For 2024, we have reported a Climate Scope 1 and 2 SPI performance of -76.5% and an SBTi Scope 1 and 2 performance of -72%
(see page 243 of the Sustainability Statement). This difference is due to action we have taken to improve our greenhouse gas
(GHG) measurement methodology, with a more complete and accurate measurement of emissions categories previously
deemed immaterial (e.g. small warehouses and small offices). As a result of this improvement, we revised the scope and the
baseline of our SBTi target in 2024, in line with SBTi target guidelines and restated our performance against the SBTi target for
prior years. The decision to update our SBTi target was made mid-year and had no impact on the planned 2024 decarbonisation
actions to be implemented by our manufacturing teams and therefore we did not amend the scope of the SPI target in 2024. The
SPI and SBTi targets will be aligned in 2025.
Value of payout under PSP (audited)
The table below shows the details of the 2022–2024 PSP vest for Fernando Fernandez.
Number of shares granted
Number of shares vested
Value of vested shares
(€’000)
Awarded 11 March 2022
9,480
9,938
1,084
Awarded 28 October 2022
3,364
3,459
394
The number of shares vested includes dividend equivalents accrued through to 31 December 2024.
The PLC share price used to calculate the value at vesting is at 13 February 2025 (£44.83), translated into euros using the
exchange rate for 13 February 2025 (€1 = £0.8355).
The estimated values attributable to share price growth since the awards were granted are €263,892 for the award made on
11 March 2022 and €49,664 for the award made on 28 October 2022.
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SCHEME INTERESTS AWARDED IN THE YEAR (AUDITED)
PSP share awards made in 2024
Basis of award(a)
The following numbers of performance shares were awarded on 8 March 2024 (vesting on or
around 12 February 2027):
CEO: PLC 82,448
CFO: PLC 41,893
Maximum vesting results in 200% of the above awards vesting. Dividend equivalents may be
earned (in cash or additional shares) on the award when and to the extent that the award
vests.
Maximum face value of awards(b)
CEO: €7,457,397
CFO: €3,789,164
Threshold vesting
(% of target award)
Four variously weighted long-term performance measures. See table below for details of
vesting for threshold performance.
Performance period
1 January 2024–31 December 2026 (with a requirement to hold vested shares for a further
two-year retention period).
Details of performance measures
Performance measures:
2024–2026 PSP awards
Performance measure
Weighting
Vesting at
threshold
Threshold
Maximum
(200% target)
Underlying sales growth (USG) (average)
25%
50%
3.0%
6.0%
Relative total shareholder return (TSR)(c)
30%
50%
10th (median)
5th (upper
quartile)
Underlying return on invested capital (average)
30%
0%
15.5%
17.5%
Sustainability Progress Index (Committee
assessment of SPI progress)(d)(e)
15%
0%
Climate: The percentage change in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from
energy and refrigerant use in our operations in the given period in the
reporting year, in comparison to the same period in 2015.(f)
-74%
-76%
Nature: The total hectares of land, forests and oceans (as measured
by ocean floor area) that Unilever programmes help protect and/or
regenerate, reported annually as a cumulative total as at the end of
the financial year.
900k hectares
1.1m hectares
Plastics: The percentage change in the total tonnes of virgin plastics used
in the packaging for our products, in the given period in the reporting year
in comparison to the same period in 2019.
-28%
-32%
Livelihoods: The percentage of our procurement spend in the financial
year which is with suppliers who have signed the Living Wage promise by
the end of that financial year.
45%
55%
All measures are straight line between threshold and maximum.
(a) Based on 200% of fixed pay for the CEO and 160% of fixed pay for the CFO.
(b) Face values are calculated by multiplying the number of shares granted on 8 March 2024 (including decimals) by the share price on that day of PLC (£38.36), assuming
maximum performance and therefore maximum vesting of 200% and then translating into euros using an average exchange rate over 2024 of €1 = £0.8481 (rounded).
(c) The TSR peer group for 2024 consists of: Beiersdorf, Church & Dwight, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Estée Lauder, General Mills, Haleon, Henkel, Kenvue,
Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Heinz, L’Oréal, Mondelēz, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Reckitt Benckiser.
(d) From 2026, SPI targets exclude Ice Cream.
(e) SPI measures unaudited.
(f) Since setting the original emissions targets, Unilever has introduced an improved greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement methodology. To ensure alignment with our
SBTi Scope 1 & 2 target, the Climate target has been updated to reflect this new methodology. The targets remain as stretching as originally intended.
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Annual bonus deferral share awards made in 2024
Basis of award(a)
The following numbers of annual bonus deferral shares were awarded on 22 March 2024:
CEO: PLC – 11,036
CFO: PLC – 10,037
Annual bonus deferral shares accrue dividends.
Face value of awards(b)
CEO: 517,447
CFO:470,606
Deferral period
22 March 2024–22 March 2027.
Details of performance
measures
No performance measures.
(a) Based on 50% of the net bonus for 2023 as set out on page 134 of the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report.
(b) Face values are calculated by multiplying the number of shares granted on 22 March 2024 (including decimals) by the share price on that day of PLC (£39.77) and
translating into euros using an average exchange rate over 2024 of €1 = £0.8481 (rounded).
MINIMUM SHAREHOLDING REQUIREMENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHARE INTERESTS
Executive Directors are required to build and retain a personal shareholding in Unilever within five years of their date of
appointment to align their interests with those of Unilever’s shareholders. Executive Directors are required to maintain at least
100% of their minimum shareholding requirement for two years after leaving (or if less, their actual shareholding on the date of
leaving). ULE members are required to build a shareholding of 400% of fixed pay (500% for the CEO). This requirement is 250% of
fixed pay for the management layer below ULE.
Incoming Executive Directors will be required to retain all shares vesting from any share awards made since their appointment
(after deduction of tax) until their minimum shareholding requirements have been met in full. If Executive Directors fail to
achieve 100% of the shareholding requirement by the relevant time, they are not permitted to sell any Unilever shares and
Unilever retains the right to block the sale of their shares until the required level of shareholding has been obtained.
Executive Directors’ shareholdings are ring-fenced to ensure they meet the minimum shareholding requirement, including
for two years after leaving employment. This means that even if the shares are vested, they are blocked until the end of the
minimum shareholding requirement period (excluding any shares above the minimum shareholding requirement).
When calculating an Executive Director’s personal shareholding, the following methodology is used:
fixed pay at the date of measurement;
shares in PLC will qualify provided they are personally owned by the Executive Director, by a member of their immediate
family, or by certain corporate bodies, trusts or partnerships, as required by law from time to time (each a ‘connected person’);
shares or entitlements to shares that are subject only to the Executive Director remaining in employment will qualify on a net
of tax basis (including deferred bonus awards); and
shares awarded on a conditional basis will not qualify until the moment of vesting (i.e. once the precise number of shares is
fixed after the vesting period has elapsed).
The share price for the relevant measurement date will be based on the average closing share prices and the euro/sterling/US
dollar exchange rates from the 61 calendar days prior to and including the measurement date.
The table below shows the Executive Directors’ (and if applicable their connected persons) interest in PLC ordinary shares and share
ownership against the minimum shareholding requirements as at 31 December 2024.
Executive Directors’ and their connected persons’ interests in shares and share ownership (Audited)
Share ownership
guideline as a %
of fixed pay (as
at 31 December
2024)
Have guidelines
been met (as at
31 December
2024)
Actual share
ownership as a %
of fixed pay (as
at 31 December
2024) (a)
Shares held as at
1 January 2024
Shares held as at
31 December 2024(b)
PLC
PLC ADS
PLC
PLC ADS
CEO: Hein
Schumacher(c)
500%
No
75%
5,491
0
24,811
0
CFO: Fernando
Fernandez
400%
Yes
1,468%
261,793
0
310,479
0
(a) Calculated based on the methodology set out above and the headline fixed pay for the CEO and CFO as at 31 December 2024.
(b) PLC shares are ordinary 31/9p shares. Includes any accrued deferred bonus dividend shares that are reinvested.
(c) Hein Schumacher was appointed on 1 June 2023 and had five years from the date of his appointment to achieve his personal shareholding requirement. As he has not
met his required level, as noted on page 110, he is required to retain all shares owned for a period of two years post cessation.
During the period between 1 January and 21 February 2025, the following changes in interests have occurred:
As detailed on page 105, on 13 February 2025, Fernando Fernandez acquired blocks of 9,938 PLC shares and 3,459 PLC shares
following the vest of his 2022–24 PSP awards.
On 13 February 2025, Fernando Fernandez sold 13,397 PLC shares at a price of £44.41.
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The voting rights of the Directors (Executive and Non-Executive) and members of the ULE who hold interests in the share capital
of PLC are the same as for other holders of the class of shares indicated. As at 21 February 2025, none of the Directors’ (Executive
and Non-Executive) or other ULE members’ shareholdings amounted to more than 1% of the issued shares in that class of share
(except Nelson Peltz, who owns 1.3% of the PLC issued share capital including via Trian Fund Management as a connected
person). All shareholdings in the table above are beneficial. On page 79, the full share capital of PLC has been described. Pages
155 and 156 set out how many shares Unilever held to satisfy the awards under the share plans.
Information in relation to outstanding share incentive awards (Audited)
As at 31 December 2024, Hein Schumacher held awards over a total of 156,160 shares which are subject to performance
conditions and a total of 11,036 bonus deferral shares which are not subject to performance conditions. Fernando Fernandez
held awards over a total of 69,405 shares which are subject to performance conditions and a total of 18,234 bonus deferral
shares which are not subject to performance conditions. The bonus deferral shares are included in the table on page 107 and
the changes in 2024 are shown in the tables below. There are no awards of shares in the form of options.
Annual bonus deferral shares (Audited)
The following bonus deferral shares were outstanding at 31 December 2024 under the Unilever Share Plan 2017:
Share type
Balance of
bonus deferral
shares at
1 January
2024(a)
Bonus deferral
shares granted
in 2024(b)
Price at award
Bonus deferral
shares with
restrictions
removed
Balance of
bonus deferral
shares at
31 December
2024(c)
Hein Schumacher
PLC
0
11,036
£39.77
0
11,036
Fernando Fernandez
PLC
8,197
10,037
£39.77
0
18,234
(a) Hein Schumacher: There were no outstanding annual bonus deferral shares at 1 January 2024 as he was appointed CEO effective 1 June 2023.
(b) Grant made on 22 March 2024 and vesting on or around 22 March 2027.
(c) Annual bonus deferral shares accrue dividends and, if reinvested, are included in the share ownership table on page 107.
PSP (Audited)
The following conditional shares were outstanding at 31 December 2024 under the Unilever Share Plan 2017 and are subject to
performance conditions:
Balance of
conditional shares
at 1 January 2024
Conditional
shares
awarded
in 2024
Balance of
conditional shares
at 31 December 2024
Share
type
No. of
shares
Performance
period
1 January
2024 to
31 December
2026(a)
Price at
award
Dividend
shares
accrued
during the
year (b)
Vested in
2024(c)
Price at
vesting
Additional
shares
earned in
2024
Shares
lapsed(d)
No. of shares
Hein
Schumacher
PLC
69,433
82,448
£38.36
4,279
0
0
0
156,160
Fernando
Fernandez
PLC
34,491
41,893
£38.36
1,854
5,741
£39.81
0
3,092
69,405
(a) These grants were made on 8 March 2024 (vesting on or around 17 February 2027).
(b) Reflects reinvested dividend equivalents accrued during 2024, subject to the same performance conditions as the underlying PSP shares.
(c) The 2021 grant vested on 15 February 2024 at 65% for Fernando Fernandez (Executive Directors’ vested at 63%, but Fernando Fernandez was not an Executive Director
for the 2021–2023 performance period).
(d) As the 2021–2023 performance period had a 65% vest, the balance of shares were lapsed.
Executive Directors’ service contracts
Starting dates of our Executive Directors’ service contracts:
Hein Schumacher: 1 June 2023 (signed on 29 January 2023);(a) and
Fernando Fernandez: 1 January 2024 (signed 24 October 2023).(b)
Service contracts are available for shareholders to view at the AGM or on request from the Group Secretary, and can be
terminated with 12 months’ notice from Unilever or six months’ notice from the Executive Director. A payment in lieu of notice can
be made of no more than one year’s fixed pay and other benefits. Other payments that can be made to Executive Directors in the
event of loss of office are disclosed in our Remuneration Policy. See the remuneration topics section of our website for a copy of
the Remuneration Policy.
(a) Hein Schumacher began employment with Unilever on 1 June 2023 as CEO Designate and Executive Director and became CEO on 1 July 2023.
(b) Amended on 24 February 2025 to reflect Fernando Fernandez's appointment as CEO with effect from 1 March 2025.
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Payments to former Directors (Audited)
The table below shows the 2024 payments to Paul Polman in accordance with arrangements made with him upon his stepping
down as CEO on 31 December 2018 and his retirement from employment with Unilever effective 2 July 2019 (arrangements
disclosed in the 2018 Directors’ Remuneration Report). Also shown are the 2024 payments to Alan Jope in accordance with
arrangements made with him upon his stepping down as CEO on 1 July 2023 and his retirement from employment with
Unilever effective 31 December 2023 (arrangements disclosed in the 2022 Directors’ Remuneration Report). Also shown are
the 2024 payments to Graeme Pitkethly in accordance with arrangements made with him upon his stepping down as CFO on
31 December 2023 and his retirement from employment with Unilever effective 31 May 2024 (arrangements disclosed in the
2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report).
Paul Polman (€)
Alan Jope (€)
Graeme Pitkethly (€)
Fixed pay(a)
519,276
Benefits(b)
2,144
39,817
35,590
Total
2,144
39,817
554,866
(a) Fixed pay for the period up to 31 May 2024.
(b) This includes tax preparation fees for Paul Polman and Alan Jope. For Graeme Pitkethly, it includes tax preparation fees and (for the period up to 31 May 2024)
medical insurance cover and death and disability provision.
As disclosed in the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report, Alan Jope and Graeme Pitkethly were entitled to receive their 2021–2023
PSP award, vesting on or around 7 May 2024. As the final values were not known, estimated values of these awards were
provided in the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report on the basis that the awards vested at the average share price over Q4
2023 (£38.69) and translated into euros using the average exchange rate for Q4 2023 of €1 = £ 0.8668. The awards have since
vested and the table below sets out the final restated values based on the share price at 7 May 2024 (£42.12) and exchange rate
at 7 May 2024 of €1 = £0.8576.
(€'000)(a)
Alan Jope
2,120
Graeme Pitkethly
1,278
(a) The values shown are based on vested shares of 43,165 for Alan Jope and 26,013 for Graeme Pitkethly. These numbers include dividends awarded up to 7 May 2024.
Payments for loss of office (Audited)
Details of the leaving arrangements for Alan Jope and Graeme Pitkethly are set out in the 2022 and 2023 Directors’ Remuneration
Reports respectively. As disclosed previously, both individuals left for retirement and as such, are being treated as good leavers.
In-flight PSP long-term share incentive plans remain capable of vesting in accordance with the rules of the relevant plans on their
vesting date. As set out in the Chair’s statement, the 2022–2024 PSP award for Alan Jope and the 2022–2024 PSP and 2023–2025 PSP
awards for Graeme Pitkethly will not be pro-rated for time, subject to the Committee being satisfied that the individuals meet the
appropriate conditions at each relevant vesting date. For Alan Jope the relevant condition was whether Alan's handover of duties
was satisfactory, this was confirmed by the Committee in 2024. For Graeme Pitkethly the relevant condition is whether Graeme
remains in retirement, this was confirmed as accurate at the point of vesting of the 2022-2024 PSP award.
Therefore as set out in the Chair’s statement, the 2022–2024 PSP award vested on 13 February 2025 at 95% of the target
opportunity. Details of the award values are set out below:
Award 2022–2024 PSP
Vesting date
Number of shares vesting(a)
Value of shares vesting
(€'000)(b)
Alan Jope
13 February 2025
81,171
4,355
Graeme Pitkethly
13 February 2025
48,916
2,625
(a) Calculated by multiplying the number of shares granted (including additional shares in respect of accrued dividends to 31 December 2024) by the level of vesting as
set out on page 99.
(b) Calculated by multiplying the number of vested shares by the closing share price on 13 February 2025 (£44.83). Values have been translated into euros using the
exchange rate at 13 February 2025 (€1 = £0.8355).
Graeme Pitkethly received a retirement gift worth £5,500 (6,485 rounded), which is disclosed in accordance with the Directors’
Remuneration Policy for gifts worth over £5,000. The value has been translated into EUR using the average exchange rate over
2024 (£1 = €1.1791).
Leaving arrangements for Hein Schumacher
As announced on 25 February 2025, Hein Schumacher stepped down as CEO and Executive Director with effect from
1 March 2025 and will remain employed until 31 May 2025. Hein’s departure is through a mutual agreement, and he will be
treated as a good leaver. All payments will be in line with our Remuneration Policy.
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On this basis, and in accordance with his service agreement and our Remuneration Policy, Hein:
Will receive fixed pay and benefits to 31 May 2025.
Will receive a payment in lieu of notice, the amount of which will be equal to fixed pay for the remainder of his notice period to
24 February 2026.
Remains eligible to receive a bonus in respect of the period to 30 April 2025 based on Company performance. This will be
payable 50% in cash and 50% in shares deferred for a period of three years in line with the Policy for incumbent directors.
Will not receive a 2025 PSP award.
Will be treated as a good leaver and unvested deferred bonus awards will continue to vest on the normal timescale.
Will be treated as a good leaver and in-flight PSP awards (2023 and 2024 PSP) will continue to be eligible to vest, pro-rated
for time served to 31 May 2025, subject to Company performance. Awards will vest in line with the normal timelines and will
continue to be subject to a two-year holding period.
Will receive a capped contribution towards relocation support to move back to the Netherlands, and legal and outplacement costs.
Will continue to benefit from private medical insurance coverage for himself and his family until the end of the policy year
(31 December 2025).
Will remain subject to his shareholding requirement. As he has not yet met his required level, he is required to retain all shares
owned for a period of two years post cessation.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REMUNERATION POLICY FOR NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS (AUDITED)
As explained in the Chair’s letter on page 97, the Board has decided to increase the fee for the Chair to £725,000 per year,
effective 1 April 2025. The other Non-Executive Director fees will be reviewed in the first half of 2025 and any changes reported
in the Directors’ Remuneration Report 2025.
Non-Executive Director fees are set and paid in GBP. The table below outlines the current fee structure shown in our reporting
currency of EUR and GBP, using the average exchange rate over 2024 (£1 = €1.1791) (rounded).
2025
2024
Roles and responsibilities
Annual Fee €
Annual Fee £
Annual Fee €
Annual Fee £
Basic Non-Executive Director Fee
112,015
95,000
112,015
95,000
Chair (all-inclusive)(a)
854,848
725,000
778,206
660,000
Senior Independent Director (modular)
47,164
40,000
47,164
40,000
Member of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
17,687
15,000
17,687
15,000
Member of Compensation Committee
23,582
20,000
23,582
20,000
Member of Corporate Responsibility Committee
23,582
20,000
23,582
20,000
Member of Audit Committee
29,478
25,000
29,478
25,000
Chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
35,373
30,000
35,373
30,000
Chair of Compensation Committee
41,269
35,000
41,269
35,000
Chair of Corporate Responsibility Committee
41,269
35,000
41,269
35,000
Chair of Audit Committee
47,164
40,000
47,164
40,000
(a) Increased from £660,000 per year to £725,000 per year effective from 1 April 2025. The pro rated amount to be paid in 2025 will be £708,750 (€835,687).
All reasonable travel and other expenses incurred by Non-Executive Directors in the course of performing their duties are
considered to be business expenses and so are reimbursed.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
111
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
SINGLE FIGURE OF REMUNERATION IN 2024 FOR NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS (AUDITED)
The table below shows a single figure of remuneration for each of our Non-Executive Directors for the years 2023 and 2024.
Non-Executive Director
2024
2023
Fees(a)
€'000
Benefits(b)
€'000
Total remuneration
€'000
Fees(a)
€'000
Benefits(b)
€'000
Total remuneration
€'000
Nils Andersen(c)
52
2
54
708
37
745
Judith Hartmann(d)
52
52
146
21
167
Adrian Hennah(e)
171
171
155
22
177
Andrea Jung(f)
218
218
213
213
Susan Kilsby(g)
169
169
138
2
140
Ruby Lu(h)
157
157
142
142
Strive Masiyiwa(i)
52
52
149
149
Judith McKenna(j)
125
125
Ian Meakins(k)
778
778
91
91
Youngme Moon(l)
46
46
132
132
Nelson Peltz(m)
136
136
132
132
Hein Schumacher(n)
57
2
59
Total
1,956
2
1,958
2,063
84
2,147
(a) Where relevant, amounts for 2023 have been translated into euros using the average exchange rate over 2023 (£1 = €1.1494). Amounts for 2024 have been translated
into euros using the average exchange rate over 2024 (£1 = €1.1791).
(b) The only benefit received relates to travel by spouses or partners where they are invited by Unilever.
(c) Nils Andersen was Chair, Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Member of the Compensation Committee until 1 December 2023. From
1 December 2023, Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation Committee. Retired from the Board at the May 2024 AGM.
(d) Judith Hartmann was Member of the Audit Committee until 3 May 2023 and then Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and
Compensation Committee. Retired from the Board at the May 2024 AGM.
(e) Adrian Hennah was Chair of the Audit Committee from 4 May 2022 and Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from 1 May 2024.
(f) Andrea Jung was Vice Chair, Senior Independent Director, Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Chair of the Compensation Committee.
(g) Susan Kilsby was Member of the Audit Committee and from 1 May 2024, Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee.
(h) Ruby Lu was Member of the Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee until 3 May 2023 and then Member of the Audit
Committee. Member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee from 1 May 2024.
(i) Strive Masiyiwa was Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee. Retired from the Board at the May 2024 AGM.
(j) Judith McKenna was appointed to the Board from 1 March 2024 and Member of both the Corporate Responsibility and Compensation Committees from 1 May 2024.
(k) Ian Meakins was appointed to the Board from 1 September 2023 and Chair, Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Member of the
Compensation Committee from 1 December 2023.
(l) Youngme Moon was Member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee. Retired from the Board at the May 2024 AGM.
(m) Nelson Peltz was Member of the Compensation Committee.
(n) Hein Schumacher was appointed to the Board and Member of the Audit Committee from 4 October 2022 to 31 May 2023, following which he was appointed as an
Executive Director.
We do not grant our Non-Executive Directors any personal loans or guarantees or any variable remuneration, nor are they
entitled to any severance payments.
PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN REMUNERATION OF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS (AUDITED)
The table below shows the five-year history of year-on-year percentage change for fees and other benefits for the Non-Executive
Directors who were Non-Executive Directors at any point during 2024. Please see page 115 for a comparison of the percentage
change in remuneration of PLC employees.
Total Remuneration(a)
Non-Executive Director
% change from
2023 to 2024
% change from
2022 to 2023
% change from
2021 to 2022
% change from
2020 to 2021
% change from
2019 to 2020
Nils Andersen(b)
-92.8
-6.1
5.0
-3.0
253.9
Judith Hartmann(c)
-68.9
30.5
1.6
-3.0
-11.4
Adrian Hennah(d)
-3.4
26.4
566.7
Andrea Jung
2.4
6.5
11.1
32.8
11.8
Susan Kilsby(e)
20.7
-9.1
22.2
-3.0
144.0
Ruby Lu(f)
10.6
-7.8
569.6
Strive Masiyiwa(g)
-65.1
10.4
0.7
-3.0
-0.9
Judith McKenna(h)
n/a
Ian Meakins(i)
755.0
Youngme Moon(j)
-65.2
-17.0
20.5
-21.4
-0.8
Nelson Peltz
3.0
144.4
(a) Non-Executive Directors receive an annual fixed fee and do not receive any Company performance-related payments. Therefore, the year-on-year % changes are mainly due
to changes in committee chair or memberships, mid-year appointments or retirements, fee increases (as disclosed in applicable Directors’ Remuneration Reports), travel costs
and changes in the average sterling-to-euro exchange rate. The only benefit received relates to travel by spouses or partners where they are invited by Unilever.
(b) Nils Andersen retired from the Board at the 2024 AGM, hence the decrease from 2023 to 2024.
(c) Judith Hartmann retired from the Board at the 2024 AGM, hence the decrease from 2023 to 2024.
(d) Adrian Hennah became a Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from 1 May 2024 but a reduction in spouse/partner travel costs results in
a fee reduction from 2023 to 2024.
(e) Susan Kilsby became Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee from 1 May 2024, hence the increase from 2023 to 2024.
(f) Ruby Lu became a Member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee from 1 May 2024, hence the increase from 2023 to 2024.
(g) Strive Masiyiwa retired from the Board at the 2024 AGM, hence the decrease from 2023 to 2024.
(h) Judith McKenna was appointed to the Board from 1 March 2024 and became a Member of the Corporate Responsibility and Compensation Committees from 1 May 2024.
(i) Ian Meakins was appointed to the Board from 1 September 2023 and Chair, Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and member of the
Compensation Committee from 1 December 2023. Hence the increase from 2023 to 2024.
(j) Youngme Moon retired from the Board at the May 2024 AGM, hence the decrease from 2023 to 2024.
112
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
Non-Executive Directors’ interests in shares (Audited)
Non-Executive Directors are encouraged to build up a personal shareholding of at least 100% of their annual fees over the five
years from appointment. The table below shows the interests in Unilever PLC ordinary shares as at 1 January 2024 and 31 December
2024 of Non-Executive Directors and their connected persons. This is set against the minimum shareholding recommendation.
There has been no change in these interests between 1 January 2025 and 21 February 2025.
Non-Executive Director
Share type
Shares held at
31 December
2024(a)
Share type
Shares held at
1 January 2024
Actual share
ownership as a % of
NED fees
(as at 31 December
2024)
Nils Andersen(b)
PLC
21,014
PLC
21,014
2,267
Judith Hartmann(b)
PLC
2,500
PLC
2,500
270
Adrian Hennah(c)
PLC
4,000
PLC
4,000
130
Andrea Jung(c)
PLC
4,576
PLC
4,576
117
Susan Kilsby
PLC
2,250
PLC
2,250
74
Ruby Lu
n/a
n/a
0
Strive Masiyiwa(b)
PLC
3,530
PLC
3,530
381
Judith McKenna(d)
n/a
n/a
0
Ian Meakins(e)
PLC
26,036
n/a
26,036
186
Youngme Moon(b)
PLC ADS(g)
3,500
PLC ADS
3,500
425
Nelson Peltz(f)
PLC
32,758,695
PLC
36,619,370
1,342,141
(a) Date of retirement from the Board if earlier than 31 December 2024.
(b) Increase in share ownership as a percentage of fee from 2023 to 2024 is due to a reduction in fee, as set out on page 111 and an increase in share price.
(c) Increase in share ownership as a percentage of fee from 2023 to 2024 is due to an increase in share price.
(d) Appointed to the Board from 1 March 2024 and confirmed at the 2024 AGM.
(e) Decrease in share ownership as a percentage of fee is because the fee for 2023 reflected only four months’ service on the Board (one month as Chair).
(f) Share ownership also includes shares held by Trian Fund Management as a connected person. The number of shares held has reduced but share ownership as a
percentage of fee has increased due to a higher share price.
(g) American Depositary Shares (ADS), refer to page 64 for details of Unilever’s structure.
Non-Executive Directors letters of appointment
All Non-Executive Directors were reappointed to the Board at the 2024 AGM.(a)
Non-Executive Director
Date first appointed to the Board
Effective date of current appointment(b)
Adrian Hennah
1 November 2021
1 May 2024
Andrea Jung
2 May 2018
1 May 2024
Susan Kilsby
1 August 2019
1 May 2024
Ruby Lu
1 November 2021
1 May 2024
Judith McKenna
1 March 2024
1 May 2024
Ian Meakins
1 September 2023
1 May 2024
Nelson Peltz
20 July 2022
1 May 2024
(a) As noted on page 82, Nils Andersen, Judith Hartmann, Strive Masiyiwa and Youngme Moon retired from the Board at the 2024 AGM. Judith McKenna was appointed to
the Board with effect from 1 March 2024 and confirmed at the 2024 AGM.
(b) The unexpired term for all Non-Executive Directors’ letters of appointment is the period up to the 2025 AGM, as they all, unless they are retiring, submit themselves for
annual reappointment.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
Other disclosures related to Directors’ remuneration (Unaudited)
Unilever regularly looks at pay ratios throughout the Group, and the pay ratio between each work level (WL in the table below),
and we have disclosed this for a number of years. The table below provides a detailed breakdown of the fixed and variable pay
elements for each of our UK work levels, showing how each work level compares to the CEO and CFO in 2024 (with equivalent
figures from 2023 for comparison purposes). For the purposes of the CEO, the 2023 data is the total of fixed pay and variable pay
for Alan Jope and Hein Schumacher, as set out in the single figure table for Executive Directors on page 132 of the 2023 Directors’
Remuneration Report. Figures for the CFO are calculated using the applicable 2024 data for Fernando Fernandez from the single
figure table on page 103 and the 2023 data for Graeme Pitkethly from the single figure table on page 132 of the 2023 Directors’
Remuneration Report.
CEO/CFO Pay Ratio Comparison (split by fixed pay and benefits/variable pay)
168775034869102
CEO = 96.3 x WL1 I CFO = 83.9 x WL1
CEO = 83.7 x WL1 I CFO = 77.2 x WL1
CEO = 50.8 x WL2 I CFO = 44.3 x WL2
CEO = 44.9 x WL2 I CFO = 41.5 x WL2
CEO = 21.1 x WL3 I CFO = 18.4 x WL3
CEO = 20.5 x WL3 I CFO = 18.9 x WL3
CEO = 9.5 x WL4 I CFO = 8.2 x WL4
CEO = 9.7 x WL4 I CFO = 9 x WL4
CEO = 4.1 x WL5 I CFO = 3.6 x WL5
CEO = 4.1 x WL5 I CFO = 3.8 x WL5
CEO = 1.4 x WL6 I CFO = 1.2 x WL6
CEO = 1.8 x WL6 I CFO = 1.6 x WL6
CEO = 1.1 x CFO
CEO = 1.1 x CFO
€0m
€1m
€2m
€3m
€4m
€5m
€6m
€7m
               
2024 Fixed pay and benefits
2024 Variable pay
2023 Fixed pay and benefits
2023 Variable pay
The year-on-year comparison reflects a change in fixed pay for the Executive Directors in 2024. The CEO fixed pay (including
benefits) is lower than in 2023, as fixed pay for Alan Jope and Hein Schumacher (as set out on page 132 of the 2023 Directors’
Remuneration Report) are both counted for the 2023 comparator. The CFO fixed pay is higher than in 2023 due to relocation
costs. The proportion of variable pay for the CEO is lower in 2024 than in 2023, as while bonus is higher, he was not eligible for
2022–2024 PSP, having been appointed on 1 June 2023. In 2023, the CEO variable pay included Hein Schumacher’s buyout share
awards but not Alan Jope’s MCIP and PSP awards, which were included in the payment on loss of office table (as set out on page
144 of the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report). The CFO variable pay in 2024 includes PSP awards granted prior to his
appointment as an Executive Director and are less than the MCIP and PSP awards in the 2023 number for Graeme Pitkethly.
Directors have a higher weighting on performance-related pay compared to other employees. The numbers are further impacted
by fluctuations in the exchange rates used to convert pay elements denominated in pounds sterling to euros for reporting
purposes. Where relevant, amounts for 2023 have been translated using the average exchange rate over 2023 (€1 = £0.8700),
and amounts for 2024 have been translated using the average exchange rate over 2024 (€1 = £0.8481).
Annual bonus and PSP for UK employees were calculated using:
target annual bonus values considered for the respective year;
PSP values (in 2023 and 2024) calculated at target for the relevant work level of employees, i.e. 50% of target bonus for WL2
employees and 100% of target bonus for WL3–6 employees; and
MCIP values (in 2023 only) calculated at an appropriate average for the relevant work level of employees, i.e. an average 20%
investment of bonus for WL2 employees, 45% for WL3 employees, 60% for WL4–5 employees, and 100% for WL6 employees.
Fixed pay figures reflect all elements of pay (including allowances) and benefits paid in cash. The data disclosed excludes
employees who are not integrated into Unilever’s global reward structure and human resources information system.
114
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
CEO pay ratio comparison
The table below is included to meet UK requirements and shows how pay for the CEO compares to our UK employees at the 25th
percentile, median and 75th percentile.
Year
25th percentile
Median
percentile
75th percentile
Year ended 31 December 2024
Salary:
£39,179
£47,699
£66,057
Pay and benefits:
£53,620
£66,215
£100,517
Pay ratio (Option A):
88:1
71:1
47:1
Year ended 31 December 2023
Salary:
£40,968
£49,224
£67,565
Pay and benefits:
£52,551
£65,305
£103,527
Pay ratio (Option A):
100:1
81:1
51:1
Year ended 31 December 2022
Salary:
£36,802
£44,478
£60,788
Pay and benefits:
£49,868
£61,553
£93,612
Pay ratio (Option A):
92:1
75:1
49:1
Year ended 31 December 2021
Salary:
£34,560
£42,668
£58,869
Pay and benefits:
£48,229
£60,306
£90,335
Pay ratio (Option A):
87:1
70:1
47:1
Year ended 31 December 2020
Salary:
£34,298
£41,010
£55,000
Pay and benefits:
£45,713
£55,751
£80,670
Pay ratio (Option A):
67:1
55:1
38:1
Option A was used to calculate the pay and benefits of the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile UK employees because
the data was readily available for all UK employees of the Group and Option A is the most accurate method (as it is based on
total full-time equivalent total reward for all UK employees for the relevant financial year). Figures are calculated by reference to
31 December 2024 (full-time equivalent), and the respective salary and pay and benefits figures for each quartile are set out in
the table above. Benefits for UK employees include any pension, but pension is excluded for Executive Directors as they are not
entitled to pension benefits under the Remuneration Policy. The data disclosed excludes employees who are not integrated into
Unilever’s global reward structure and human resources information system.
Variable pay figures for the UK employees are calculated on the basis set out in the paragraph for other work levels below the
‘CEO/CFO pay ratio comparison’ table on page 113. The reason for this is it would be unduly onerous to recalculate these figures
when, based on a sample, the impact of such recalculation is expected to be minimal.
The median pay ratio has decreased in 2024 due to lower variable pay for the CEO. Although the bonus outcome for 2024 is
higher than in 2023, the CEO is not eligible for 2022–2024 PSP and the 2023 comparator includes the buyout share award, as set
out in the single figure table for Executive Directors on page 132 of the 2023 Directors‘ Remuneration Report. Variable pay makes
up a higher proportion of remuneration for the CEO compared to other employees. The pay, reward and progression policies
within Unilever are consistent as the Remuneration Policy is applicable across our circa 15,000 managers throughout the
business worldwide.
We are also required to show additional disclosures on the rates of change in pay year-on-year. The pay ratios set out above
are more meaningful as they compare to the pay of all of our UK employees. By contrast, the regulations require us to show
the percentages below based on employees of our PLC top company only, which forms a relatively small and unrepresentative
proportion of our total UK workforce. So, while operationally we may pay greater attention to our internal pay ratios (included
above in the ‘CEO/CFO pay ratio comparison’ table on page 113, these required figures are set out on page 115.
Information on Unilever's gender pay gap % (2024) can be found under Own Workforce on page 277.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
115
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
Percentage change in remuneration of Executive Directors (CEO/CFO)
The table below shows the five-year history of year-on-year percentage change for fixed pay, other benefits (excluding pension)
and bonus for the CEO and CFO and PLC’s employees (based on total full-time equivalent total reward for the relevant financial
year) pursuant to UK requirements. The figures for the Executive Directors are calculated based on the single figure table on
page 103. There is no data for Fernando Fernandez as he was appointed CFO on 1 January 2024 and there is no prior year
comparator.
The respective changes in fees for our Non-Executive Directors are included in the table ‘Percentage change in remuneration
of Non-Executive Directors’ on page 111.
Fixed pay
Other benefits
(not including
pension)
Bonus
% change from 2023 to 2024
CEO: Hein Schumacher(a)
71.5%
1.6%
81.8%
CFO: Fernando Fernandez
n/a
n/a
n/a
PLC employees(b)
12.2%
26.8%
20.3%
% change from 2022 to 2023
CEO: Alan Jope
-50.0%
-56.9%
-56.8%
CEO: Hein Schumacher
3480.6%
n/a
n/a
CFO
6.0%
31.3%
-8.3%
PLC employees
0.2%
-12.1%
-19.2%
% change from 2021 to 2022
CEO
1.8%
34.2%
67.0%
CFO
1.7%
2.1%
67.0%
PLC employees
-4.3%
7.4%
57.0%
% change from 2020 to 2021
CEO
1.7%
35.7%
71.6%
CFO
1.8%
23.7%
71.7%
PLC employees
-19.3%
-2.2%
-10.6%
% change from 2019 to 2020
CEO
4.0%
36.6%
-39.1%
CFO
3.0%
40.7%
-39.7%
PLC employees
1.7%
30.2%
-3.0%
(a) The increase in fixed pay for Hein Schumacher is because he was appointed on 1 June 2023 (and became CEO on 1 July 2023) and the 2023 figure is pro-rated to the
date of his appointment. The change in benefits also reflects full-year numbers in 2024 compared to pro-rated numbers in 2023, but with lower relocation costs. The
change in bonus reflects the pro-ration in 2023 and the higher outcome of 122% in 2024 compared to 115% outcome in 2023. All figures are based on those in the
single figure table on page 103.
(b) For the PLC employees, fixed pay numbers include cash-related benefits employees receive as part of their total compensation, to ensure we can accurately compare
fixed pay for them against that of the CEO and CFO. Such cash-related benefits include benefits envelope adjustment, transport allowance and fixed pay protection
allowance. The increase in benefits reflects higher medical costs and the increase in annual bonus reflects a bonus pool of 122% for 2024 compared to the equivalent
bonus pool of 115% for 2023. Figures are also affected by changes in the average sterling-to-euro exchange rate, as well as changes in the number of employees,
including changes in ULE membership. The data disclosed excludes employees who are not integrated into Unilever’s global reward structure and human resources
information system.
116
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SPEND ON PAY
The chart below shows the relative spend on pay compared with dividends paid to Unilever shareholders and underlying
earnings. Underlying earnings represents the underlying profit attributable to Unilever shareholders and provides a good
reference point to compare spend on pay. The chart shows the percentage of movement in underlying earnings, dividends
and total staff costs versus the previous year.
174272593005128
Underlying
earnings(a)
Dividends and
buyback(b)
Total staff
costs
13.5%
0.3%
-0.1%
-0.5%
4.1%
-2.1%
€0m
€1,000m
€2,000m
€3,000m
€4,000m
€5,000m
€6,000m
€7,000m
€8,000m
2024
2023
(a) In calculating underlying profit attributable to shareholders, net profit attributable to shareholders is adjusted to eliminate the post-tax impact of non-underlying
Underlying
earnings(a)
Dividends and
buyback(b)
Total staff
costs
13.5%
0.3%
-0.1%
-0.5%
4.1%
-2.1%
€0m
€1,000m
€2,000m
€3,000m
€4,000m
€5,000m
€6,000m
€7,000m
€8,000m
2024
2023
items in operating profit and any other significant unusual terms within net profit but not operating profit (see note 7 on page 159 for details).
(b) Includes share buyback of €1,508m in 2024 and €1,507m in 2023.
CEO single figure ten-year history
The table below shows the ten-year history of the CEO single figure of total remuneration.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
CEO single figure of total remuneration
(€‘000)(a)
10,296
8,370
11,661
11,726
4,894
3,447
4,890
5,395
6,070
5,552
Annual bonus award rates against
maximum opportunity
92%
92%
100%
51%
55%
32%
54%
89%
77%
81%
GSIP performance shares vesting rates
against maximum opportunity
49%
35%
74%
66%
60%
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
MCIP matching shares vesting rates against
maximum opportunity(b)
65%
47%
99%
88%
n/a
42%
44%
35%
44%
n/a
PSP performance shares vesting rates
against maximum opportunity(c)
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
32%
n/a
(a) 2023 figure is based on combined single figure of remuneration for Alan Jope and Hein Schumacher, as set out on page 132 of the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report.
(b) Final MCIP performance period ended in 2023.
(c) Hein Schumacher is not eligible for a vesting under the 2022–24 PSP as he was appointed CEO on 1 June 2023.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
117
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT
Ten-year historical total shareholder return (TSR) performance
The graph below includes growth in the value of a hypothetical £100 investment over ten years’ FTSE 100 comparison based
on 30-trading-day average values.
The graph below shows Unilever’s performance against the FTSE 100 Index, which is the most relevant index in the UK where
we have our principal listing. Unilever is a constituent of this index.
TEN-YEAR HISTORICAL TSR PERFORMANCE
174272593004660
Value of hypothetical £/€ holding
Shareholder voting
Unilever remains committed to ongoing shareholder dialogue and takes an active interest in voting outcomes. In the event of
a substantial vote against a resolution in relation to Directors’ remuneration, Unilever would seek to understand the reasons
for any such vote and would set out in the following Annual Report and Accounts any actions in response to it, as we did in 2023.
The following table sets out the actual voting in respect of the 2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report and 2024 Remuneration Policy.
Voting outcome
For
Against
Withheld
2024 Directors’ Remuneration Policy (2024 AGM)
97.69%
2.31%
2,918,626
2023 Directors’ Remuneration Report (2024 AGM)
97.96%
2.04%
2,966,904
The Directors’ Remuneration Report has been approved by the Board, and signed on its behalf by Maria Varsellona, Chief Legal
Officer and Group Secretary.
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Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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Financial Statements
Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities
121
KPMG LLP’s Independent Auditor’s Report
Consolidated Financial Statements Unilever Group
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Company Accounts Unilever PLC
Notes to the Company Accounts Unilever PLC
Group Companies
Shareholder information – Financial calendar
Additional Information for US Listing Purposes
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Statement of Directors' Responsibilities
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and
Accounts in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The
Directors are also required by the UK Companies Act 2006 to prepare
accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the
state of affairs of the Unilever Group and PLC as at the end of the
financial year and of the profit or loss and cash flows for that year.
The Directors consider that, in preparing the accounts, the Group and
PLC have used the most appropriate accounting policies, consistently
applied and supported by reasonable and prudent judgements and
estimates, and that all International Financial Reporting Standards
(IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board
(IASB), and UK-adopted international accounting standards, which
they consider to be applicable have been followed. In accordance with
Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule ('DTR') 4.1.5R and 4.1.16R,
the financial statements will form part of the annual financial report
prepared using the single electronic reporting format under DTR 4.1.17R
and 4.1.18R. The auditor's report on these financial statements provides
no assurance over whether the annual financial report has been
prepared in accordance with those requirements. The Directors are also
responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Accounts including
the consolidated financial statements in the European single electronic
format in accordance with the requirements as set out in Commission
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/815 with regard to regulatory technical
standards on the specification of a single electronic reporting format.
The Directors have responsibility for ensuring that PLC keep accounting
records which disclose with reasonable accuracy their financial position
and which enable the Directors to ensure that the accounts comply
with all relevant legislation. They are also responsible for such internal
control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of
financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether
due to fraud or error, and have a general responsibility for taking such
steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the
Group, and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
This statement, which should be read in conjunction with the
Independent Auditor's Report, is made with a view to distinguishing for
shareholders the respective responsibilities of the Directors and of the
auditors in relation to the accounts.
A copy of the financial statements of the Unilever Group is placed on
our website at www.unilever.com/investorrelations. The maintenance
and integrity of the website are the responsibility of the Directors, and
the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of
these matters. Accordingly, the auditors accept no responsibility for
any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since
they were initially placed on the website. Legislation in the UK and the
Netherlands governing the preparation and dissemination of financial
statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS AND DISCLOSURE OF
INFORMATION TO AUDITORS
UK law sets out additional responsibilities for the Directors of PLC
regarding disclosure of information to auditors. To the best of each
of the Directors’ knowledge and belief, and having made appropriate
enquiries, all information relevant to enabling the auditors to provide
their opinions on PLC’s consolidated and parent company accounts
has been provided. Each of the Directors has taken all reasonable
steps to ensure their awareness of any relevant audit information
and to establish that Unilever PLC’s auditors are aware of any
such information.
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Under company law the directors must not approve the financial
statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view
of the state of affairs of the Group and parent Company and of the
Group’s profit or loss for that period.
Under applicable law and regulations, the directors are also
responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report,
Directors’ Remuneration Report and Corporate Governance Statement
that complies with that law and those regulations.
Each of the Directors confirms that, to the best of his or her knowledge:
The Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024, taken as a whole, is
fair, balanced and understandable, and provides the information
necessary for shareholders to assess the Company’s position and
performance, business model and strategy;
The financial statements which have been prepared in accordance
with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and UK-
adopted international accounting standards give a true and fair
view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of
the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation
taken as a whole; and
The Management Report includes a fair review of the development
and performance of the business and the position of PLC and the
undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole,
together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties
that they face.
The Directors and their roles are listed on pages 66 to 69.
GOING CONCERN
The activities of the Group, together with the factors likely to affect its
future development, performance, the financial position of the Group,
its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing facilities are described
on pages 1 to 47. In addition, we describe in notes 15 to 18 on pages 169
to 184 the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing its
capital; its financial risk management objectives; details of its financial
instruments and hedging activities, and its exposures to credit and
liquidity risk. Although not assessed over the same period as going
concern, the viability of the Group has been assessed on page 60.
The Group has considerable financial resources together with
established business relationships with many customers and suppliers
in countries throughout the world. As a consequence, the Directors
believe that the Group is well placed to manage its business risks
successfully for at least 12 months from the date of approval of
the financial statements.
After making enquiries, the Directors consider it appropriate to adopt
the going concern basis of accounting in preparing this Annual Report
and Accounts.
INTERNAL AND DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND
PROCEDURES
Please refer to pages 52 to 59 for a discussion of Unilever’s principal risk
factors and to pages 51 to 60 for commentary on the Group’s approach
to risk management and control.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
KPMG LLP’s Independent Auditor’s Report
To the members of Unilever PLC
1. Our opinion is unmodified
In our opinion the financial statements:
give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2024, and of the Group’s and Parent
Company’s profit for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
What our opinion covers
We have audited the Group and Parent Company financial statements of Unilever PLC (“the Company”) for the year ended 31 December 2024
(FY24) included in the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024, which comprise:
Group
Parent Company (Unilever PLC)
Consolidated income statement;
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income;
Consolidated statement of changes in equity;
Consolidated balance sheet;
Consolidated cash flow statements; and
Notes 1 to 27 to the Group financial statements, including the
accounting information and policies in note 1.
Income statement;
Statement of comprehensive income;
Statement of changes in equity;
Balance sheet;
Statement of cash flows; and
Notes 1 to 15 to the Parent Company financial statements, including
the accounting information and policies.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. Our responsibilities are
described below. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is a sufficient and appropriate basis for our opinion. Our audit opinion
and matters included in this report are consistent with those discussed and included in our reporting to the Audit Committee (“AC”).
We have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities under, and we remain independent of the Group in accordance with, UK ethical requirements
including the FRC Ethical Standard as applied to listed public interest entities.
2. Overview of our Audit
Factors driving our view
of risks
Following the conclusion of our FY23 audit, and
considering developments affecting the Group
since then, we have performed a risk
assessment for our FY24 audit.
The Growth Action Plan released in late 2023
gained momentum in FY24. The Group focused
on three priorities: delivering faster growth,
driving productivity and simplicity, and
adopting a strong performance focus in the
Group. Positive contributions from volume
leverage and mix coupled with lower material
costs and carry-over pricing from prior year
(i.e. period of higher inflation), together with
the broader impact on margin and operating
profit were areas considered during the risk
assessment. We continue to have a focus on
revenue recognition and, more specifically,
the recognition of discounts (which is netted
against revenue) as a Key Audit Matter (see 4.1
below).
We have not observed a change in the risk
associated with the Indirect tax contingent
liabilities in Brazil, as further discussed in 4.2
below.
The carrying amount of Investment in
subsidiaries held at cost in Unilever PLC's
accounts continues to be a material proportion
of its total company assets and hence
continues to be a Key Audit Matter for Unilever
PLC accounts only (see 4.3 below).
Key Audit Matters
Vs FY23
Item
Revenue Recognition –
Rebates (Group)
4.1
Indirect tax contingent
liabilities in Brazil (Group)
4.2
Investments in
subsidiaries (Parent)
4.3
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
2. Overview of our Audit (continued)
Audit Committee
Interaction
During the year, the AC met 9 times. KPMG are invited to attend all AC meetings and are provided with an opportunity
to meet with the AC in private sessions without the Executive Directors being present. For each Key Audit Matter, we
have set out communications with the AC in section 4, including matters that required particular judgement for each.
The matters included in the Report of the Audit Committee on page 86 are materially consistent with our
observations of those meetings.
Our Independence
We have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities
under, and we remain independent of the
Group in accordance with, UK ethical
requirements including the FRC Ethical
Standard as applied to listed public interest
entities.
We have not performed any non-audit services
during FY24 or subsequently which are
prohibited by the FRC Ethical Standard.
Audit tenure
We were first appointed as auditor by the
shareholders for the year ended 31 December
2014. Following a competitive tender process
undertaken in FY22, we were again appointed
as auditors by the shareholders in the 2024
Annual General Meeting for the year ended
31 December 2024. The period of total
uninterrupted engagement is for the eleven
financial years ended 31 December 2024.
The Group engagement partner is required to
rotate every five years. As these are the fourth
set of the Group’s financial statements signed
by Jonathan Mills, he will be required to rotate
off after the FY25 audit.
The average tenure of component engagement
partners is two years, with the shortest being
one and the longest being six.
Total audit fee
€39.8m
*Total audit fee
includes €8.2m
related to non-
statutory audits
Audit-related fees (including interim review)
€0.8m
Other services
€7.4m
Non-audit fee as a % of total audit and audit-
related fee %
18%
Date first appointed
14 May 2014
Uninterrupted audit tenure
11 years
Next financial period which requires a tender
2034
Tenure of Group engagement partner
4 years
Average tenure of component signing partners
3 years
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
123
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
2. Overview of our Audit (continued)
Materiality
(Item 6 below)
The scope of our work is influenced by our view
of materiality and our assessed risk of material
misstatement.
We have determined overall materiality for
the Group financial statements as a whole
at €500m (FY23: €450m) and for the Parent
Company financial statements as a whole
at €342m (FY23: £295m*).
Consistent with FY23, we have determined
that the Group’s normalised profit before tax
from continuing operations (‘PBTCO’) remains
the benchmark for the Group. As such, we
based our Group materiality on the Group’s
normalised PBTCO of €9,780m, of which it
represents 5.11% (FY23: 5.06%).
Materiality for the Parent Company financial
statements was determined with reference to
a benchmark of Parent Company total assets
of which it represents 0.4% (FY23: 0.4%).
Consistent with FY23, we determined that total
assets remains the benchmark for the Parent
Company as it is most appropriate and
reflective of the business, being a holding
company.
Materiality levels used in our audit
169874546492863
Group
GPM
AMPT
HCM
LCM
PLC
500
450
375
337
25
22
342
352
3
2
342
352
Group
Group Materiality
GPM
Group Performance Materiality
AMPT
Audit Misstatement Posting Threshold
HCM
Highest Component Materiality
LCM
Lowest Component Materiality
PLC*
Parent Company Materiality
* PLC materiality in 2023 was denominated in £. In 2024, the
functional currency of PLC was changed to € and hence for
comparative purposes only in the graph above we have updated
the comparative to the € equivalent.
FY24 €m
FY23 €m
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
2. Overview of our Audit (continued)
Group scope
(Item 7 below)
We have performed risk assessment procedures
to determine which of the Group’s components
are likely to include risks of material
misstatement to the Group financial
statements, what audit procedures to perform
at these components and the extent of
involvement required from our component
auditors around the world.
We scoped:
2 components (Hindustan Unilever Limited
(India) and the US component (United States
of America)) as quantitatively significant
components;
13 components as components where special
audit considerations were necessary;
27 other components where we performed
procedures to obtain further audit coverage.
Certain Group transactions originate in various
countries and are processed in the Group’s
operating centres in China, India, Mexico,
Philippines and Poland. We have established
audit teams to perform centralised testing on
behalf of our component teams in these
locations. We tested the relevant key controls
that operate in these operating centres. Other
procedures that were performed centrally are
set out in more detail in item 7 below.
In addition, for the remaining components for
which we performed no audit procedures, we
performed analysis at an aggregated Group
level to re-examine our assessment that there
is not a reasonable possibility of a material
misstatement in these components.
We consider the scope of our audit, as
communicated to the Audit Committee, to be
an appropriate basis for our audit opinion.
Coverage of Group Financial Statements
Our audit procedures covered 78% of Group revenue:
Group Revenue
We performed audit procedures in relation to components that
accounted for 65% of Group profit before tax:
Group profit before tax
174272593004729
174272593004762
78%
65%
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
2. Overview of our Audit (continued)
The impact of climate
change on our audit
In planning our audit, we considered the potential impacts of risks arising from climate change on the Group’s
business and its financial statements. The Group has set out its targets under its Climate Transition Action Plan
(CTAP) to reduce operational emissions by 100% by 2030, reduce energy and industrial GHG emissions and forest,
land and agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions both from their value chain by 42.0% and by 30.3%, respectively, by 2030
from a 2021 baseline as disclosed on page 48.
Whilst the Group has set these targets, in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Directors have stated
that they have considered the impact of climate change risks and identified goodwill and indefinite-life intangibles,
property, plant and equipment and defined benefit plan assets as balance sheet line items that could potentially
be significantly impacted. They have reviewed these line items in detail and concluded that the impact of climate-
related risk is immaterial due to mitigation actions taken against those risks. Therefore, they do not believe that
there is a material impact on the financial reporting judgements and estimates and as a result the valuations of
the Group’s assets and liabilities have not been significantly impacted by these risks as at 31 December 2024.
As a part of our audit, we have performed a risk assessment to determine if the potential impacts of climate change
may materially affect the financial statements and our audit. We did this by making inquiries of management and
inspecting internal and external reports in order to independently assess the climate-related risks and their potential
impact. We held discussions with our own climate change professionals to challenge our risk assessment.
The most likely potential impact of climate risk and plans on these financial statements would be on the forward-
looking assessments of long-term assets.
We have considered the sensitivity of the assumptions used in the impairment testing of goodwill and indefinite-life
intangible assets. The outcomes of the impairment tests are not considered to be sensitive. As a result of this, and the
relative size of other long-term assets which could be impacted by climate change risks, we determined that climate-
related risks did not have a significant impact on our audit and there is no significant impact of these risks on our
Key Audit Matters.
We have also read the Group’s disclosures of climate-related information in the Strategic Report and considered
consistency with the financial statements and our audit knowledge.
3. Going concern, viability and principal risks and uncertainties
The directors have prepared the financial statements on the going concern basis as they do not intend to liquidate the Group or the Parent
Company or to cease their operations, and as they have concluded that the Group’s and the Parent Company’s financial position means that this
is realistic. They have also concluded that there are no material uncertainties that could have cast significant doubt over their ability to continue as
a going concern for at least a year from the date of approval of the financial statements (“the going concern period”).
Going concern
We used our knowledge of the Group, its industry, and the general
economic environment to identify the inherent risks to its business model
and analysed how those risks might affect the Group’s and Parent
Company’s financial resources or ability to continue operations over the
going concern period. The risks that we considered most likely to adversely
affect the Group’s and Parent Company’s available financial resources over
this period were:
Subdued consumer demand
Higher currency depreciation against the Euro
Geo-political developments.
We also considered less predictable but realistic second order impacts,
such as business transformation and portfolio management failure and
the loss of all material litigation cases which could result in a rapid
reduction of available financial resources.
We considered whether these risks could plausibly affect the liquidity in the
going concern period by assessing the degree of downside assumption
that, individually and collectively, could result in a liquidity issue, taking
into account the Group’s and Parent Company’s current and projected cash
and facilities (a reverse stress test).
We also considered whether the going concern disclosure in note 1 to the
financial statements gives a full and accurate description of the directors’
assessment of going concern.
Our conclusions
We consider that the directors’ use of the going concern basis of
accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is
appropriate;
We have not identified, and concur with the directors’
assessment that there is not, a material uncertainty related to
events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast
significant doubt on the Group’s or Parent Company's ability to
continue as a going concern for the going concern period;
We have nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation
to the directors’ statement on page 120 on the use of the going
concern basis of accounting with no material uncertainties that
may cast significant doubt over the Group and Parent
Company’s use of that basis for the going concern period, and
we found the going concern disclosure on page 142 and 195 to
be acceptable; and
The related statement under the UK Listing Rules set out on page
120 is materially consistent with the financial statements and
our audit knowledge.
However, as we cannot predict all future events or conditions and
as subsequent events may result in outcomes that are inconsistent
with judgements that were reasonable at the time they were made,
the above conclusions are not a guarantee that the Group or the
Parent Company will continue in operation.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
3. Going concern, viability and principal risks and uncertainties (continued)
Disclosures of emerging and principal risks and longer-term viability
Our responsibility
We are required to perform procedures to identify whether there is a
material inconsistency between the directors’ disclosures in respect of
emerging and principal risks and the viability statement, and the financial
statements and our audit knowledge.
Based on those procedures, we have nothing material to add or draw
attention to in relation to:
the directors’ confirmation within the Viability Statement on page 60 that
they have carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal
risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business
model, future performance, solvency and liquidity;
the Principal Risks disclosures describing these risks and how emerging
risks are identified and explaining how they are being managed and
mitigated; and
the directors’ explanation in the Viability Statement of how they have
assessed the prospects of the Group, over what period they have done
so and why they considered that period to be appropriate, and their
statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the
Group will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as
they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related
disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications or
assumptions.
We are also required to review the Viability Statement set out on page 60
under the UK Listing Rules.
Our reporting
We have nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to
these disclosures.
We have concluded that these disclosures are materially consistent
with the financial statements and our audit knowledge.
Our work is limited to assessing these matters in the context of
only the knowledge acquired during our financial statements
audit. As we cannot predict all future events or conditions and as
subsequent events may result in outcomes that are inconsistent
with judgements that were reasonable at the time they were
made, the absence of anything to report on these statements
is not a guarantee as to the Group’s and Parent Company’s longer-
term viability.
4. Key Audit matters
What we mean
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in the audit of the financial statements and
include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) identified by us, including those which had
the greatest effect on:
the overall audit strategy;
the allocation of resources in the audit; and
directing the efforts of the engagement team.
We include below the Key Audit Matters in decreasing order of audit significance together with our key audit procedures to address those matters
and our results from those procedures. These matters were addressed, and our results are based on procedures undertaken, for the purpose of our
audit of the financial statements as a whole. We do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
127
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
4. Key Audit matters (continued)
4.1 Revenue recognition – Rebates (Group)
Financial Statement Elements
Our assessment of risk vs FY23
Our results
Off-invoice rebate accruals are included within trade
receivables (see note 13), and trade payables and other
liabilities (see note 14).
Our assessment of the risk
is similar to FY23
FY24: Acceptable
FY23: Acceptable
Rebates fraud risk
Our response to the risk
Revenue is measured net of rebates, price reductions, incentives given
to customers, promotional couponing and trade communication costs
(together referred to as “discounts’’).
Certain discounts for goods sold in the year are only finalised when
the precise amounts are known and revenue therefore includes an
estimate of variable consideration. The variable consideration
represents the portion of discounts that are not directly deducted
on the invoice and is complex as a result of diversity in the terms in
contractual arrangements with customers. The unsettled portion of
the variable consideration results in discounts due to customers at
31 December 2024 (“rebate accrual”).
Therefore, there is a risk of revenue being materially misstated as
a result of incorrect calculation of the variable consideration.
Within revenue recognition we identified the off-invoice rebate accrual
as a Key Audit Matter, as in a number of markets the off-invoice rebate
accrual is significant and the terms in contractual arrangements with
customers are not uniform.
This is considered to be an area which had a significant effect on our
overall audit strategy and allocation of resources in planning and
completing our audit as significant effort was required in evaluating
the contractual arrangements and the related off-invoice rebate
accrual.
There is a risk that revenue may be materially overstated due to fraud
through manipulation of the off-invoice rebate accrual recognised
resulting from the pressure management may feel to achieve
performance targets.
Our procedures to address the risk included:
Risk Assessment: We assessed the accuracy of the Group’s off-
invoice accrual by comparing, for the Group’s relevant markets, the
prior year off-invoice accrual to actual spend incurred. Where we
identified significant differences, we instructed our component audit
teams to understand the business rationale. We analysed the results
of our comparison in aggregate and over time to identify trends that
could suggest management bias in their estimation.
Controls: We evaluated the design and tested the operating
effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the revenue
process including controls over the rebate agreements, calculation
of the off-invoice rebate accrual and controls over rebate claims.
Where control deficiencies were identified, we identified and
evaluated and, where relevant, relied upon the compensating
controls.
Test of Detail: We tested a selection of recorded off-invoice rebate
accruals and payments/settlements after 31 December 2024 and
assessed whether the accrual is recorded in the appropriate period.
Journals: We critically assessed manual journals recorded to rebate
accounts to identify unusual or irregular items and obtained
underlying documentation for those identified as unusual or
irregular.
Evaluating Transparency: We evaluated the adequacy of the Group’s
disclosures in respect of rebate accrual.
Communications with the Unilever PLC’s Audit Committee
Our discussions with and reporting to the Audit Committee included:
Our approach to the audit of rebates including details of planned substantive procedures and the extent of our control reliance
A retrospective review on the prior year-end accruals in markets we considered contains higher risk
Our conclusions on the appropriateness of the methodology and value of the off-invoice rebate accrual as at year-end
Areas of particular auditor judgement
We did not identify any areas of particular auditor judgement.
Our results
The results of our testing were satisfactory (FY23: satisfactory) and we considered the rebate accrual disclosures to be acceptable (FY23:
acceptable).
Further information in the Annual Report and Accounts: See the Report of the Audit Committee on page 86 for details on how the Audit Committee
considered revenue recognition as an area of significant attention, page 145 for the accounting policy on revenue recognition, and notes 2, 13 and
14 for the financial disclosures.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
4. Key Audit matters (continued)
4.2 Indirect tax contingent liabilities in Brazil (Group)
Financial Statement Elements
Our assessment of risk vs FY23
Our results
FY24
FY23
Our assessment of the risk
is similar to FY23
FY24: Acceptable
FY23: Acceptable
Contingent liabilities
disclosed (regarding
to a 2001 corporate
reorganisation)
€3,230m
€3,757m
Taxation dispute outcome
Our response to the risk
The Group has reported contingent liabilities for indirect taxes relating
to disputes with the Brazilian authorities related to a 2001 corporate
reorganisation. The total amount of the tax assessments received in
respect of this matter is €3,230 million as of 31 December 2024. There
also remains the possibility of further material tax assessments related
to the same matter for periods not yet assessed.
We identified the evaluation of the indirect tax contingent liabilities in
Brazil related to a 2001 corporate reorganisation as a key audit matter.
In Brazil, there is a high degree of complexity involved in the local
indirect tax regimes (both state and federal) and jurisprudence. Due to
these complexities, there is a high degree of judgement applied by the
Group with respect to the uncertainty of the outcome of this matter.
Complex auditor judgement and specialised skills were required in
evaluating the possible future outcomes of investigations by the
authorities, for assessments received to ascertain if a liability exists
and in evaluating if the exposure of possible material tax assessments
related to the same matter for periods not yet assessed can be
estimated.
Our procedures to address the risk included:
Controls: We evaluated the design and tested the operating
effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the indirect tax
process including controls related to the assessment of the outcome
of investigations if a liability exists and around evaluating exposure
to possible material tax assessments for periods not yet assessed.
Our Tax Expertise: We involved local indirect tax professionals with
specialised skills and knowledge who assisted in:
assessing the appropriateness of the classification as contingent
liabilities compared to the nature of the exposures, applicable
regulations and related correspondence with the tax authorities;
and
assessing the confirmation received from the Group’s external
lawyers, considering any impact of legal precedent, case law
and any historical and recent judgements passed by the court
authorities which could impact likelihood of outflow of economic
resources.
Retrospective review: We inspected assessments received from tax
authorities and compared their consistency, occurrence and
amounts retrospectively over time to previous management
estimates made in the periods this matter was not yet assessed.
Evaluating Transparency: We evaluated the adequacy of the Group’s
disclosures in respect of indirect tax contingent liabilities in Brazil.
Communications with the Unilever PLC’s Audit Committee
Our discussions with and reporting to the Audit Committee included:
Our approach to the audit of the indirect tax contingent liabilities in Brazil including details of planned substantive procedures and the
extent of our control reliance
Our conclusions on the appropriateness of the in-year movements in the related contingent liabilities disclosures
The adequacy of the disclosure of the contingent liabilities disclosed related to the Brazil indirect tax dispute
Areas of particular auditor judgement
We identified the following as the areas of particular auditor judgement:
The assessment of the outcome of investigations by the authorities, if a liability exists and in making an estimate of any economic outflows.
Our results
The results of our testing were satisfactory (FY23: satisfactory) and we considered the Brazilian indirect tax contingent liability disclosures to be
acceptable (FY23: acceptable).
Further information in the Annual Report and Accounts: See the Report of the Audit Committee on page 86 for details on how the Audit Committee
considered indirect tax provisions and contingent liabilities as an area of significant attention, pages 185 and 186 for the accounting policy on
provisions and contingent liabilities respectively, and notes 19 and 20 for the financial disclosures.
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4.3 Investments and subsidiaries (Parent company)
Financial Statement Elements
Our assessment of risk vs FY23
Our results
FY24
FY23
Our assessment of the risk
is similar to FY23
FY24: Acceptable
FY23: Acceptable
Investments in subsidiaries
€88,035m
€88,000m
Recoverability of parent company’s investments in subsidiaries
Our response to the risk
Low risk, high value
The carrying amount of the investments in subsidiaries held at cost less
impairment represent 98% (2023: 98%) of Unilever PLC total company
assets.
We do not consider the recoverability of these investments to be at a
high risk of significant misstatement, or to be subject to a significant
level of judgement. However, due to their materiality in the context of
the Parent Company financial statements, this is considered to be an
area which had significant effect on our audit strategy and allocation
of resources in planning and completing our audit of Parent Company.
We performed the tests below rather than seeking to rely on any of the
Company’s controls because the nature of the balance is such that we
would expect to obtain audit evidence primarily through the detailed
procedures described.
Our procedures to address the risk included:
Assessing the group impairment work: We assessed the conclusions
reached in the Group’s impairment workings in relation to the
recoverability of Unilever PLC’s investments in subsidiaries. We
assessed whether the conclusions reached gave rise to any
indications of impairment which would be appropriate in assessing
the recoverability of Parent Company’s investment in subsidiaries.
Our sector experience: We evaluated the current level of trading,
including identifying any indications of a downturn in activity
considering our knowledge of the Group and the industry.
Benchmarking assumptions: We challenged key assumptions used
in the impairment analyses of the Group’s cash-generating units by
benchmarking assumptions such as discount rates and growth rates
to external data points, using our own valuation specialist, and
performing sensitivity analysis.
Communications with the Unilever PLC’s Audit Committee
Our discussions with and reporting to the Audit Committee included:
Our approach to the audit of the recoverability of the Parent Company’s investments in subsidiaries including details of planned substantive
procedures and the extent of our control reliance
An assessment of indicators of impairment from the conclusion reached in the Group impairment workings or company specific adjustments
Areas of particular auditor judgement
We identified the following as the areas of particular auditor judgement:
The assessment of the assumptions used in determining the recoverable value of the CGU to which the investments belong, and assessing
whether an impairment exists.
Our results
The results of our testing were satisfactory (FY23: satisfactory) and we found the Parent Company’s conclusion that there is no impairment of its
investments in subsidiaries to be acceptable (FY23: acceptable).
Further information in the Annual Report and Accounts: See page 195 for the accounting policy on Investments in subsidiaries, and note 4 to the
Parent Company financial statements for the financial disclosures.
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5. Our ability to detect irregularities, and our response
Fraud – Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement due to fraud
Fraud risk assessment
To identify risks of material misstatement due to fraud (“fraud risks”) we assessed events or conditions that could
indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud. Our risk assessment
procedures included:
Enquiring of directors, the Audit Committee, internal audit and inspection of policy documentation as to the
Group’s high-level policies and procedures to prevent and detect fraud, including the internal audit function, and
the Group’s channel for “whistleblowing”, as well as whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or
alleged fraud.
Reading Board and Audit Committee minutes.
Considering remuneration incentive schemes and performance targets for management and directors including
USG/UOP targets.
Using analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships.
Using our own forensic professionals with specialised skills and knowledge to assist us in identifying the fraud
risks based on discussions of the circumstances of the Group.
Risk communications
We communicated identified fraud risks throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of fraud
throughout the audit. This included communication from the Group auditor to component auditors of relevant
fraud risks identified at the Group level and requesting component auditors to perform procedures at the
component level to report to the Group auditor any identified fraud risk factors or identified or suspected instances
of fraud.
Fraud risks
As required by auditing standards, and taking into account possible pressures to meet performance targets, we
performed procedures to address the risk of management override of controls and the risk of fraudulent revenue
recognition, in particular:
the risk that Group and component management may be in a position to make inappropriate accounting entries;
and
the risk that revenue is materially overstated due to fraud through manipulation of the off-invoice rebate accrual
recognised.
We did not identify any additional fraud risks.
Link to KAMs
Further detail in respect of fraud risks identified over the risk that revenue may be overstated due to fraud through
manipulation of the off-invoice rebate accrual is contained within the Key Audit Matter disclosures in item 4.1 of this
report.
Procedures to address
fraud risks
In determining the audit procedures, we took into account the results of our evaluation and testing of the operating
effectiveness of the Group-wide fraud risk management controls. For further details in respect to the Group-wide
risk management controls refer to the report of the Audit Committee on page 86.
We also performed procedures including:
Identifying manual journal entries to test at the Group level and for selected in-scope components based on risk
criteria, such as management postings and timing being after the closure of the general ledger, and comparing
the identified entries to supporting documentation.
Assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias.
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5. Our ability to detect irregularities, and our response (continued)
Laws and regulations – Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement relating to compliance with laws
and regulations
Laws and regulations risk
assessment
We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the
financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, through discussion with the directors and
other management (as required by auditing standards) and from inspection of the Group’s regulatory and legal
correspondence. We discussed with the directors and other management the policies and procedures regarding
compliance with laws and regulations and we made use of our own forensic professionals with specialised skills
and knowledge to assist us in evaluating the facts and circumstances.
Risk communications
We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of
non-compliance throughout the audit. This included communication from the Group auditor to component auditors
of relevant laws and regulations identified at the Group level, and a request for component auditors to report to the
Group audit team any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations that could give rise to a material
misstatement at the Group level.
Direct laws context and
link to Audit
The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably. The Group is
subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation
(including related companies legislation), distributable profits legislation and taxation legislation. We assessed the
extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement
items.
Most significant indirect
law/regulation areas
The Group is subject to many laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a
material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or
litigation. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect:
Competition legislation (reflecting the Group’s involvement in a number of ongoing investigations by national
competition authorities)
Employment legislation (reflecting the Group’s significant and geographically diverse workforce)
Health and safety regulation (reflecting the nature of the Group’s production and distribution processes)
Consumer product law such as product safety and product claims (reflecting the nature of the Group’s diverse
product base)
Contract legislation (reflecting the Group’s extensive use of trademarks, copyright and patents)
Data privacy (requirements from existing data privacy laws)
Environmental regulation (reflecting nature of the Group’s production and distribution processes)
Compliance with sanctions (reflecting the Group’s dealings in various geographies with active sanctions)
Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations
to enquiry of the directors and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Therefore, if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident from relevant correspondence, an
audit will not detect that breach.
Link to KAMs
Further detail in respect of Brazil Indirect Tax is set out in the key audit matter disclosures in item 4.2 of this report.
Indirect tax contingent liabilities in Brazil are disclosed in note 20 to the Group financial statements on page 186.
Context
Context of the ability of
the Audit to detect fraud
or breaches of law or
regulation
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some
material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our
audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and
regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently
limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it.
In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of fraud, as fraud may involve
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. Our audit
procedures are designed to detect material misstatement. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance
or fraud and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.
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6. Our determination of materiality
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set quantitative thresholds and overlay qualitative considerations to
help us determine the scope of our audit and the nature, timing and extent of our procedures, and in evaluating the effect of misstatements, both
individually and in the aggregate, on the financial statements as a whole.
€500m
(FY23: €450m)
Materiality for the
Group Financial
Statements as a whole
What we mean
A quantitative reference for the purpose of planning and performing our audit.
Basis for determining materiality and judgements applied
Materiality for the Group financial statements as a whole was set at €500m (FY23: €450m). This was determined with
reference to a benchmark of Group’s normalised PBTCO.
Consistent with FY23, we determined that Group’s normalised PBTCO remains the main benchmark for the Group as
we consider profit before tax, excluding certain identified items, as a key indicator of performance and the basis for
earnings, and therefore the primary focus of a reasonable investor. We have inspected analyst consensus data and
other investor commentary for signals of alternate significant influencers of economic decisions. No revisions to our
calculation methodology resulted therefrom.
We normalised the Group’s PBTCO by adding back adjustments that do not represent the normal, continuing
operations of the Group. The items we adjusted for were gains and losses on the sale of group companies,
impairment of the air purification business and the restructuring cost related to the Ice Cream separation and the
Group’s Productivity Programme. As such, we based our Group materiality on Group normalised PBTCO of €9,780m
(FY23: €8,897m).
Our Group materiality of €500m was determined by applying a percentage to the Group’s normalised PBTCO. When
using a benchmark of Group’s normalised PBTCO to determine overall materiality, KPMG’s approach for public
interest entities considers a guideline range of up to 5% of the measure. In setting overall Group materiality, we
applied a percentage of 5.11% (FY23: 5.06%) to the benchmark.
Materiality for the Parent Company financial statements as a whole was set at €342m (FY23: £295m), determined
with reference to a benchmark of Parent Company total assets, of which it represents 0.4% (FY23: 0.4%).
€375m
(FY23: €337m)
Performance materiality
What we mean
Our procedures on individual account balances and disclosures were performed to a lower threshold, performance
materiality, so as to reduce to an acceptable level the risk that individually immaterial misstatements in individual
account balances add up to a material amount across the financial statements as a whole.
Basis for determining performance materiality and judgements applied
We have considered performance materiality at a level of 75% (FY23: 75%) of materiality for Group financial
statements as a whole to be appropriate.
The Parent Company performance materiality was set at €256m (FY23: £221m), which equates to 75% (FY23: 75%)
of materiality for the Parent Company financial statements as a whole.
We applied this percentage in our determination of performance materiality because we did not identify any
factors indicating an elevated level of risk.
€25m
(FY23: €22m)
Audit misstatement
posting threshold
What we mean
This is the amount below which identified misstatements are considered to be clearly trivial from a quantitative
point of view. We may become aware of misstatements below this threshold which could alter the nature, timing
and scope of our audit procedures, for example if we identify smaller misstatements which are indicators of fraud.
This is also the amount above which all misstatements identified are communicated to Unilever PLC’s Audit
Committee.
Basis for determining the audit misstatement posting threshold and judgements applied
We set our audit misstatement posting threshold at 5% (FY23: 5%) of our materiality for the Group financial
statements. We also report to the Audit Committee any other identified misstatements that warrant reporting on
qualitative grounds.
The overall materiality for the Group financial statements of €500m (FY23: €450m) compares as follows to the main financial statement caption
amounts:
Total Group Revenue
Group profit before tax
(normalised)
Total Group Assets
FY24
FY23
FY24
FY23
FY24
FY23
Financial statement
caption
€60,761m
€59,604m
€9,780m
€8,897m
€79,750m
€ 75,266m
Group Materiality as %
of caption
0.82%
0.75%
5.11%
5.06%
0.63%
0.60%
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7. The scope of our Audit
Group scope
What we mean
How the Group auditor determined the procedures to be performed across the Group.
This year, we applied the revised group auditing standard in our audit of the consolidated financial statements.
The revised standard changes how an auditor approaches the identification of components, and how the audit
procedures are planned and executed across components.
In particular, the definition of a component has changed, shifting the focus from how the entity prepares financial
information to how we, as the group auditor, plan to perform audit procedures to address group risks of material
misstatement (“RMMs”). Similarly, the group auditor has an increased role in designing the audit procedures as
well as making decisions on where these procedures are performed (centrally and/or at component level) and how
these procedures are executed and supervised. As a result, we assess scoping and coverage in a different way and
comparisons to prior period coverage figures are not meaningful. In this report we provide an indication of scope
coverage on the new basis.
We performed risk assessment procedures to determine which of the Group’s components are likely to include risks
of material misstatement to the Group financial statements and which procedures to perform at these components
to address those risks.
The Group operates through a significant number of legal entities. We identified 552 components based on our
evaluation of the Group’s operational structure, the Group’s legal structure, geographical locations, the existence
of common business activities and our ability to perform audit procedures centrally.
We identified two quantitatively significant components which contained the largest percentages of either total
revenue or total assets of the Group, for which we performed audit procedures.
We also identified 13 other components that required special audit consideration, owing to Group risks relating to
either revenue recognition (rebates) or Brazil indirect tax residing in these components.
Additionally, having considered qualitative and quantitative factors, we selected additional 27 components with
accounts and disclosures contributing to the specific RMMs of the Group financial statements.
The below summarises where we performed audit procedures:
Component type
Number of components where we
performed audit procedures
Range of materiality applied
Quantitatively significant
components
2
€190m - €212m
Components requiring special audit
consideration
13
€9m - €120m
Other components where we
performed procedures
27
€3m - €342m
Total
42
The Group also operates shared service centres (‘operating centres’) that are relevant to our audit in India, Mexico,
Poland, Philippines and China. These operating centres perform accounting and reporting activities alongside related
controls and support the Group’s operating entities. Together, these operating centres process a substantial portion
of the Group’s transactions, the outputs of which relate to financial information of the reporting components they
service and therefore they are not separate reporting components. Each of the operating centres were subject to
specified risk-focused audit procedures, predominantly the testing of transaction processing and key manual
process level controls operated in the operating centres. Further audit procedures are performed at each reporting
component to cover matters not covered at the operating centres and together this results in audits for group
reporting purposes on those reporting components.
We involved component auditors in performing the audit work on all 42 components. We performed risk assessment
and/or further audit procedures on the items excluded from the normalised Group profit before tax used as the
benchmark for our materiality. We set the component materialities having regard to the mix of size and risk profile of
the Group across the components. We also performed the audit of the parent Company.
Our audit procedures covered 78% of Group revenue and we performed audit procedures in relation to components
that accounted for 65% of total profits and losses that made up the Group profit before tax and 69% of Group total
assets excluding goodwill and intangible assets. Goodwill and intangible assets accounted for 51% of Group’s total
assets and procedures over these, mainly in relation to testing for impairment, were directly performed by the group
auditor.
We have also performed risk assessment and/or further audit procedures centrally across the Group, in the following
areas:
Consolidation of the financial information;
Testing of IT systems and configurations;
Journal entry analysis;
Using technology to perform a 3-way sales match over invoices (3-way invoice to order and delivery document,
including on-invoice rebate deductions) to verify the accuracy and timeliness of revenue recorded;
For some components, using technology to perform a line-by-line analysis of the unwind of prior year rebate
accruals to retrospectively assess accuracy and identify risks for some countries;
Certain uncertain tax positions;
Actuarial assumptions to determine the Group’s Defined Benefit Obligations;
Climate considerations and impact on the financial statements.
The group auditor also communicated to the component auditors the result of certain audit procedures performed
centrally but relevant to the component auditors, such as result of the central testing of IT systems and
configurations.
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7. The scope of our Audit (continued)
Group scope (continued)
For the remaining components for which we performed no audit procedures, no component represented more than
0.9% of Group total revenue or 1.7% of Group total assets (excluding Goodwill & Intangibles) or more than 4.4% of
total profits and losses that made up the Group profit before tax. We performed analysis at an aggregated Group
level to re-examine our assessment that there is not a reasonable possibility of a material misstatement in these
components.
Impact of controls on our Group audit
Unilever relies on the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting at the Group level, in various shared
services centres (‘operating centres’) and at country level, and operates both automated and manual controls.
We identified a number of key finance IT systems relevant to our Group audit including the main ERP finance
system, the consolidation system, and other specific IT systems that support automated controls across the Group.
The majority of these finance IT systems are maintained centrally and are used by many of the 42 in-scope
components. Our central IT auditors assisted us in evaluating general IT controls for these systems, as well as
automated controls and system generated reports relied upon by management in financial reporting. For finance
IT systems, automated controls and system generated reports maintained at country level, our country IT auditors
assisted component auditors in their evaluation.
Our central testing audit teams evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of key manual process level
controls in the Group’s operating centres. Component auditors further evaluated the design and operating
effectiveness of key manual controls that operate at country level to address specific local financial reporting risks
that could impact the group audit opinion. This controls testing covered the key transactional processes of the
Group. Results from all testing were communicated to the group audit team and considered as part of our audit.
At the Group level, we evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of key controls in processes operated
centrally at the Group.
Impact of the above on our audit:
In the majority of audit areas, we relied on general IT controls, automated controls and manual controls in
determining our audit approach, which reduced the extent of our substantive testing.
We identified control deficiencies during the audit, however, for certain control deficiencies identified,
compensating controls were identified and evaluated and, where relevant, relied upon.
The control deficiencies identified did not lead to significant changes to our planned audit approach.
Scope of Parent Company audit
For the audit of the Unilever PLC company financial statements, the scope of the audit work performed was mainly
substantive due to its profile of being a holding company.
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7. The scope of our Audit (continued)
Group Audit team
oversight
What we mean
The extent of the Group auditor’s involvement in work performed by component auditors.
As part of establishing the overall Group audit strategy and plan, we conducted the risk assessment and planning
discussion meetings at the Group level and also with our component auditors to discuss Group audit risks relevant to
the components, including the key audit matters in respect of Revenue recognition (rebates) and Brazil indirect tax.
Instructions
We instructed the component auditors as to the significant areas to be covered, including the relevant risks and the
information to be reported back. We worked with our component auditors throughout the audit to maintain an
active dialogue and to determine the overall audit response.
We also released audit notices on a regular basis (as needed) to component auditors to provide continuous
updates regarding the overall audit.
Virtual meetings and calls
We held regular virtual meetings with the component auditors in key locations and majority of the other locations
in scope for group reporting. These meetings were held to understand the business, any updates to the risk
assessment and any issues and findings. The findings reported to us were discussed in more detail with component
auditors and any further work required was then performed either by the group auditor or by the component
auditors, as appropriate.
Global conferences
In 2024, we hosted one virtual conference in June and one three-day physical conference in Mumbai, India in
September. These conferences emphasised key areas of the group audit instructions and allowed for the sharing of
risk assessment considerations and group updates, and allowed us to enhance our understanding of the
component audits and two-way communication.
In June, the conference covered key group developments, the origins of risk and key messages regarding
independence, data analytics, controls and group team’s involvement with components, specially under ISA (UK)
600 revised.
In September, the in-person conference enhanced collaboration and the sharing of understanding of the group
developments, brainstorming fraud risk assessment, reminders for controls reporting and an overview of data
and analytics tools used in the Unilever audit. Speakers included group engagement partners and a dynamic risk
assessment professional.
Site visits
We visited the following audit teams during the year in person to assess the audit risks and strategy:
Operating centre: India.
Component auditors: India, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Netherlands, Turkey
and Italy (by virtual site visit).
At these visits and meetings, the results of the planning procedures and/or further audit procedures communicated
to us were discussed in more detail, and any further work required by us was then performed by the component
auditors.
Review of work papers
We inspected the work performed by the component auditors for the purpose of the Group audit and evaluated the
appropriateness of conclusions drawn from the audit evidence obtained and consistencies between communicated
findings and work performed, with a particular focus on areas of component level risk assessment and group
significant audit risks.
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8. Other information in the Annual Report
The directors are responsible for the other information presented in the Annual Report together with the financial statements. Our opinion on the
financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly in this audit report, we do not express an audit opinion or, except as
explicitly stated below, any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
All other information
Our responsibility
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether, based on our
financial statements audit work, the information therein is materially misstated or inconsistent with
the financial statements or our audit knowledge.
Our reporting
Based solely on that work we have not
identified material misstatements or
inconsistencies in the other information.
Strategic report and Directors' report
Our responsibility and reporting
Based solely on our work on the other information described above we report to you as follows:
we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors’ report;
in our opinion the information given in those reports for the financial year is consistent with the
financial statements; and
in our opinion those reports have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
Directors' Remuneration report
Our responsibility
We are required to form an opinion as to whether the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to
be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
Our reporting
In our opinion the part of the Directors’
Remuneration Report to be audited has
been properly prepared in accordance
with the Companies Act 2006.
Corporate Governance Disclosures
Our responsibility
We are required to perform procedures to identify whether there is a material inconsistency between
the financial statements and our audit knowledge, and:
the directors’ statement that they consider that the annual report and financial statements taken
as a whole is fair, balanced and understandable, and provides the information necessary for
shareholders to assess the Group’s position and performance, business model and strategy;
the section of the annual report describing the work of the Audit Committee, including the
significant issues that the Audit Committee considered in relation to the financial statements, and
how these issues were addressed; and
the section of the annual report that describes the review of the effectiveness of the Group’s risk
management and internal control systems.
Our reporting
Based on those procedures, we have
concluded that each of these disclosures
is materially consistent with the financial
statements and our audit knowledge.
We are also required to review the part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to the
Group’s compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified by the
Listing Rules for our review.
We have nothing to report in this respect.
Other matters on which we are required to report by exception
Our responsibility
Under the Companies Act 2006, we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent Company, or returns adequate
for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the Parent Company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report
to be audited are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Our reporting
We have nothing to report in these
respects.
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9. Respective responsibilities
Directors’ responsibilities
As explained more fully in their statement set out on page 120, the directors are responsible for: the preparation of the financial statements
including being satisfied that they give a true and fair view; such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of
financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; assessing the Group and Parent Company’s ability to
continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and using the going concern basis of accounting unless
they either intend to liquidate the Group or the Parent Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor’s responsibilities
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue our opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not
guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise
from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic
decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial statements.
A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the FRC’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.
The Company is required to include these financial statements in an annual financial report prepared under Disclosure Guidance and
Transparency Rule 4.1.17R and 4.1.18R. This auditor’s report provides no assurance over whether the annual financial report has been prepared in
accordance with those requirements.
10. The purpose of our Audit work and to whom we owe our responsibilities
This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit
work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report
and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company and
the Company’s members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Jonathan Mills (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor
Chartered Accountants
15 Canada Square
London E14 5GL
5 March 2025
138
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Consolidated Financial Statements
Unilever Group
Consolidated income statement
for the year ended 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Turnover
2
60,761
59,604
60,073
Operating profit
2
9,400
9,758
10,755
of which: (loss)/gain on disposal of group companies(a)
(406)
489
2,335
Net finance costs
5
(604)
(486)
(493)
Pensions and similar obligations
71
110
44
Finance income
438
442
281
Finance costs
(1,113)
(1,038)
(818)
Net monetary loss arising from hyperinflationary economies
1
(195)
(142)
(157)
Share of net profit of joint ventures and associates
11
255
231
208
Other income/(loss) from non-current investments and associates
13
(22)
24
Profit before taxation
8,869
9,339
10,337
Taxation
6A
(2,500)
(2,199)
(2,068)
Net profit
6,369
7,140
8,269
Attributable to:
Non-controlling interests
625
653
627
Shareholders’ equity
5,744
6,487
7,642
Earnings per share
7
Basic earnings per share (€)
2.30
2.58
3.00
Diluted earnings per share (€)
2.29
2.56
2.99
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
for the year ended 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Net profit
6,369
7,140
8,269
Other comprehensive income
6C
Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss, net of tax:
Gains/(losses) on equity instruments measured at fair value through other
comprehensive income
60
(28)
36
Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plans
15B
264
(510)
(473)
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss, net of tax:
Gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges
210
(27)
(91)
Currency retranslation gains/(losses)(a)
15B
1,389
(1,461)
614
Total comprehensive income
8,292
5,114
8,355
Attributable to:
Non-controlling interests
712
524
507
Shareholders’ equity
7,580
4,590
7,848
(a) 2024 net loss arises from the disposals of our Russian business, Elida Beauty, Pureit, and Qinyuan. This net loss includes a foreign currency translation reserve write-off
of 545 million. 2023 includes a gain of 497 million related to the disposal of Suave. 2022 includes a gain of 2,303 million related to the disposal of the global tea
business.
Note references in the consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of changes in equity, consolidated
balance sheet and consolidated cash flow statement relate to notes on pages 142 to 191 which form an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
139
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
Consolidated statement of changes in equity
for the year ended 31 December
€ million
Called
up share
capital
Share
premium
account
Unification
reserve
Other
reserves
Retained
profit
Total
Non-
controlling
interests
Total
equity
31 December 2021
92
52,844
(73,364)
(9,210)
46,745
17,107
2,639
19,746
Hyperinflation restatement to 1 January 2022
154
154
154
Adjusted opening balance
92
52,844
(73,364)
(9,210)
46,899
17,261
2,639
19,900
Profit or loss for the period
7,642
7,642
627
8,269
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Equity instruments gains/(losses)
45
45
(9)
36
Cash flow hedges gains/(losses)
(92)
(92)
1
(91)
Remeasurements of defined benefit pension plans
(474)
(474)
1
(473)
Currency retranslation gains/(losses)(a)
240
487
727
(113)
614
Total comprehensive income
193
7,655
7,848
507
8,355
Dividends on ordinary capital
(4,356)
(4,356)
(4,356)
Repurchase of shares(b)
(1,509)
(1,509)
(1,509)
Movements in treasury shares(c)
106
(137)
(31)
(31)
Share-based payment credit(d)
177
177
177
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests
(572)
(572)
Hedging (gain)/loss transferred to non-financial assets
(126)
(126)
(1)
(127)
Other movements in equity(e)
(258)
15
(243)
107
(136)
31 December 2022
92
52,844
(73,364)
(10,804)
50,253
19,021
2,680
21,701
Profit or loss for the period
6,487
6,487
653
7,140
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Equity instruments gains/(losses)
(27)
(27)
(1)
(28)
Cash flow hedges gains/(losses)
(27)
(27)
(27)
Remeasurements of defined benefit pension plans
(508)
(508)
(2)
(510)
Currency retranslation gains/(losses)(a)
(1,629)
294
(1,335)
(126)
(1,461)
Total comprehensive income
(1,683)
6,273
4,590
524
5,114
Dividends on ordinary capital
(4,327)
(4,327)
(4,327)
Cancellation of treasury shares(f)
(4)
5,282
(5,278)
Repurchase of shares(b)
(1,507)
(1,507)
(1,507)
Movements in treasury shares(c)
75
(98)
(23)
(23)
Share-based payment credit(d)
212
212
212
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests
(521)
(521)
Hedging (gain)/loss transferred to non-financial assets
117
117
117
Other movements in equity
2
17
19
(21)
(2)
31 December 2023
88
52,844
(73,364)
(8,518)
47,052
18,102
2,662
20,764
Profit or loss for the period
5,744
5,744
625
6,369
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Equity instruments gains/(losses)
60
60
60
Cash flow hedges gains/(losses)
210
210
210
Remeasurements of defined benefit pension plans
269
269
(5)
264
Currency retranslation gains/(losses)(a)
406
891
1,297
92
1,389
Total comprehensive income
676
6,904
7,580
712
8,292
Dividends on ordinary capital
(4,320)
(4,320)
(4,320)
Repurchase of shares(b)
(1,508)
(1,508)
(1,508)
Movements in treasury shares(c)
25
(120)
(95)
(95)
Share-based payment credit(d)
324
324
324
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests
(712)
(712)
Hedging (gain)/loss transferred to non-financial assets
(54)
(54)
(54)
Other movements in equity
80
(119)
(39)
(97)
(136)
31 December 2024
88
52,844
(73,364)
(9,299)
49,721
19,990
2,565
22,555
(a) Includes a hyperinflation adjustment of 880 million (2023: 308 million, 2022: 514 million) in relation to Argentina and Turkey.
(b) Repurchase of shares reflects the cost of acquiring ordinary shares as part of the share buyback programme announced on 10 February 2022 and 8 February 2024.
(c) Includes purchases and sales of treasury shares, other than the share buyback programme and transfer from treasury shares to retained profit of share-settled
schemes arising from prior years and differences between purchase and grant price of share awards.
(d) The share-based payment credit relates to the non-cash charge recorded against operating profit in respect of the fair value of share options and awards granted to
employees.
(e) Includes the following items related to the acquisition of Nutrafol: €(269) million non-controlling interest purchase option in other reserves and 99 million non-
controlling interest recognised on acquisition.
(f) During 2023, 112,746,434 PLC ordinary shares held as treasury shares were cancelled. The amount paid to repurchase these shares was initially recognised in other
reserves and is transferred to retained profit on cancellation.
140
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
Consolidated balance sheet
for the year ended 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Assets
Non-current assets
Goodwill
9
22,311
21,109
Intangible assets
9
18,590
18,357
Property, plant and equipment
10
11,669
10,707
Pension asset for funded schemes in surplus
4B
4,164
3,781
Deferred tax assets
6B
1,280
1,113
Financial assets
17A
1,571
1,386
Other non-current assets
11
971
911
60,556
57,364
Current assets
Inventories
12
5,177
5,119
Trade and other current receivables
13
6,011
5,775
Current tax assets
373
427
Cash and cash equivalents
17A
6,136
4,159
Other financial assets
17A
1,330
1,731
Assets held for sale
22
167
691
19,194
17,902
Total assets
79,750
75,266
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Financial liabilities
15C
6,987
5,087
Trade payables and other current liabilities
14
16,690
16,857
Current tax liabilities
678
851
Provisions
19
831
537
Liabilities held for sale
22
48
175
25,234
23,507
Non-current liabilities
Financial liabilities
15C
25,066
24,535
Non-current tax liabilities
585
384
Pensions and post-retirement healthcare liabilities:
Funded schemes in deficit
4B
173
351
Unfunded schemes
4B
1,021
1,029
Provisions
19
571
563
Deferred tax liabilities
6B
4,342
3,995
Other non-current liabilities
14
203
138
31,961
30,995
Total liabilities
57,195
54,502
Equity
Shareholders’ equity
19,990
18,102
Non-controlling interests
2,565
2,662
Total equity
22,555
20,764
Total liabilities and equity
79,750
75,266
Note references in the consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of changes in equity, consolidated
balance sheet and consolidated cash flow statement relate to notes on pages 142 to 191, which form an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
These financial statements have been approved by the Directors and signed on their behalf by Fernando Fernandez.
F Fernandez on behalf of The Board of Directors
5 March 2025
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
141
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
Consolidated cash flow statement
for the year ended 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Net profit
6,369
7,140
8,269
Taxation
2,500
2,199
2,068
Share of net profit of joint ventures/associates and other (income)/loss from
non-current investments
(268)
(209)
(232)
Net monetary loss arising from hyperinflationary economies
195
142
157
Net finance costs
5
604
486
493
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
10,755
Depreciation, amortisation and impairment
1,757
1,579
1,946
Changes in working capital:
(160)
814
(422)
Inventories
(198)
340
(1,398)
Trade and other receivables
(206)
768
(1,852)
Trade payables and other liabilities
244
(294)
2,828
Pensions and similar obligations less payments
(88)
(281)
(119)
Provisions less payments
330
(185)
203
Elimination of losses/(profits) on disposals
436
(433)
(2,335)
Non-cash charge for share-based compensation
324
212
177
Other adjustments
145
97
(116)
Cash flow from operating activities
12,144
11,561
10,089
Income tax paid
(2,625)
(2,135)
(2,807)
Net cash flow from operating activities
9,519
9,426
7,282
Interest received
432
267
287
Purchase of intangible assets
(233)
(243)
(253)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(1,738)
(1,502)
(1,456)
Disposal of property, plant and equipment
37
42
82
Acquisition of businesses and investments in joint ventures and associates
(795)
(704)
(979)
Disposal of businesses, joint ventures and associates
985
436
4,622
Acquisition of other non-current investments
(166)
(533)
(170)
Disposal of other non-current investments
59
62
266
Dividends from joint ventures, associates and other non-current investments
261
239
185
Sale/(purchase) of financial assets
533
(358)
(131)
Net cash flow (used in)/from investing activities
(625)
(2,294)
2,453
Dividends paid on ordinary share capital
(4,319)
(4,363)
(4,329)
Interest paid
(1,085)
(899)
(744)
Net change in short-term borrowings
643
(570)
(545)
Additional financial liabilities
4,741
4,972
7,776
Repayment of financial liabilities
(4,306)
(3,905)
(8,440)
Capital element of lease rental payments
(381)
(394)
(518)
Repurchase of shares
24
(1,508)
(1,507)
(1,509)
Other financing activities(a)
(726)
(527)
(581)
Net cash flow used in financing activities
(6,941)
(7,193)
(8,890)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
1,953
(61)
845
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
4,045
4,225
3,387
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
(48)
(119)
(7)
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
17A
5,950
4,045
4,225
(a) Other financing activities include cash paid for the purchase of non-controlling interests and dividends paid to minority interests.
The cash flows of pension funds (other than contributions and other direct payments made by the Group in respect of pensions and similar
obligations) are not included in the Group cash flow statement.
142
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Notes to the Consolidated                     
Financial Statements Unilever Group
1. Accounting information and
policies
BASIS OF CONSOLIDATION
Group companies included in the consolidated financial statements for 2024
are Unilever PLC ('PLC') and all subsidiary undertakings, which are those
entities controlled by PLC. Control exists when the Group has the power to
direct the activities of an entity so as to affect the return on investment.
The net assets and results of acquired businesses are included in the
consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition,
being the date on which the Group obtains control.
The results of disposed businesses are included in the consolidated financial
statements up to their date of disposal, being the date control ceases.
Intra-group transactions and balances are eliminated.
COMPANY LEGISLATION AND ACCOUNTING
STANDARDS
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance
with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the
International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), and UK-adopted
international accounting standards. The consolidated financial statements
comply with the Companies Act 2006.
These financial statements are prepared under the historical cost
convention unless otherwise indicated.
GOING CONCERN
These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
The Group has considerable financial resources together with established
business relationships with many customers and suppliers in countries
throughout the world.
The Directors considered the Group's overall financial position, exposure to
principal risks and future business forecasts. Specifically, they ensured that
the expected cash flows from those forecasts were sufficient to cover its
obligations for the next twelve months from the date of approval of the
financial statements. This also included sensitivities considerations should
the Group face an adverse environment leading to reduced sales growth
and operating margins vs. forecasts. We describe in notes 15 to 18 on pages
169 to 184 the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for managing its
capital; its financial risk management objectives; details of its financial
instruments and hedging activities and its exposures to credit and liquidity
risk. The Group has credit facilities available to raise short-term financing
if necessary.
In conclusion, the Group is well placed to manage its business risks
successfully and meet its obligations for at least twelve months from the
date of approval of the financial statements.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounting policies adopted are the same as those which were applied
for the previous financial year except as set out below under the heading
‘Recent accounting developments’.
Accounting policies are included in the relevant notes to the consolidated
financial statements. These are presented as text highlighted in grey on
pages 142 to 191. The accounting policies below are applied throughout the
financial statements.
FOREIGN CURRENCIES
The consolidated financial statements are presented in euros.
Items included in the financial statements of individual group companies
are recorded in their respective functional currency which is the currency
of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates.
Foreign currency transactions in individual group companies are translated
into functional currency using exchange rates at the date of the transaction.
Foreign exchange gains and losses from settlement of these transactions,
and from translation of monetary assets and liabilities at year-end
exchange rates, are recognised in the income statement except when
deferred in equity as qualifying hedges.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the balances in
individual group companies are translated from their functional currency
into euros. Apart from the financial statements of group companies in
hyperinflationary economies (see below), the income statement, the cash
flow statement and all other movements in assets and liabilities are
translated at average rates of exchange as a proxy for the transaction rate,
or at the transaction rate itself if more appropriate. Assets and liabilities are
translated at year-end exchange rates.
The financial statements of group companies whose functional currency is
the currency of a hyperinflationary economy are adjusted for inflation and
then translated into euros using the balance sheet exchange rate. Amounts
shown for prior years for comparative purposes are not modified. To
determine the existence of hyperinflation, the Group assesses the qualitative
and quantitative characteristics of the economic environment of the country,
such as the cumulative inflation rate over the previous three years.
Effective from 1 January 2024, the functional currency of the Group's ultimate
parent company, Unilever PLC ('PLC') has changed from sterling to euro. This
follows a review and subsequent change of the internal debt of PLC, from
sterling to euro, which triggered a formal evaluation of PLC's functional
currency in line with relevant accounting standards. The change has been
applied prospectively. There is no impact on the presentation of the Group
results nor has there been any restatements to the Group financial
statements as a result of this change.
As at 31 December 2023, the ordinary share capital of PLC was translated to
euro using the historical rate at the date the shares were issued (see note
15B on page 170).
The effect of exchange rate changes during the year on net assets of foreign
operations is recorded in equity. For this purpose, net assets include loans
between group companies and any related foreign exchange contracts
where settlement is neither planned nor likely to occur in the foreseeable
future.
The Group applies hedge accounting to certain exchange differences arising
between the functional currencies of a foreign operation and the functional
currency of the parent entity, regardless of whether the net investment is
held directly or through an intermediate parent. Differences arising on
retranslation of a financial liability designated as a foreign currency net
investment hedge are recorded in equity to the extent that the hedge is
effective. These differences are reported within profit or loss to the extent
that the hedge is ineffective.
Cumulative exchange differences arising since the date of transition to IFRS
of 1 January 2004 are reported as a separate component of other reserves.
In the event of disposal or part disposal of an interest in a group company
either through sale or as a result of a repayment of capital, the cumulative
exchange difference is recognised in the income statement as part of the
profit or loss on disposal of group companies.
HYPERINFLATIONARY ECONOMIES
The Argentinian economy was designated as hyperinflationary from
1 July 2018 and the Turkish economy was designated as hyperinflationary
from 1 July 2022. As a result, application of IAS 29 ‘Financial Reporting in
Hyperinflationary Economies’ has been applied to all Unilever entities whose
functional currency is the Argentinian peso or the Turkish lira. The
application of IAS 29 includes:
adjustment of historical cost non-monetary assets and liabilities for the
change in purchasing power caused by inflation from the date of initial
recognition to the balance sheet date;
adjustment of the income statement for inflation during the reporting
period;
translation of income statement at the period-end foreign exchange rate
instead of an average rate; and
adjustment of the income statement to reflect the impact of inflation and
exchange rate movement on holding monetary assets and liabilities in
local currency.
The main effects on the Group consolidated financial statements for 2024
are:
€ million
Argentina
Turkey
Total
Total assets increase/(reduction)
474
65
539
Turnover increase/(reduction)
230
187
417
Operating profit increase/(reduction)
10
(4)
6
Net monetary gain/(loss)
(206)
11
(195)
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
143
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
CLIMATE CHANGE
In preparing these consolidated financial statements we have
considered the impact of both physical and transition climate
change risks as well as our plans to mitigate against those risks on
the current valuation of our assets and liabilities. We have identified
risks and opportunities that could in the future be material to our
business, for example carbon tax or land use regulations. Where
possible we have performed quantitative assessments of these risks
and opportunities based on various scenarios for the years 2030, 2039
and 2050. These potential financial impacts are based on high-level
quantitative assessments and do not include any assumptions on the
impact of actions that we would undertake to mitigate against these
climate-related risks. Therefore, these quantifications do not represent
any type of financial forecast and thus are not directly incorporated
into any projections of long-term cash flows.
To determine if there is a material impact on the financial reporting
judgements and estimates as of the reporting period, we have reviewed
each balance sheet line item and identified those line items that have
the potential to be significantly impacted by climate-related risks and
our plans to mitigate against these risks. Those line items that have the
potential to be significantly impacted have then been reviewed in detail
to confirm:
that the growth rates and projected cash flows, used in assessing
whether our goodwill and indefinite-life intangibles are impaired,
are consistent with our climate-related risk assumptions and the
actions we are taking to mitigate against those risks and
that the useful lives of our property, plant and equipment are
appropriate given the potential physical and obsolescence risks
associated with climate change and the actions we are taking to
mitigate against those risks.
In addition it should be noted that climate-related risks could affect
the financial position of our defined benefit pension plan assets. The
Trustees operate diversified investment strategies and are continuously
assessing investment risks. The Trustees consider climate risk as one of
the key investment risks and are continually evolving their investments
to lower the overall climate risk.
Based on these reviews, we do not believe that there is a material
impact on the financial reporting judgements and estimates arising
from our considerations and as a result the valuations of our assets
or liabilities have not been significantly impacted by these risks as at
31 December 2024. We have not identified any significant impact from
climate-related risks on the Group’s going concern assessment nor the
viability of the Group over the next three years.
For many years Unilever has placed sustainability at the centre of its
strategy and has been working on becoming a more sustainable
business. This has included implementing hundreds of actions to help
mitigate and adapt against climate-related risks. The costs and benefits
of such actions are embedded into the cost structures of the business
and are not separately identifiable. None of these actions have
significantly impacted the value of the Group's assets or their useful
lives and whilst there is still much to do, our aim is to continue to reduce
our exposure to climate-related risks without impacting the value of the
Group’s assets. However we recognise that the climate emergency is
deepening and government policies are likely to evolve as a result of
commitments to limit global warning to 1.5°C and thus we will continue
to carefully monitor potential implications on the valuations of our
assets and liabilities that could arise in future years.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND
JUDGEMENTS
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make
estimates and judgements in the application of accounting policies
that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and
expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates and
judgements are continuously evaluated and are based on historical
experience and other factors, including expectations of future events
that are believed to be reasonable. Revisions to accounting estimates
are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised and in any
future period affected.
The following estimates are those that management believe have the
most significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying
amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year:
Measurement of defined benefit obligations – the valuations of the
Group’s defined benefit pension plan obligations are dependent on
a number of assumptions. These include discount rates, inflation, and
life expectancy of scheme members. Details of these assumptions
and sensitivities are in note 4B.
The following judgements are those that management believe have the
most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the Group’s
financial statements:
Utilisation of tax losses and recognition of other deferred tax assets
– the Group operates in many countries and is subject to taxes in
numerous jurisdictions. Management uses judgement to assess the
recoverability of tax assets such as whether there will be sufficient
future taxable profits to utilise losses – see note 6B.
Likelihood of occurrence of provisions and contingent liabilities –
events can occur where there is uncertainty over future obligations.
Judgement is required to determine if an outflow of economic
resources is probable, or possible but not probable. Where it is
probable, a liability is recognised and further judgement is used
to determine the level of the provision. Where it is possible but not
probable, further judgement is used to determine if the likelihood is
remote, in which case no disclosures are provided; if the likelihood
is not remote then judgement is used to determine the contingent
liability disclosed. Unilever does not have provisions and contingent
liabilities for the same matters. External advice is obtained for any
material cases. See notes 6A, 19 and 20.
Recognition of pension surplus – where there is an accounting
surplus on a defined benefit plan, management uses judgement
to determine whether the Group can realise the surplus through
refunds, reductions in future contributions or a combination of both.
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
ACCOUNTING DEVELOPMENTS ADOPTED BY THE GROUP
Recent accounting developments adopted by the Group
The Group applied for the first-time amendments to the following standards from 1 January 2024.
Applicable standard
Key requirements
Impact on Group
IAS 7 and IFRS 7 – 'Supplier
Finance Arrangements'’
The amendments introduce additional disclosure
requirements for companies that enter into supplier
finance arrangements. The amendments require
qualitative and quantitative information to be disclosed
about those arrangements.
We have reviewed the Group’s supplier finance
arrangements to ensure appropriate disclosures which
are disclosed in note 14.
All other standards or amendments to standards that have been issued by the IASB and were effective by 1 January 2024 were not applicable or
material to Unilever.
New standards, amendments and interpretations of existing standards that are not yet effective and have not
been early adopted by the Group
The following standards have been released but are not yet adopted by the Group. The Group is currently assessing their impact on the financial
results and position of the Group.
Applicable standard
Key requirements or changes in accounting policy
Amendments to IAS 21 ‘The
Effects of Changes in
Foreign Exchange Rates’
Effective 1 January 2025
In August 2023, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) amended IAS 21 to clarify whether a currency
is exchangeable, and how to determine a spot rate if it is not.
Amendments to IFRS 9 and
IFRS 7 ‘The Classification
and Measurement of
Financial instruments’
Effective from 1 January
2026
In May 2024 the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) amended IFRS 7 and IFRS 9 which includes
clarifications on recognition and derecognition dates of certain financial assets and liabilities, including exceptions
for liabilities settled through electronic cash transfer systems.
IFRS 18 Presentation and
Disclosure in Financial
Statements
Effective 1 January 2027
IFRS 18 will replace IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements. The amendment impacts presentation and
disclosure of the consolidated income statement with new defined categories being operating, investing, and
financing to provide a consistent structure.
Disclosures about Management-defined Performance Measures (MPMs) (i.e. certain non-GAAP measures) will have
to be disclosed in the financial statement with reconciliations to GAAP measures. The new standard will also
provide guidance on grouping of information (aggregation/disaggregation).
All other new standards or amendments that are not yet effective that have been issued by the IASB are not applicable or material to Unilever.
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SUSTAINABILITY  STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
2. Segment information
Segmental reporting
The Group's operating and reportable segments are the five Business Groups of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods
(previously reported as Nutrition) and Ice Cream. The segmental disclosure provided is consistent with information reviewed by our chief
operating decision maker, the Unilever Leadership Executive.
Beauty & Wellbeing
primarily sales of hair care (shampoo, conditioner, styling), skin care (face, hand and body moisturisers) and includes
Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing.
Personal Care
primarily sales of skin cleansing (soap, shower), deodorant and oral care (toothpaste, toothbrush,
mouthwash) products.
Home Care
primarily sales of fabric care (washing powders and liquids, rinse conditioners) and a wide range of home and hygiene
cleaning products.
Foods (previously
Nutrition)
primarily sales of cooking aids & mini-meals (soups, bouillons, seasonings), condiments (mayonnaise, ketchup) and
Unilever Food Solutions.
Ice Cream
primarily ice cream products.
Revenue
Turnover comprises sales of goods after the deduction of discounts, sales taxes and estimated returns. It does not include sales between group
companies. Discounts given by Unilever include rebates, price reductions and incentives given to customers, promotional couponing and trade
communication costs and are based on the contractual arrangements with each customer. Discounts can either be immediately deducted from
the sales value on the invoice or off-invoice and settled later through credit notes when the precise amounts are known. Amounts provided for
discounts at the end of a period require estimation; historical data and accumulated experience is used to assess the provision using the most
likely amount method and in most instances, the discount can be recognised using known facts with a high level of accuracy. Any differences
between actual amounts settled and the amounts provided are recognised in the subsequent reporting period and are not material year-on-
year.
Customer contracts generally contain a single performance obligation and turnover is recognised when control of the products being sold has
transferred to our customer as there are no longer any unfulfilled obligations to the customer. This is generally on delivery to the customer but
depending on individual customer terms, this can be at the time of dispatch, delivery or upon formal customer acceptance. This is considered the
appropriate point where the performance obligations in our contracts are satisfied as Unilever no longer has control over the inventory.
Our customers have the contractual right to return goods only when authorised by Unilever. If material, an estimate is made of goods that will
be returned, and a liability is recognised for this amount. An asset is then recorded for the corresponding inventory that is estimated to return
to Unilever using a best estimate based on accumulated experience. Our customers are distributors who may be able to return unsold goods in
consignment arrangements.
Underlying operating profit
Underlying operating profit means operating profit before the impact of non-underlying items within operating profit. Underlying operating
profit represents our measure of segment profit or loss as it is the primary measure used for the purpose of making decisions about allocating
resources and assessing performance of segments. Items are classified as non-underlying due to their nature and/or frequency of occurrence.
Our segments are comprised of similar product categories. 8 categories (2023 : 8 ; 2022: 8) individually accounted for 5% or more of our revenue in
one or more of the last three years. The following table shows the relevant contribution of these categories to Group revenue for the periods shown:
Category
Segment
2024
2023
2022
Fabric
Home Care
15%
15%
15%
Ice Cream
Ice Cream
14%
13%
13%
Hair Care
Beauty & Wellbeing
10%
10%
11%
Cooking Aids
Foods
10%
10%
10%
Skin Cleansing
Personal Care
10%
10%
10%
Deodorant
Personal Care
9%
9%
8%
Skin Care
Beauty & Wellbeing
7%
7%
7%
Condiments
Foods
7%
7%
6%
Other
18%
19%
20%
*  Cooking Aids previously reported as Scratch Cooking Aids; Condiments previously reported as Dressings.
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
2. SEGMENT INFORMATION continued
The Group operating segment information is provided based on five product areas: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and
Ice Cream.
Notes
€ million
Beauty &
Wellbeing
€ million
Personal
Care
€ million
Home Care
€ million
Foods
€ million
Ice Cream
€ million
Total
2024
Turnover
13,157
13,618
12,352
13,352
8,282
60,761
Operating profit
3
1,970
2,739
1,521
2,599
571
9,400
Non-underlying items(a)
582
275
264
248
410
1,779
Underlying operating profit
2,552
3,014
1,785
2,847
981
11,179
Share of net profit/(loss) of joint ventures and associates
3
5
6
236
5
255
Significant non-cash charges:
Within underlying operating profit:
Depreciation and amortisation
271
362
286
318
387
1,624
          Share-based compensation and other non-cash charges(b)
111
113
100
105
62
491
Within non-underlying items:
          Impairment and other non-cash charges(c)
65
75
195
105
111
551
2023
Turnover
12,466
13,829
12,181
13,204
7,924
59,604
Operating profit
3
2,209
2,957
1,419
2,413
760
9,758
Non-underlying items(a)
122
(165)
77
47
92
173
Underlying operating profit
2,331
2,792
1,496
2,460
852
9,931
Share of net profit/(loss) of joint ventures and associates
1
3
3
221
3
231
Significant non-cash charges:
Within underlying operating profit:
Depreciation and amortisation
257
328
279
283
431
1,578
          Share-based compensation and other non-cash charges(b)
73
87
64
89
47
360
Within non-underlying items:
          Impairment and other non-cash charges(c)
(6)
4
(40)
(18)
(1)
(61)
2022
Turnover
12,250
13,636
12,401
13,898
7,888
60,073
Operating profit
3
2,154
2,264
1,064
4,497
776
10,755
Non-underlying items(a)
138
415
280
(2,048)
143
(1,072)
Underlying operating profit
2,292
2,679
1,344
2,449
919
9,683
Share of net profit/(loss) of joint ventures and associates
1
3
4
196
4
208
Significant non-cash charges:
Within underlying operating profit:
Depreciation and amortisation
282
350
327
349
417
1,725
          Share-based compensation and other non-cash charges(b)
43
55
36
51
33
218
Within non-underlying items:
          Impairment and other non-cash charges(c)
49
259
152
87
60
607
(a) Non-underlying items include (loss)/gain on disposal of group companies, impairment, restructuring costs, acquisition and disposal-related costs and other one-off
items classified separately due to their nature and/or frequency of occurrence. Refer to note 3.
(b) Other non-cash charges within underlying operating profit include movements in provisions from underlying activities, excluding movements arising from
non-underlying activities.
(c) Other non-cash charges within non-underlying items includes movements in restructuring provisions and movements in certain legal provisions.
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
2. SEGMENT INFORMATION continued
The Unilever Group is not reliant on turnover from transactions with any single customer and does not receive 10% or more of its turnover from
transactions with any single customer.
Segment assets and liabilities are not provided because they are not reported to or reviewed by our chief operating decision-maker, which is the
Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE).
Turnover and non-current assets for the country of domicile, the United States and India (being the two largest countries outside the home country)
and for all other countries are:
€ million
United
Kingdom
€ million
United
States
€ million
India
€ million
Others
€ million
Total
2024
Turnover
2,646
12,515
6,677
38,923
60,761
Non-current assets(a)
3,830
19,715
6,700
23,296
53,541
2023
Turnover
2,523
12,250
6,691
38,140
59,604
Non-current assets(a)
3,567
18,205
6,436
22,876
51,084
2022
Turnover
2,498
12,122
6,872
38,581
60,073
Non-current assets(a)
3,621
18,109
6,500
23,971
52,201
(a) For the purpose of this table, non-current assets include goodwill, intangible assets, property, plant and equipment and other non-current assets as shown on the
consolidated balance sheet. Goodwill is attributed to countries where acquired business operated at the time of acquisition; all other assets are attributed to the
countries where they were acquired.
No other country had turnover or non-current assets (as shown above) greater than 10% of the Group total.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY GEOGRAPHIES
Although the Group’s operations are managed by product area, we provide additional information based on geographies.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Asia Pacific Africa
25,991
26,234
27,504
The Americas(a)
22,491
21,531
20,905
Europe
12,279
11,839
11,664
Total
60,761
59,604
60,073
(a) Americas sales in North America were €13,382 million (2023: €13,130 million; 2022: €13,000 million) and in Latin America were €9,109 million (2023: €8,401 million; 2022:
€7,905 million).
The Group's turnover classified by markets is:
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Emerging markets
35,313
34,714
35,324
Developed markets
25,448
24,890
24,749
Transactions between the Unilever Group’s geographical regions are immaterial and are carried out on an arm’s length basis.
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
3. Operating costs
Operating costs
Operating costs include cost of sales, brand and marketing investment, overheads and other items including gains and losses on business
disposals, acquisition and disposal-related costs, restructuring costs, impairments and other items within operating profit recognised separately
due to their nature and/or frequency.
(i) Cost of sales
Cost of sales includes the cost of inventories sold during the period and distribution costs. The cost of inventories are raw and packaging
materials and related production costs. Distribution costs are charged to the income statement as incurred.
(ii) Brand and marketing investment
Brand and marketing investment include costs related to creating and maintaining brand equity and brand awareness. This includes media,
advertising production, promotional materials and engagement with consumers. These costs are charged to the income statement as incurred.
(iii) Overheads
Overheads include staff costs associated with sales activities and central functions such as finance, human resources, and research and
development costs. Research and development costs are staff costs, material costs, depreciation of property, plant and equipment, patent costs
and other costs that are directly attributable to research and product development activities. These costs are charged to the income statement
as incurred.
(iv) Restructuring costs
Restructuring costs are costs that are directly attributable to a restructuring project. Management define a restructuring project as a strategic,
major initiative that delivers cost savings and materially change either the scope of the business or the manner in which the business is
conducted.
(v) Acquisition and disposal-related costs
Acquisition and disposal-related costs are costs that are directly attributable to a business acquisition or disposal project.
(vi) Impairment of assets
Impairment of assets including goodwill, intangible assets and property, plant and equipment.
(vii) Gains or losses from the disposal of group companies
Gains or losses from the disposal of group companies which arise from business disposal projects.
(viii) Others
Other approved one-off items are those additional matters considered by management to be significant and outside the course of normal
operations.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Turnover
60,761
59,604
60,073
Cost of sales
(33,391)
(34,429)
(35,906)
of which:
Distribution costs
(3,469)
(3,549)
(3,787)
Production costs
(4,074)
(3,969)
(3,995)
Raw and packaging materials and goods purchased for resale
(24,069)
(25,084)
(26,360)
Other
(1,779)
(1,827)
(1,764)
Gross profit
27,370
25,175
24,167
Selling and administrative expenses
(16,191)
(15,244)
(14,484)
of which:
Brand and marketing investment
(9,410)
(8,546)
(7,821)
Overheads
(6,781)
(6,698)
(6,663)
of which: Research and development(a)
(987)
(949)
(908)
(Loss)/gain on disposal of group companies(b)
(406)
489
2,335
Acquisition and disposal-related costs(c)
(387)
(242)
(50)
Restructuring costs(d)
(850)
(499)
(777)
Impairments(e)
(133)
(1)
(221)
Other
(3)
80
(215)
Operating profit
9,400
9,758
10,755
(a) Research and development costs include patent costs of €27 million in 2024. The patent costs for 2023 and 2022 were €29 million and €28 million respectively.
(b) 2024 net loss arises from the disposals of our Russian business, Elida Beauty, Pureit, and Qinyuan. This net loss includes a foreign currency translation reserve write-off
of 545 million. 2023 includes a gain of 497 million related to the disposal of Suave. 2022 includes a gain of €2,303 million related to the disposal of the global tea
business.
(c) 2024 includes a charge of €239 million (2023: €104 million) relating to the revaluation of the minority interest liability of Nutrafol, €54 million relating to the Ice Cream
separation, and €39 million relating to the acquisition of Yasso.
(d) In 2024, we announced the launch of a company-wide productivity programme that would impact around 7,500 jobs and support margin improvement through
specific interventions over its duration. The majority of the costs incurred that relate to the productivity programme were for redundancy and are recognised as
restructuring in line with our policy. The remaining costs comprise technology and supply chain projects.
(e) 2024 includes an impairment charge of €127 million relating to Blueair, an air purification business. 2022 includes an impairment charge of €192 million relating to
Dollar Shave Club.
Exchange gain/(loss) within operating costs in 2024 is €24 million ( 2023: €(249) million; 2022: €(225) million).
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4. Employees
4A. STAFF AND MANAGEMENT COSTS
Staff costs
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Wages and salaries
(5,852)
(5,722)
(5,857)
Social security costs
(640)
(591)
(587)
Other pension costs
(339)
(348)
(396)
Share-based compensation costs
(324)
(212)
(177)
(7,155)
(6,873)
(7,017)
Average number of employees during the year (a)
'000
2024
'000
2023
'000
2022
Asia Pacific Africa
61
64
73
The Americas
38
38
38
Europe
26
26
27
125
128
138
(a) Reduction in average number of employees is primarily driven by the productivity programme and business disposals during 2024. The reduction in 2023 was
primarily driven by the disposal of the global tea business in 2022.
Key management compensation
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Salaries and short-term employee benefits
(44)
(41)
(41)
Share-based benefits(a)
(19)
(13)
(15)
(63)
(54)
(56)
Of which: Executive Directors
(14)
(13)
(12)
  Other(b)
(49)
(41)
(44)
Non-Executive Directors’ fees
(2)
(2)
(2)
(65)
(56)
(58)
(a) Share-based benefits are expenses recognised for the period. Share-based benefits compensation on a vesting basis is €13 million ( 2023: €8 million ; 2022: €12 million).
(b) Other includes all members of the Unilever Leadership Executive, other than Executive Directors.
Key management are defined as the members of Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) and the Non-Executive Directors. Compensation for ULE
members is pro-rated based on time actively spent in a ULE role.
Details of the remuneration of Directors (including leaving arrangements) are given in the parts noted as audited in the Directors’ Remuneration
Report on pages 95 to 117.
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS
For defined benefit plans, operating and finance costs are recognised separately in the income statement. The amount charged to operating
cost in the income statement is the cost of accruing pension benefits promised to employees over the year, administration costs (other than
costs of managing plan assets), plus the costs of individual events such as past service benefit changes, settlements and curtailments (such
events are recognised immediately in the income statement). The amount charged or credited to finance costs is a net interest expense
calculated by applying the liability discount rate to the surplus or deficit. Any differences between the expected interest on assets and the return
actually achieved, and any changes in the liabilities over the year due to changes in assumptions or experience within the plans, are recognised
immediately in the statement of comprehensive income.
The defined benefit plan surplus or deficit on the balance sheet comprises the total for each plan of the fair value of plan assets less the present
value of the defined benefit liabilities (using a discount rate based on high-quality corporate bonds, or a suitable alternative where there is no
active corporate bond market) adjusted for irrecoverable surpluses.
All defined benefit plans are subject to regular actuarial review using the projected unit method by external consultants. The Group policy is that
the most material plans, representing approximately 81% of the defined benefit liabilities, are formally valued every year. Other material plans,
accounting for a further 14% of the liabilities, have their liabilities updated each year. Group policy for the remaining plans requires a full
actuarial valuation at least every three years. Asset values for all plans are updated every year.
For defined contribution plans, the charges to the income statement are the company contributions payable, as the company’s obligation is
limited to the contributions paid into the plans. The assets and liabilities of such plans are not included in the balance sheet of the Group.
Description of plans
The Group increasingly operates a number of defined contribution plans, the assets of which are held in external funds. In certain countries,
the Group operates defined benefit pension plans based on employee pensionable remuneration and length of service. The majority of defined
benefit plans are either career average, final salary or hybrid plans and operate on a funded basis with assets held in external funds. Benefits
are determined by the plan rules and are linked to inflation in some countries. Our largest plans are in the UK and the Netherlands. In the UK, we
operate a career average defined benefit plan (with a salary limit for benefit accrual) which is closed to new entrants from October 2021, and a
defined contribution plan. In the Netherlands, we operate a collective defined contribution plan for all new benefit accrual and a closed career
average defined benefit plan for benefits built up to April 2015.
The Group also provides other post-employment benefits, mainly post-employment healthcare plans in the US, closed to new entrants from
January 2014. These plans are predominantly unfunded.
Governance
The majority of the Group’s externally funded plans are established as trusts, foundations or similar entities. The operation of these entities is
governed by local regulations and practice in each country, as is the nature of the relationship between the Group and the Trustees (or equivalent)
and their composition. Where Trustees (or equivalent) are in place to operate plans, they are generally required to act on behalf of the plan’s
stakeholders. They are tasked with periodic reviews of the solvency of the plan in accordance with local legislation and play a role in the long-
term investment and funding strategy. The Group also has an internal body, the Pensions Committee, that is responsible for setting the company’s
policies and decision-making on plan matters, including but not limited to design, funding, investments, risk management and governance.
Investment strategy
The Group’s investment strategy in respect of its funded plans is implemented within the framework of the various statutory requirements of the
territories where the plans are based. The Group has developed policy guidelines for the allocation of assets to different classes with the objective
of controlling risk and maintaining the right balance between risk and long-term returns in order to limit the cost to the Group of the benefits
provided. To achieve this, investments are diversified, such that the failure of any single investment should not have a material impact on the
overall level of assets. The plans expose the Group to a number of actuarial risks such as investment risk, interest rate risk, longevity risk and, in
certain countries, inflation risk. There are no unusual entity or material plan-specific risks to the Group. The plans invest a reducing proportion of
assets in equities and, for risk control, an increasing proportion in liability matching assets (bonds). There are also investments in property and
other alternative assets; additionally, the Group uses derivatives to further mitigate the impact of the risks outlined above. However, the portfolio
leverage is relatively low. The majority of assets are managed by a number of external fund managers with a small proportion managed in-house.
Unilever has a pooled investment vehicle (Univest) which it believes offers its pension plans around the world a simplified externally managed
investment vehicle to implement their strategic asset allocation models, currently for bonds, equities and alternative assets. The aim is to provide
high-quality, well-diversified, cost-effective, risk-controlled vehicles. The pension plans’ investments are overseen by Unilever’s internal investment
company, the Univest Company.
Assumptions
With the objective of presenting the assets and liabilities of the pensions and other post-employment benefit plans at their fair value on the
balance sheet, assumptions under IAS 19 are set by reference to market conditions at the valuation date. The actuarial assumptions used to
calculate the benefit liabilities vary according to the country in which the plan is situated. The following table shows the assumptions, weighted by
liabilities, used to value the principal defined benefit plans (representing approximately 95% of total pension liabilities and other post-employment
benefit liabilities). 
31 December 2024
31 December 2023
Defined benefit
pension plans
Other post-
employment
benefit plans
Defined benefit
pension plans
Other post-
employment
benefit plans
Discount rate
4.8%
6.3%
4.4%
5.9%
Inflation
2.8%
n/a
2.8%
n/a
Rate of increase in salaries
3.4%
3.0%
3.4%
2.9%
Rate of increase for pensions in payment (where provided)
2.5%
n/a
2.6%
n/a
Rate of increase for pensions in deferment (where provided)
2.8%
n/a
2.8%
n/a
Long-term medical cost inflation
n/a
5.7%
n/a
5.5%
For the most material other post-employment benefit plan in the US, a higher initial level of medical cost inflation is assumed which falls from the
initial rate of 6.75% to the long-term rate of 5% after 7 years. Assumed healthcare cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported
for healthcare plans.
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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS continued
For the UK and Netherlands pension plans, representing approximately 64% of all defined benefit pension liabilities, the assumptions used at
31 December 2024 and 2023 were:
United Kingdom
Netherlands
2024
2023
2024
2023
Discount rate
5.6%
4.7%
3.4%
3.2%
Inflation
3.1%
3.0%
2.0%
2.1%
Rate of increase in salaries
3.8%
3.6%
2.5%
2.6%
Rate of increase for pensions in payment (where provided)
2.9%
2.8%
2.0%
2.1%
Rate of increase for pensions in deferment (where provided)
2.9%
2.8%
2.0%
2.1%
Number of years a current pensioner is expected to live beyond age 65:
Men
21.5
21.5
22.0
21.9
Women
23.1
23.1
24.2
24.1
Number of years a future pensioner currently aged 45 is expected to live beyond
age 65:
Men
22.5
22.4
24.0
23.9
Women
24.3
24.2
26.2
26.1
Demographic assumptions, such as mortality rates, are set having regard to the latest trends in life expectancy (including expectations of future
improvements), plan experience and other relevant data. These assumptions are reviewed and updated as necessary as part of the periodic
actuarial valuation of the pension plans. The years of life expectancy for 2024 above have been translated from the following tables:
Largest UK plan: Standard life expectancy tables Series S3, adjusted to reflect the experience of our plan members analysed as part of the 2022
actuarial valuation. Future improvements in longevity have been allowed for in line with the core CMI 2022 Mortality Projections Model with a 1%
p.a. long-term improvement rate.
Largest Netherlands plan: The Dutch Actuarial Society’s AG Prognosetafel 2024 table is used with correction factors (2020) to allow for the typically
longer life expectancy for fund members relative to the general population. This table has an in-built allowance for future improvements in
longevity.
The impact from changes to the assumptions of the remaining defined benefit plans are considered immaterial. Their assumptions vary due to
a number of factors including the currency and long-term economic conditions of the countries where they are situated.
Income statement
The charge to the income statement comprises:
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Charged to operating profit:
Defined benefit pension and other benefit plans:
              Gross service cost
(178)
(128)
(186)
              Employee contributions
37
11
12
              Special termination benefits
(5)
(14)
(11)
              Past service cost including (losses)/gains on curtailments(a)
32
3
              Settlements
5
2
1
Defined contribution plans
(230)
(222)
(212)
Total operating cost
4A
(339)
(348)
(396)
Finance income/(cost)(b)
5
71
110
44
Net impact on the income statement (before tax)
(268)
(238)
(352)
(a) This includes €28 million credit in the UK due to removal of a discretionary administration practice.
(b) This includes the impact of asset ceiling on interest.
Statement of comprehensive income
Amounts recognised in the statement of comprehensive income on the remeasurement of the surplus/(deficit).
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Return on plan assets excluding amounts included in net finance income/(cost)
(601)
131
(6,483)
Change in asset ceiling excluding amounts included in finance cost
(38)
(6)
(184)
Actuarial gains/(losses) arising from changes in demographic assumptions
26
98
(24)
Actuarial gains/(losses) arising from changes in financial assumptions
903
(552)
6,914
Experience gains/(losses) arising on pension plan and other benefit plan liabilities
28
(416)
(760)
Total of defined benefit costs recognised in other comprehensive income
318
(745)
(537)
152
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS continued
Balance sheet
The assets, liabilities and surplus/(deficit) position of the pension and other post-employment benefit plans at the balance sheet date were:
€ million 2024
€ million 2023
Pension plans
Other post-
employment
benefit plans
Pension plans
Other post-
employment
benefit plans
Fair value of assets
19,867
2
20,174
4
Present value of liabilities
(16,259)
(345)
(17,174)
(348)
Computed surplus/(deficit)
3,608
(343)
3,000
(344)
Irrecoverable surplus(a)
(295)
(255)
Surplus/(deficit)
3,313
(343)
2,745
(344)
Of which in respect of:
Funded plans in surplus:
Liabilities
(12,909)
(13,739)
Assets
17,368
17,775
Aggregate surplus
4,459
4,036
          Irrecoverable surplus(a)
(295)
(255)
Surplus/(deficit)
4,164
3,781
Funded plans in deficit:
Liabilities
(2,633)
(41)
(2,715)
(39)
Assets
2,499
2
2,399
4
Surplus/(deficit)
(134)
(39)
(316)
(35)
Unfunded plans:
Pension liability
(717)
(304)
(720)
(309)
(a) A surplus is deemed recoverable to the extent that the Group is able to benefit economically from the surplus. Unilever assesses the maximum economic benefit
available through a combination of refunds and reductions in future contributions in accordance with local legislation and individual financing arrangements with
each of our funded defined benefit plans.
Reconciliation of change in assets and liabilities
The group of plans within ‘Rest of world’ category in the tables below are not materially different with respect to their risks that would require
disaggregated disclosure.
Movements in assets during the year:
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2024 Total
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2023 Total
1 January fair value of assets
8,679
5,514
5,985
20,178
8,704
5,343
5,320
19,367
1 January irrecoverable surplus
(255)
(255)
(234)
(234)
1 January (after irrecoverable surplus)
8,679
5,514
5,730
19,923
8,704
5,343
5,086
19,133
Employee contributions
37
37
11
11
Settlements
(1)
(1)
Actual return on plan assets (excluding
amounts in net finance income/charge)
(894)
194
99
(601)
(227)
146
212
131
Change in asset ceiling excluding
amounts included in interest expenses
(38)
(38)
(6)
(6)
Interest income(a)
407
174
273
854
432
194
233
859
Employer contributions(b)
47
(106)
256
197
50
9
348
407
Benefit payments
(492)
(181)
(535)
(1,208)
(459)
(178)
(485)
(1,122)
Other(c)
(13)
(13)
371
371
Currency retranslation
385
38
423
179
(39)
140
31 December (after irrecoverable surplus)
8,132
5,595
5,847
19,574
8,679
5,514
5,730
19,923
31 December irrecoverable surplus
(295)
(295)
(255)
(255)
31 December fair value of assets
8,132
5,595
6,142
19,869
8,679
5,514
5,985
20,178
(a) This includes the impact of asset ceiling on interest.
(b) The Group received a partial refund of €115 million from the Netherlands Plan in 2024, per a formal agreement with the Plan allowing a return of surplus provided
specific funding conditions are satisfied.
(c) The majority of 'Other' during 2023 is explained by reclassification of India HUL and GSK Provident Funds from Defined Contribution to Defined Benefit reporting
adding €368 million to both assets and liabilities at year end 2023. The impact on the overall (deficit)/surplus is nil.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
153
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS continued
Movements in liabilities during the year:
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2024 Total
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2023 Total
1 January
(7,250)
(4,031)
(6,241)
(17,522)
(6,838)
(3,734)
(5,992)
(16,564)
Gross service cost
(51)
(4)
(123)
(178)
(42)
(5)
(81)
(128)
Special termination benefits
(5)
(5)
(14)
(14)
Past service costs including losses/(gains)
on curtailments
27
5
32
3
3
Settlements
5
5
3
3
Interest cost
(337)
(126)
(320)
(783)
(335)
(135)
(279)
(749)
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from changes
in demographic assumptions
3
13
10
26
104
(6)
98
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from changes
in financial assumptions
675
160
68
903
(243)
(236)
(73)
(552)
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from
experience adjustments
(14)
154
(112)
28
(220)
(99)
(97)
(416)
Benefit payments
492
181
535
1,208
459
178
485
1,122
Other(a)
33
33
(371)
(371)
Currency retranslation
(327)
(24)
(351)
(135)
181
46
31 December
(6,782)
(3,653)
(6,169)
(16,604)
(7,250)
(4,031)
(6,241)
(17,522)
(a) The majority of 'Other' during 2023 is explained by reclassification of India HUL and GSK Provident Funds from Defined Contribution to Defined Benefit reporting
adding €368 million to both assets and liabilities at year end 2023. The impact on the overall (deficit)/surplus is nil.
Movements in (deficit)/surplus during the year:
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2024 Total
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2023 Total
1 January
1,429
1,483
(511)
2,401
1,866
1,609
(906)
2,569
Gross service cost
(51)
(4)
(123)
(178)
(42)
(5)
(81)
(128)
Employee contributions
37
37
11
11
Special termination benefits
(5)
(5)
(14)
(14)
Past service costs including losses/(gains)
on curtailments
27
5
32
3
3
Settlements
5
5
2
2
Actual return on plan assets (excluding
amounts in net finance income/charge)
(894)
194
99
(601)
(227)
146
212
131
Change in asset ceiling excluding
amounts included in interest expenses
(38)
(38)
(6)
(6)
Interest cost
(337)
(126)
(320)
(783)
(335)
(135)
(279)
(749)
Interest income(a)
407
174
273
854
432
194
233
859
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from changes
in demographic assumptions
3
13
10
26
104
(6)
98
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from changes
in financial assumptions
675
160
68
903
(243)
(236)
(73)
(552)
Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from
experience adjustments
(14)
154
(112)
28
(220)
(99)
(97)
(416)
Employer contributions(b)
47
(106)
256
197
50
9
348
407
Benefit payments
Other
20
20
Currency retranslation
58
14
72
44
142
186
31 December
1,350
1,942
(322)
2,970
1,429
1,483
(511)
2,401
(a) This includes the impact of asset ceiling on interest.
(b) The Group received a partial refund of €115 million from the Netherlands Plan in 2024, per a formal agreement with the Plan allowing a return of surplus provided
specific funding conditions are satisfied.
The actual return on recognised plan assets during 2024 was €253 million, being €(601) million of asset returns and €854 million of interest income
shown in the tables above (2023: €990 million).
Movements in irrecoverable surplus during the year:
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2024 Total
€ million
UK
€ million
Netherlands
€ million
Rest of
world
€ million
2023 Total
1 January
(255)
(255)
(234)
(234)
Interest income
(7)
(7)
(7)
(7)
Change in irrecoverable surplus in excess
of interest
(38)
(38)
(6)
(6)
Currency retranslations
5
5
(8)
(8)
31 December
(295)
(295)
(255)
(255)
154
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS continued
The duration of the principal defined benefit plan liabilities (representing 95% of total pension liabilities and other post-employment benefit
liabilities) and the split of liabilities between different categories of plan participants are:
UK
Netherlands
Rest of
world(a)
2024 Total
UK
Netherlands
Rest of
world(a)
2023 Total
Duration (years)
12
14
10
0 to 23
12
14
10
0 to 22
Active members
8%
7%
23%
13%
7%
7%
23%
12%
Deferred members
30%
38%
15%
27%
31%
38%
14%
27%
Retired members
62%
55%
62%
60%
62%
55%
63%
61%
(a) Rest of world numbers shown are weighted averages by liabilities.
Plan assets
The group of plans within ‘Rest of world’ category in the tables below are not materially different with respect to their risks that would require
disaggregated disclosure.
€ million
31 December 2024
€ million
31 December 2023
UK
Netherlands
Rest of
world
2024 Total
UK
Netherlands
Rest of
world
2023 Total
Total Pension Plans Assets
8,132
5,595
6,140
19,867
8,679
5,514
5,981
20,174
Equities Total
214
1,176
1,106
2,496
224
1,095
1,424
2,743
– Europe
37
148
346
531
43
171
431
645
– North America
128
746
525
1,399
133
670
617
1,420
– Other
49
282
235
566
48
254
376
678
Fixed Income Total
6,228
3,627
3,763
13,618
6,640
3,521
3,344
13,505
– Government bonds
4,296
1,460
1,814
7,570
4,773
1,461
1,546
7,780
– Investment grade corporate bonds
895
648
1,296
2,839
791
620
1,197
2,608
– Other Fixed Income
1,037
1,519
653
3,209
1,076
1,440
601
3,117
Derivatives
(239)
90
(149)
(237)
145
16
(76)
Private Equity
617
105
32
754
559
95
36
690
Property and Real Estate
749
370
433
1,552
674
321
412
1,407
Hedge Funds
123
75
198
136
69
205
Other
440
227
404
1,071
683
337
391
1,411
Other Pension Plans
327
327
289
289
Other Post-Employment Benefit Plans
Assets
2
2
4
4
Total Assets
8,132
5,595
6,142
19,869
8,679
5,514
5,985
20,178
The fair values of the above equity and fixed income instruments are determined based on quoted market prices in active markets. The fair value
of private equity, properties, derivatives and hedge funds are not based on quoted market prices in active markets. Properties are externally and
independently appraised on the basis of an open market value per professional market standards. The value of an investment holding in a
property fund is typically the net asset value as provided to an investor. The Group uses derivatives and other instruments to hedge some of its
exposure to inflation and interest rate risk – the degree of this hedging of liabilities was over 100% for both interest rate and inflation for the UK
plan and approximately 90% for interest rate and 20% for inflation for the Netherlands plan at year end. Foreign currency exposures, in part, are
also hedged by the use of forward foreign exchange contracts. Assets included in the Other category are cash and insurance contracts which are
also unquoted assets.
No Unilever securities were held at 31 December 2024 or 31 December 2023. Property includes property occupied by Unilever amounting to €98
million and €80 million at 31 December 2024 and 2023 respectively.
The pension assets above exclude the assets in a Special Benefits Trust amounting to €30 million (2023: €33 million) to fund pension and similar
obligations in the US (see also note 17A on page 182).
Sensitivities
The sensitivity of the overall pension liabilities to changes in the weighted key assumptions are:
Change in liabilities
Change in assumption
UK
Netherlands
Total
Discount rate
Increase by 0.5%
-6%
-7%
-5%
Inflation rate
Increase by 0.5%
4%
8%
5%
Life expectancy
Increase by 1 year
4%
4%
4%
Long-term medical cost inflation(a)
Increase by 1.0%
n/a
n/a
4%
(a) Long-term medical cost inflation only relates to post-retirement medical plans and its impact on these liabilities.
A decrease in each assumption would have a comparable and opposite impact on liabilities.
The sensitivity analyses above have been determined based on reasonably possible changes of the respective assumptions occurring at the
end of the reporting period and may not be representative of the actual change. It is based on a change in the key assumption while holding all
other assumptions constant. When calculating the sensitivity to the assumption, the same method used to calculate the liability recognised in the
balance sheet has been applied. The methods and types of assumptions used in preparing the sensitivity analysis did not change compared with
the previous period.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
155
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4B. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS continued
Cash flow
Group cash flow in respect of pensions and similar post-employment benefits comprises company contributions paid to funded plans and benefits
paid by the company in respect of unfunded plans. The table below sets out these amounts:
€ million
2025 Estimate
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Company contributions to funded plans:
    Defined Benefit (a)
95
82
291
176
Defined Contribution
245
230
222
212
Benefits paid by the Company in respect of unfunded plans:
Defined Benefit
110
115
116
127
Group cash flow in respect of pensions and similar benefits
450
427
629
515
(a) The Group contributed a one-off contribution of $110 million into the US Pension Plan in 2023.
The Group received a partial refund of €115 million from the Netherlands Plan in 2024, per a formal agreement with the Plan allowing a return of surplus provided
specific funding conditions are satisfied. A further €118 million refund from the Netherlands Plan is due to be received in 2025.
Following conclusion of the 2022 triennial valuation of the UK pension fund, the Group, in agreement with the Trustees, implemented an updated Schedule of
Contributions. Deficit contributions to this fund will continue to be nil. The next triennial valuation is in 2025.
The Group’s funding policy is to periodically review the contributions made to the plans while taking account of local legislation.
4C. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS
The fair value of awards at grant date is calculated using observable market price. This value is expensed over their vesting period, with a
corresponding credit to equity. The expense is reviewed and adjusted to reflect changes to the level of awards expected to vest, except where
this arises from a failure to meet a market condition. Any cancellations are recognised immediately in the income statement.
As at 31 December 2024, the Group had multiple share-based compensation plans to its employees including Executive Directors and Key
Management.
The numbers in this note include shares awarded to Executive Directors as reported under Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 95 to 117 and
to key management as reported in note 4A on page 149. Non-Executive Directors do not participate in any of the share-based compensation plans.
The charge to income statement related to equity-settled share-based compensation plan is €324 million (2023: €212 million; 2022: €177 million).
SHARE PLANS
As at 31 December 2024, the Group has multiple Share plans under which employees are granted Unilever PLC’s shares. The major share-based
plans are explained below:
Performance Share Plans (PSP)
From 2021, under PSP scheme, Unilever’s managers receive annual awards of PLC shares. The awards vest between 0% and 200% of grant level
(limits for Executive Directors may vary and are detailed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 95 to 117) based on the performance
measures which are percentage business winning, cumulative free cash flow, underlying return on invested capital, sustainability progress index
for the Group. The awards vest after 3 years. In 2024, the Group modified the PSP scheme to only eligible employees. The performance measures
for PSP awards from 2024 are underlying sales growth, underlying return on invested capital, relative total shareholder return and sustainability
progress index.
Annual Share Plans (ASP)
From 2024, under the Annual Share Plan (ASP) award, eligible employees receive Unilever PLC shares which will vest after 3 years and are not
subject to any performance conditions.
Management Co-Investment Plans (MCIP)
The MCIP allowed Unilever’s managers to invest up to 100% of their annual bonus (a minimum of 33% and maximum of 67% for Executive Directors)
in shares of Unilever PLC and to receive a corresponding award of performance-related shares. The awards vest between 0% and 200% of grant
level (limits for Executive Directors may vary and are detailed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 95 to 117) based on the performance
measures which are underlying sales growth, underlying EPS growth, return on invested capital and sustainability progress index. The awards vest
after 4 years. MCIP awards were last granted in 2020 and vested in 2024.
A summary of the status of the above Share Plans as at 31 December 2024, 2023 and 2022 and changes during the years ended on these dates is
presented below:
2024
Number of shares
2023
Number of shares
2022
Number of shares
Outstanding at 1 January
21,329,938
17,923,890
14,318,564
Awarded
7,508,412
7,479,544
10,032,321
Vested
(6,296,695)
(2,021,439)
(3,101,598)
Forfeited
(3,429,400)
(2,052,057)
(3,325,397)
Outstanding at 31 December
19,112,255
21,329,938
17,923,890
2024
2023
2022
Share award value information
Fair value per share award during the year
€46.19
€45.71
€41.56
156
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
4C. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS continued
SHARE OPTIONS
In the year 2024, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) subsidiary of Unilever PLC announced “HUL PSP” scheme 2024. Under this scheme, specific
eligible employees of HUL and its wholly owned subsidiaries are awarded with HUL share options. HUL PSP vesting to managers at higher work
levels is based on underlying sales growth, underlying return on invested capital, relative total shareholder return and sustainability progress
index. These awards will vest after 3 years.
Number of options
Weighted average
exercise price
Outstanding at 1 January 2024
€0.00
Awarded
196,994
€0.01
Vested
€0.00
Forfeited
(15,856)
€0.01
Outstanding at 31 December 2024
181,138
€0.01
Summary of options outstanding:
Outstanding
share options
Weighted
average exercise
price
Weighted
remaining
average
contractual life
HUL PSP share options
181,138
€0.01
25 months
Additional information
At 31 December 2024, the employee benefit trust held 1,998,281 (2023: 1,361,032) PLC shares and PLC and its subsidiaries held 326,473 (2023:
36,903) PLC shares which are held as treasury shares.
The book value of €37 million (2023: €207 million) of the shares held by the trust and by Unilever PLC and its subsidiaries in respect of share-based
compensation plans is eliminated on consolidation by deduction from other reserves. Their market value at 31 December 2024 was €127 million
(2023: €60 million).
Shares held to satisfy awards are accounted for in accordance with IAS 32 ‘Financial Instruments: Presentation’. All differences between the purchase
price of the shares held to satisfy awards granted and the proceeds received for the shares, whether on exercise or lapse, are charged to reserves.
Between 31 December 2024 and 21 February 2025 (the latest practicable date for inclusion in this report), movement in shares and share options
are as below:
Shares: nil shares were granted, 6,389,830 shares vested and 1,416,886 shares were forfeited related to the Share Plans.
Share options: nil shares were granted, nil shares vested and 2,565 shares were forfeited related to the Share Plans.
5. Net finance costs
Net finance costs are comprised of finance costs and finance income, including net finance costs in relation to pensions and similar obligations.
Finance income includes income on cash and cash equivalents and income on other financial assets. Finance costs include interest costs
in relation to financial liabilities. This includes interest on lease liabilities which represents the unwind of the discount rate applied to
lease liabilities.
Borrowing costs are recognised based on the effective interest method.
Net finance costs
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Finance costs
(1,113)
(1,038)
(818)
Bank loans and overdrafts
(82)
(82)
(44)
Interest on bonds and other loans(a)
(959)
(921)
(673)
Interest on lease liabilities
(77)
(72)
(72)
Net gain/(loss) on transactions for which hedge accounting is not applied(b)
5
37
(29)
On foreign exchange derivatives
(90)
86
123
Exchange difference on underlying items
95
(49)
(152)
Finance income
438
442
281
Pensions and similar obligations
4B
71
110
44
(604)
(486)
(493)
(a) Interest on bonds and other loans includes the impact of interest rate derivatives that are part of hedge accounting relationships and the related recycling of
results from the hedge accounting reserve. This includes an amount of €(3) million (2023: €(16) million) relating to unwinding of discount on deferred consideration
for acquisitions.
(b) For further details of derivatives for which hedge accounting is not applied, please refer to note 16C.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
157
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
6. Taxation
6A. INCOME TAX
Income tax on the profit for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Income tax is recognised in the income statement except to the extent
that it relates to items recognised directly in equity.
Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet
date, and any adjustments to tax payable in respect of previous years.
Current tax in the consolidated income statement will differ from the income tax paid in the consolidated cash flow statement primarily because
of deferred tax arising on temporary differences and payment dates for income tax occurring after the balance sheet date.
Unilever is subject to taxation in the many countries in which it operates. The tax legislation of these countries differs, is often complex and is
subject to interpretation by management and the government authorities. These matters of judgement give rise to the need to create provisions
for tax payments that may arise in future years with respect to transactions already undertaken. Provisions are made against individual
exposures and take into account the specific circumstances of each case, including the strength of technical arguments, recent case law
decisions or rulings on similar issues and relevant external advice. The provision is estimated based on one of two methods, the expected value
method (the sum of the probability-weighted amounts in a range of possible outcomes) or the single most likely amount method, depending on
which is expected to better predict the resolution of the uncertainty.
Tax charge in income statement
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Current tax
Current year
(2,835)
(2,261)
(2,206)
Pillar 2 income taxes
(9)
Over/(under) provided in prior years
191
9
(61)
(2,653)
(2,252)
(2,267)
Deferred tax
Origination and reversal of temporary differences
121
22
153
Changes in tax rates
(2)
7
28
Recognition of previously unrecognised losses brought forward
34
24
18
153
53
199
(2,500)
(2,199)
(2,068)
The reconciliation between the computed weighted average rate of income tax expense, which is generally applicable to Unilever companies, and
the actual rate of taxation charged is as follows:
Reconciliation of effective tax rate
% 2024
% 2023
% 2022
Computed rate of tax(a)
25
25
25
Differences between computed rate of tax and effective tax rate due to:
    Incentive tax credits
(2)
(2)
(2)
    Withholding tax on dividends
3
2
2
    Expenses not deductible for tax purposes
2
1
1
    Irrecoverable withholding tax
1
1
1
    Income tax reserve adjustments – current and prior year
(1)
    Impact of disposals
2
(2)
(6)
    Others
(2)
(1)
Effective tax rate
29
24
20
(a) The computed tax rate used is the average of the standard rate of tax applicable in the countries in which Unilever operates, weighted by the amount of profit before
taxation generated in each of those countries. For this reason, the rate may vary from year to year according to the mix of profit and related tax rates.
Our tax rate is reduced by incentive tax credits, the benefit from preferential tax regimes that have been legislated by the countries and provinces
concerned in order to promote economic development and investment. The tax rate is increased by business expenses which are not deductible for
tax, such as entertainment costs and some interest expense and by irrecoverable withholding taxes on dividends paid by subsidiary companies
and on other cross-border payments such as royalties and service fees, which cannot be offset against other taxes due. Uncertain tax provisions
excluding the related interest amounted to €888 million (2023: €820 million). This includes €506 million (2023: €434 million) related to the Horlicks
intangible amortisation in India.
The Group's future tax charge and effective tax rate could be affected by several factors, including changes in tax laws and their interpretation,
the implementation of the OECD Pillars 1 and 2, EU and US tax changes, as well as the impact of acquisitions, disposals and restructuring of our
business.
Pillar Two legislation applies to the Group for 2024 and we have accrued Pillar Two top-up tax of €9 million which is in line with the Group’s
expectations in 2023 that the impact would be in the range of 0%0.2% increase to the Group effective tax rate for 2024.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
6B. DEFERRED TAX
Deferred tax is recognised using the liability method on taxable temporary differences between the tax base and the accounting base of items
included in the balance sheet of the Group. Certain temporary differences are not provided for as follows:
goodwill not deductible for tax purposes;
the initial recognition of assets or liabilities that affect neither accounting nor taxable profit; and
differences relating to investments in subsidiaries to the extent that it is probable that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future.
The amount of deferred tax provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amount of assets and
liabilities, using tax rates enacted, or substantively enacted, at the year end.
The Group has applied the exemption to not recognise or disclose any deferred tax related to Pillar Two income taxes.
A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the asset
can be utilised. Deferred tax assets are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be realised.
Movements in 2024 and 2023
€ million
As at 1
January
2024
€ million
Income
statement
€ million
Other
€ million
As at 31
December
2024
€ million
As at 1
January
2023
€ million
Income
statement
€ million
Other
€ million
As at 31
December
2023
Pensions and similar obligations
(514)
(12)
(104)
(630)
(613)
(90)
189
(514)
Provisions and accruals
805
168
(35)
938
741
103
(39)
805
Goodwill and intangible assets
(3,697)
(45)
(121)
(3,863)
(3,848)
(10)
161
(3,697)
Accelerated tax depreciation
(572)
(20)
8
(584)
(700)
47
81
(572)
Tax losses
234
190
(9)
415
231
(3)
6
234
Fair value gains
(40)
(3)
(23)
(66)
(42)
2
(40)
Fair value losses
23
9
(20)
12
36
(2)
(11)
23
Share-based payments
246
(2)
29
273
194
30
22
246
Lease liability
189
(16)
8
181
237
(34)
(14)
189
Right of use asset
(166)
8
(3)
(161)
(201)
30
5
(166)
Other
610
(124)
(63)
423
639
(18)
(11)
610
(2,882)
153
(333)
(3,062)
(3,326)
53
391
(2,882)
At the balance sheet date, the Group had unused tax losses of €2,245 million (2023: €1,313 million) and tax credits amounting to €795 million (2023:
€832 million) available for offset against future taxable profits. Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of unused tax losses of
€695 million (2023: €602 million) and tax credits of €502 million (2023: €418 million), as it is not probable that there will be future taxable profits
within the entities against which the losses and credits can be utilised. Of these losses, €246 million (2023: €168 million) have expiry dates, being
corporate income tax losses in the US, Korea and China which expire between now and 2043.
Where deferred tax assets have been recognised in respect of losses, the evidence considered includes the reason for the loss, potential planning
strategies to utilise the loss, including where permitted merger with other profitable entities and the availability of future taxable profits against
which the losses can be utilised. Profit forecasts used are consistent with those used in other areas of the business.
Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of other deductible temporary differences of €986 million (2023: €515 million) as it is not
expected they will be utilised. Of these differences, €868 million (2023: €409 million) relates to limitation on the deduction of interest expenses.
There is no expiry date for these differences.
At the balance sheet date, the aggregate amount of temporary differences associated with undistributed earnings of subsidiaries for which
deferred tax liabilities have not been recognised was €2,013 million (2023: €2,610 million). No liability has been recognised in respect of these
differences because the Group is in a position to control the timing of the reversal of the temporary differences, and it is probable that such
differences will not reverse in the foreseeable future.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets against current tax liabilities and
when the deferred income taxes relate to the same fiscal authority. The following amounts, determined after appropriate offsetting, are shown in
the consolidated balance sheet:
Deferred tax assets and liabilities
€ million
Assets
2024
€ million
Assets
2023
€ million
Liabilities
2024
€ million
Liabilities
2023
€ million
Total
2024
€ million
Total
2023
Pensions and similar obligations
(158)
199
(472)
(713)
(630)
(514)
Provisions and accruals
510
503
428
302
938
805
Goodwill and intangible assets
286
51
(4,149)
(3,748)
(3,863)
(3,697)
Accelerated tax depreciation
(38)
(18)
(546)
(554)
(584)
(572)
Tax losses
395
201
20
33
415
234
Fair value gains
(22)
(1)
(44)
(39)
(66)
(40)
Fair value losses
12
23
12
23
Share-based payments
118
84
155
162
273
246
Lease liability
81
94
100
95
181
189
Right of use asset
(83)
(92)
(78)
(74)
(161)
(166)
Other
191
92
232
518
423
610
1,280
1,113
(4,342)
(3,995)
(3,062)
(2,882)
Of which deferred tax to be recovered/(settled) after more than 12 months
879
756
(4,581)
(4,199)
(3,702)
(3,443)
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159
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
6C. TAX ON ITEMS RECOGNISED IN EQUITY OR OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Income tax is recognised in equity or other comprehensive income for items recognised directly in equity or other comprehensive income.
Tax effects directly recognised in equity or other comprehensive income were as follows:
Movements in 2024 and 2023
€ million
Before tax
2024
€ million
Tax
(charge)/
credit
2024
€ million
After tax
2024
€ million
Before tax
2023
€ million
Tax
(charge)/
credit
2023
€ million
After tax
2023
Gains/(losses) on:
Equity instruments at fair value through other comprehensive income
60
60
(38)
10
(28)
Cash flow hedges
253
(43)
210
(10)
(17)
(27)
Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plans
318
(54)
264
(745)
235
(510)
Currency retranslation gains/(losses)
1,420
(31)
1,389
(1,460)
(1)
(1,461)
2,051
(128)
1,923
(2,253)
227
(2,026)
7. Earnings per share
The earnings per share calculations are based on the average number of share units representing the ordinary shares of PLC in issue during the
period, less the average number of shares held as treasury shares.
In calculating diluted earnings per share, a number of adjustments are made to the number of shares, principally, the exercise of share plans by
employees.
Earnings per share for total operations for the 12 months were as follows:
2024
2023
2022
Basic earnings per share
2.30
2.58
3.00
Diluted earnings per share
2.29
2.56
2.99
Millions of share units
Calculation of average number of share units
2024
2023
2022
Average number of shares
2,520.9
2,587.0
2,629.2
Less: treasury shares held by employee share trusts and companies
(28.3)
(71.1)
(81.0)
Average number of shares – used for basic earnings per share
2,492.6
2,515.9
2,548.2
Add: dilutive effect of share-based compensation plans
14.5
16.5
11.6
Diluted average number of shares – used for diluted earnings per share
2,507.1
2,532.4
2,559.8
Calculation of earnings
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Net profit
6,369
7,140
8,269
Non-controlling interests
(625)
(653)
(627)
Net profit attributable to shareholders’ equity – used for basic and diluted earnings per share
5,744
6,487
7,642
8. Dividends on ordinary capital
Dividends are recognised on the date that the shareholder’s right to receive payment is established. This is generally the date when the dividend
is declared.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Dividends on ordinary capital during the year
(4,320)
(4,327)
(4,356)
Four quarterly interim dividends were declared and paid during 2024 , totalling £1.47 (2023: £1.50) per PLC ordinary share.
A quarterly dividend of 1,121 million (2023: 1,067 million) was declared on 13  February 2025 , to be paid in March 2025; £0.38 per PLC ordinary
share (2023: £0.36). Total dividends declared in relation to 2024 were £1.48 (2023: £1.48) per PLC ordinary share.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
9. Goodwill and intangible assets
Goodwill
Goodwill is initially recognised based on the accounting policy for business combinations (see note 21). Goodwill is subsequently measured at
cost less amounts provided for impairment. Goodwill acquired in a business combination is assessed to determine whether new cash generating
units (CGUs) are created, and if not, is allocated to the Group’s CGUs, or groups of CGUs (GCGUs) in line with the structure detailed below. These
might not always be the same as the CGUs or GCGUs that include the assets and liabilities of the acquired business.
Intangible assets
Separately purchased intangible assets are initially measured at cost, being the purchase price as at the date of acquisition. On acquisition of
new interests in group companies, Unilever recognises any specifically identifiable intangible assets separately from goodwill. These intangible
assets are initially measured at fair value as at the date of acquisition.
Expenditure to support development of internally produced intangible assets is recognised in profit or loss as incurred.
Indefinite-life intangibles mainly comprise trademarks and brands, for which there is no foreseeable limit to the period over which they are
expected to generate net cash inflows. These are considered to have an indefinite life, given the strength and durability of our brands and the
level of marketing support. These assets are not amortised but are subject to a review for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or
circumstances indicate this is necessary.
Finite-life intangible assets mainly comprise software, patented and non-patented technology, know-how and customer lists. These assets are
amortised on a straight-line basis in the income statement over the period of their expected useful lives, or the period of legal rights if shorter.
None of the amortisation periods exceeds ten years.
Cash generating units
The Group’s assets are grouped into cash generating units (CGUs) which are the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates largely
independent cash inflows. The Group's CGUs are aligned with our organisation structure of Business Units and Global Business Units.
For impairment testing purposes, goodwill is allocated to groups of CGUs (GCGUs) which are based on the five Business Groups since the
synergies acquired through a business combination benefit a Business Group as a whole rather than a specific Business Unit or Global Business
Unit. Cash inflows relating to indefinite-life intangible assets are identifiable at Business Unit or Global Business Unit level and are therefore
allocated to individual CGUs.
Impairment review
The impairment test is performed by comparing the carrying value of the CGUs or GCGUs with their recoverable value. The recoverable value
is primarily based on value in use but also considers fair value less costs of disposal where relevant. Any impairment is charged to the income
statement as it arises.
€ million
Goodwill
Indefinite-life
intangible assets
Finite-life intangible assets
Total
Movements during 2024
Software
Other
Cost
1 January 2024
22,266
17,967
3,483
1,124
44,840
Additions through business combinations(a)
310
382
692
Disposal of businesses
(60)
(510)
(26)
(4)
(600)
Reclassification to held for sale
(47)
(47)
(5)
(99)
Additions
3
229
1
233
Disposals and other movements
132
2
(23)
9
120
Hyperinflationary adjustment
284
34
318
Currency retranslation
586
506
143
26
1,261
31 December 2024
23,471
18,337
3,801
1,156
46,765
Accumulated amortisation and impairment
1 January 2024
(1,157)
(345)
(2,841)
(1,031)
(5,374)
Amortisation/impairment for the year
(127)
(213)
(35)
(375)
Disposals and other movements
(3)
47
(8)
36
Currency retranslation
(9)
(116)
(26)
(151)
31 December 2024
(1,160)
(481)
(3,123)
(1,100)
(5,864)
Net book value 31 December 2024(c)
22,311
17,856
678
56
40,901
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
161
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
9. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS continued
€ million
Goodwill
Indefinite-life
intangible assets
Finite-life intangible assets
Total
Movements during 2023
Software
Other
Cost
1 January 2023
22,766
18,516
3,317
1,137
45,736
Additions through business combinations(a)
326
430
756
Disposal of businesses
(56)
(7)
(63)
Reclassification to held for sale(b)
(65)
(467)
(532)
Additions
2
239
2
243
Disposals and other movements
(2)
(71)
7
(66)
Hyperinflationary adjustment
(173)
(12)
(5)
(190)
Currency retranslation
(532)
(500)
3
(15)
(1,044)
31 December 2023
22,266
17,967
3,483
1,124
44,840
Accumulated amortisation and impairment
1 January 2023
(1,157)
(350)
(2,730)
(1,010)
(5,247)
Amortisation/impairment for the year
(187)
(41)
(228)
Disposals and other movements
(1)
72
7
78
Currency retranslation
1
5
4
13
23
31 December 2023
(1,157)
(345)
(2,841)
(1,031)
(5,374)
Net book value 31 December 2023(c)
21,109
17,622
642
93
39,466
(a) Includes the provisional fair value of goodwill and intangibles for acquisitions made in 2024 as well as subsequent changes in the fair value of goodwill and
intangibles for the acquisitions made in 2023 where the initial acquisition accounting was provisional at the end of 2023. See note 21 for further details.
(b) Goodwill and intangibles in relation to Elida Beauty amounting to €532 million in 2023 were reclassified as held for sale and were subsequently disposed in 2024.
(c) Within indefinite-life intangible assets there are five existing brands that have a significant carrying value: Horlicks €2,719 million (2023: €2,640 million), Knorr €1,860
million (2023: €1,838 million), Paula's Choice €1,807 million (2023: €1,699 million), Hellmann’s €1,285 million (2023: €1,226 million) and Carver Korea €1,278 million
(2023: €1,370 million).
SIGNIFICANT CGUs
In 2024, the Group announced a new organisational structure effective 1 January 2025. This new structure retains the concept of Business and
Global Business Units and so this remains the basis for our CGUs. However, the new organisation structure does alter the composition of some of
our CGUs.
The goodwill and indefinite-life assets held in the GCGUs and CGUs shown below are considered significant within the total carrying amounts of
goodwill and indefinite-life intangible as at 31 December 2024.
2024 GCGUs
2023 GCGUs
€ billion
Goodwill
€ billion
Goodwill
Beauty & Wellbeing
5.0
4.6
Personal Care
4.2
3.9
Home Care
0.9
0.9
Foods
8.6
8.0
Ice Cream
3.6
3.7
Total GCGUs
22.3
21.1
2024 CGUs
€ billion
Indefinite-life
intangible assets
Foods India and Nepal
3.0
Prestige
3.2
Wellbeing(a)
1.7
Beauty & Wellbeing North America
1.0
Total Significant CGUs
8.9
Others(b)
9.0
Total CGUs
17.9
(a) Previously Health & Wellness.
(b) Included within Others are individually insignificant amounts of intangible assets.
162
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
9. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS continued
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
In performing our annual impairment testing, the recoverable amount of each CGU has been calculated based on its value in use, estimated as the
present value of projected future cash flows. Each GCGU's value in use is based on the aggregated value in use of the CGUs grouped under the
respective GCGU.
Projected cash flows include specific estimates for a period of five years. The growth rates and operating margins used to estimate cash flows for
the five years are based on past performance and on the Group’s three-year strategic plan, de-risked to ensure reasonability and extended to
years four and five. The Group's three-year strategic plan factors in initiatives we are undertaking to reduce carbon emissions in line with our
Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) and impacts of climate change on our operational costs. The growth rates used in this exercise for GCGUs
and significant CGUs are set out below:
For the year 2024
Group of CGUs
Beauty &
Wellbeing
Personal Care
Home Care
Foods
Ice Cream
Longer-term sustainable growth rates
3%
2%
3%
3%
3%
Average near-term nominal growth rates
5%
3%
3%
3%
5%
Discount rate
11%
11%
12%
11%
10%
Significant CGUs
Foods
India and Nepal
Prestige
Wellbeing
Beauty &
Wellbeing
North America
Longer-term sustainable growth rates
7%
2%
2%
2%
Average near-term nominal growth rates
7%
8%
11%
1%
For the year 2023
Group of CGUs
Beauty &
Wellbeing
Personal Care
Home Care
Foods
Ice Cream
Longer-term sustainable growth rates
3%
2%
3%
2%
2%
Average near-term nominal growth rates
6%
4%
3%
3%
6%
Discount rate
11%
11%
12%
11%
10%
The estimated cash flows after year five are extrapolated using a longer-term sustainable growth rate, which is determined as the lower of our own
three-year average growth projection and external forecasts for the relevant market.
In 2024, the projected cash flows are discounted using pre-tax discount rates. The discount rates are specific to each CGU and are determined
based on the weighted average cost of capital, including a market and country risk premium. Given the higher number of CGUs spread across
different markets, the CGU discount rates are in the range 9.0%16.5% (2023: 8.4%20.0%). For significant CGUs the discount rates are in the range
9.0%11.4%.
There are no reasonably possible changes in key assumptions that would cause the carrying amount of any CGU to exceed its recoverable amount.
Impairment of Air business
Water & Air Wellness CGU comprised of Pureit, Qinyuan, and Blueair. Pureit was launched in 2004, Qinyuan, a water purification company,
was acquired in 2014, and Blueair, a provider of innovative mobile indoor air purification technologies and solutions, was acquired in 2016.
During the 2024 annual impairment review, following the sale of the water business, including the Qinyuan and Pureit brands, it was
determined that the carrying value of Air exceeded its recoverable amount. As a result, the full amount of indefinite-life intangibles was
impaired by €127 million.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
163
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
10. Property, plant and equipment
The Group’s property, plant and equipment is comprised of owned assets (note 10A) and leased assets (note 10B). Property, plant and equipment
is measured at cost including eligible borrowing costs less depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.
Property, plant and equipment is subject to review for impairment if triggering events or circumstances indicate that this is necessary. If an
indication of impairment exists, the asset’s or cash generating unit’s recoverable amount is estimated and any impairment loss is charged to the
income statement as it arises.
Owned assets
Owned assets are initially measured at historical cost. Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis over the expected average useful lives
of the assets. Residual values and useful lives are reviewed at least annually. The review of residual values and useful lives has taken into
consideration the impacts of climate change and the actions we undertake to mitigate and adapt against these climate-related risks and there
is no material impact on the income statement for this year. Estimated useful lives by major class of assets are as follows:
freehold buildings (no depreciation on freehold land)
40 years
leasehold land and buildings 
40 years (or life of lease if less)
plant and equipment
2-20 years
Leased assets
The cost of a leased asset is measured as the lease liability at inception of the lease contract and other direct costs less any incentives granted by
the lessor. The Group has not capitalised leases which are less than 12 months or leases of low-value assets. These mainly relate to IT equipment,
office equipment, furniture and fitting and other peripheral items. When a lease liability is remeasured, the related lease asset is adjusted by the
same amount.
Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis from the commencement date of the lease to the end of the lease term.
Property, plant and equipment
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Owned assets
10A
10,259
9,377
Leased assets
10B
1,410
1,330
Total
11,669
10,707
10A. OWNED ASSETS
Movements during 2024
€ million
Land and
buildings
€ million
Plant and
equipment
€ million
Total
Cost
1 January 2024
4,671
14,957
19,628
Additions through business combinations
1
1
Additions
319
1,421
1,740
Disposals and other movements
(116)
(1,073)
(1,189)
Hyperinflationary adjustment
223
441
664
Reclassification as held for sale
(27)
(69)
(96)
Currency retranslation
34
122
156
31 December 2024
5,104
15,800
20,904
Accumulated depreciation
1 January 2024
(1,599)
(8,652)
(10,251)
Depreciation charge for the year
(119)
(886)
(1,005)
Disposals and other movements
45
893
938
Hyperinflationary adjustment
(33)
(246)
(279)
Reclassification as held for sale
15
50
65
Currency retranslation
(26)
(87)
(113)
31 December 2024
(1,717)
(8,928)
(10,645)
Net book value 31 December 2024(a)
3,387
6,872
10,259
Includes capital expenditures for assets under construction
234
1,368
1,602
(a) Includes €556 million of freehold land.
The Group has commitments to purchase property, plant and equipment of €694 million (2023: €583 million).
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
10A. OWNED ASSETS continued
Movements during 2023
€ million
Land and
buildings
€ million
Plant and
equipment
€ million
Total
Cost
1 January 2023
4,708
15,108
19,816
Additions through business combinations
1
1
Additions
280
1,222
1,502
Disposals and other movements
(96)
(766)
(862)
Hyperinflationary adjustment
29
(111)
(82)
Reclassification as held for sale
6
(13)
(7)
Currency retranslation
(256)
(484)
(740)
31 December 2023
4,671
14,957
19,628
Accumulated depreciation
1 January 2023
(1,599)
(8,801)
(10,400)
Depreciation charge for the year
(116)
(833)
(949)
Disposals and other movements
80
635
715
Hyperinflationary adjustment
6
112
118
Reclassification as held for sale
(6)
9
3
Currency retranslation
36
226
262
31 December 2023
(1,599)
(8,652)
(10,251)
Net book value 31 December 2023(a)
3,072
6,305
9,377
Includes capital expenditures for assets under construction
189
1,057
1,246
(a) Includes €471 million of freehold land.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
10B. LEASED ASSETS
Movements during 2024
€ million
Land and
buildings
€ million
Plant and
equipment
€ million
Total
Cost
1 January 2024
2,625
583
3,208
Additions
404
143
547
Disposals and other movements
(373)
(149)
(522)
Hyperinflationary adjustment
(4)
(4)
Reclassification as held for sale
(2)
(1)
(3)
Currency retranslation
56
11
67
31 December 2024
2,706
587
3,293
Accumulated depreciation
1 January 2024
(1,578)
(300)
(1,878)
Depreciation/Impairment charge for the year
(271)
(106)
(377)
Disposals and other movements
292
120
412
Reclassification as held for sale
1
1
Currency retranslation
(35)
(6)
(41)
31 December 2024
(1,592)
(291)
(1,883)
Net book value 31 December 2024
1,114
296
1,410
Movements during 2023
€ million
Land and
buildings
€ million
Plant and
equipment
€ million
Total
Cost
1 January 2023
2,655
650
3,305
Additions through business combinations
2
2
Additions
365
175
540
Disposals and other movements
(307)
(216)
(523)
Hyperinflationary adjustment
(1)
(1)
Reclassification as held for sale
(12)
(3)
(15)
Currency retranslation
(77)
(23)
(100)
31 December 2023
2,625
583
3,208
Accumulated depreciation
1 January 2023
(1,580)
(371)
(1,951)
Depreciation/Impairment charge for the year
(292)
(109)
(401)
Disposals and other movements
245
166
411
Reclassification as held for sale
9
3
12
Currency retranslation
40
11
51
31 December 2023
(1,578)
(300)
(1,878)
Net book value 31 December 2023
1,047
283
1,330
Our leases mainly comprise of land and buildings and plant and equipment. The Group leases land and buildings for manufacturing, warehouse
facilities and office space and also sublets some property. Plant and equipment includes leases for vehicles.
The Group has recognised in the income statement, a charge of €121 million (2023: €117 million) for short-term leases and €57 million ( 2023 : €64
million) on leases for low-value assets.
During the year, the Group recognised income of €10 million (2023: €11 million) from sublet properties.
The total cash outflow relating to leases was €458 million (2023: €465 million).
Lease liabilities are shown in note 15 on pages 169 and 173.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
11. Other non-current assets
Joint ventures are undertakings in which the Group has an interest and which are jointly controlled by the Group and one or more other parties.
Associates are undertakings where the Group has an investment in which it does not have control or joint control but can exercise
significant influence.
Interests in joint ventures and associates are accounted for using the equity method and are stated in the consolidated balance sheet at cost,
adjusted for the movement in the Group’s share of their net assets and liabilities. The Group’s share of the profit or loss after tax of joint ventures
and associates is included in the Group’s consolidated profit before taxation.
Where the Group’s share of losses exceeds its interest in the equity-accounted investee, the carrying amount of the investment is reduced to zero
and the recognition of further losses is discontinued, except to the extent that the Group has an obligation to make payments on behalf of
the investee.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Interest in net assets of joint ventures
80
70
Interest in net assets of associates
14
24
Long-term trade and other receivables(a)
344
394
Other non-current assets(b)
533
423
971
911
(a) Including indirect tax receivables where we do not have the contractual right to receive payment within 12 months.
(b) Includes direct tax assets, withholding tax assets, interest on tax assets, contingent assets and investment properties.
Movements during 2024 and 2023
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Joint ventures(a)
1 January
70
65
Additions
10
Dividends received/reductions
(245)
(241)
Share of net profit/(loss)
255
235
Currency retranslation
1
31 December
80
70
Associates
1 January
24
19
Additions
8
Dividend received/reductions
(2)
(5)
Share of net profit/(loss)
(4)
Currency retranslation
(8)
6
31 December
14
24
(a) Our principal joint ventures are Unilever FIMA LDA and Gallo Worldwide LDA in Portugal, Binzagr Unilever Distribution in the Middle East, the Pepsi Lipton Tea
Partnership in the US and Pepsi Lipton International Ltd for the rest of the world.
The joint ventures and associates have no contingent liabilities to which the Group is exposed, and the Group has no contingent liabilities in
relation to its interests in the joint ventures and associates.
The Group has no outstanding capital commitments to joint ventures.
Outstanding balances with joint ventures and associates are shown in note 23 on page 190.
12. Inventories
Inventories are valued at the lower of weighted average cost and net realisable value. Cost comprises direct costs and, where appropriate, a
proportion of attributable production overheads. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less the estimated costs necessary to make
the sale.
Inventories
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Raw materials and consumables
1,912
1,815
Finished goods and goods for resale
3,569
3,662
Total inventories
5,481
5,477
Provision for inventories
(304)
(358)
5,177
5,119
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
12. INVENTORIES continued
Provision for inventories
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
358
379
Charge to income statement
9
80
Reduction/releases
(56)
(63)
Currency translations
(1)
(32)
Others(a)
(6)
(6)
31 December
304
358
(a) Others include the amount relating to the acquisition/disposal of businesses and transfers.
Inventories with a value of €188 million (2023: €173 million) are carried at net realisable value, this being lower than cost. During 2024, a total
expense of €259 million (2023: €413 million) was recognised in the income statement for inventory write-downs and losses.
13. Trade and other current receivables
Trade and other current receivables are initially recognised at fair value plus any directly attributable transaction costs. Subsequently, except for
derivatives (see note 16 on page 174), these assets are held at amortised cost, using the effective interest method and net of any impairment
losses. Discounts payable to customers are shown as a reduction in trade receivables when there is a legal right and intent to settle them on a
net basis.
We do not consider the fair values of trade and other current receivables to be significantly different from their carrying values. Concentrations
of credit risk with respect to trade receivables are limited, due to the Group’s customer base being large and diverse. Our historical experience of
collecting receivables, supported by the level of default, is that credit risk is low across territories and so trade receivables are considered to be a
single class of financial assets. Impairment for trade receivables are calculated for specific receivables with known or anticipated issues affecting
the likelihood of recovery and for balances past due with a probability of default based on historical data as well as relevant forward-looking
information.
Trade and other current receivables
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Due within one year
Trade receivables
4,227
4,023
Prepayments and accrued income
506
516
Other receivables
1,278
1,236
6,011
5,775
Included within trade receivables are discounts due to our customers of €2,587 million (2023: €2,528 million). Other receivables comprise financial
assets of €312 million (2023: €256 million) and non-financial assets of €966 million (2023: €979 million). Financial assets include supplier and
customer deposits, employee advances and certain derivatives. Non-financial assets mainly consist of reclaimable sales tax of €582 million ( 2023:
€581 million).
Ageing of trade receivables
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Not overdue
3,807
3,522
Past due less than three months
382
401
Past due more than three months but less than six months
47
67
Past due more than six months but less than one year
28
90
Past due more than one year
142
141
Total trade receivables
4,406
4,221
Impairment provision for trade receivables
(179)
(198)
4,227
4,023
The total impairment provision includes €179 million (2023: €198 million) for current trade receivables, €16 million (2023: €11 million) for other
current receivables and €11 million (2023: €13 million) for non-current trade and other receivables.
Impairment provision for total trade and other receivables
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
222
278
Charge to income statement
37
34
Reduction/releases
(53)
(82)
Reclassifications
(3)
Currency translations
(5)
31 December
206
222
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
14. Trade payables and other liabilities
Trade payables
Trade payables are initially recognised at fair value less any directly attributable transaction costs. Trade payables are subsequently measured
at amortised cost, using the effective interest method.
Other liabilities
Other liabilities are initially recognised at fair value less any directly attributable transaction costs. Subsequent measurement depends on the
type of liability:
accruals are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective interest method;
social security and sundry taxes are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective interest method;
deferred consideration is subsequently measured at fair value with changes in the income statement as explained below; and
others are subsequently measured either at amortised cost, using the effective interest method or at fair value, with changes being recognised
in the income statement.
Deferred consideration
Deferred consideration represents any payments to the sellers of a business that occur after the acquisition date. These typically comprise
contingent consideration and fixed deferred consideration:
fixed deferred consideration is a payment with a due date after acquisition that is not dependent on future conditions; and
contingent consideration is a payment which is dependent on certain conditions being met in the future and is often variable.
All deferred consideration is initially recognised at fair value as at the acquisition date, which includes a present value discount. Subsequently, deferred
consideration is measured to reflect the unwinding of discount on the liability, with changes recognised in finance cost within the income statement. In
the balance sheet, it is remeasured to reflect the latest estimate of the achievement of the conditions on which the consideration is based; changes in
value other than the discount unwind are recognised as acquisition and disposal-related costs in the income statement.
We do not consider the fair values of trade payables and other liabilities to be significantly different from their carrying values.
Trade payables and other liabilities
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Current: due within one year
Trade payables
10,258
10,355
Accruals
5,053
5,057
Social security and sundry taxes
555
512
Deferred consideration
16
167
Others
808
766
16,690
16,857
Non-current: due after more than one year
Accruals
148
105
Deferred consideration
1
5
Others
54
28
203
138
Total trade payables and other liabilities
16,893
16,995
Included within trade payables and other liabilities are discounts due to our customers of €2,161 million (2023: €2,294 million).
Included within others are IT, consulting services, payroll-related expenses and refundable deposits.
Deferred consideration
At 31 December 2024, the total balance of deferred consideration for acquisitions is €17 million (2023: €172 million), which includes contingent
consideration of €1 million (2023 : €157 million). These contingent consideration payments are dependent on acquired businesses achieving
contractually agreed financial targets (mainly relates to cumulative increases in turnover and profit before tax) until 2025.
Supplier financing arrangements for trade payables
Some of our suppliers elect to factor some of their receivables from the Group with financial institutions. In some instances, we provide suppliers
and/or banks with visibility of invoices approved for payment, which helps them receive cash from the bank before the invoice due date, if they
choose to do so.
Payment dates and terms for Unilever do not vary based on whether the supplier chooses to factor their receivable. If a receivable is purchased by a
third-party bank, that third-party bank does not benefit from additional security when compared to the security originally enjoyed by the supplier.
The Group evaluates these arrangements to assess if the payable holds the characteristics of a trade payable or should be classified as a financial
liability. At 31 December 2024 and 31 December 2023, all such liabilities were classified as trade payables.
2024
Carrying amount of trade payables
Presented in trade and other payables (€ million)
2,207
of which suppliers have received payment from finance provider (€ million)
1,908
Range of payment due dates
Liabilities that are part of the arrangements (days)
180 days
Comparable trade payables that are not part of the arrangements (days)
180 days
In its liquidity assessment, the Group does not consider any supplier financing arrangements as these arrangements are non-recourse to Unilever
and supplier payment dates and terms for Unilever do not vary based on whether the supplier chooses to use such financing arrangements.
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169
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
15. Capital and funding
Ordinary shares
Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of ordinary shares are recognised as a deduction
from equity, net of any tax effects.
Share-based compensation
The Group operates a number of share-based compensation plans involving awards of ordinary shares. Full details of these plans are given in
note 4C on pages 155 and 156.
Unification reserve
The Group recognised a separate Unification Reserve within Equity as a result of PLC Share Premium that arose from Unification.
Other reserves
Other reserves include the fair value reserve, the foreign currency translation reserve, the capital redemption reserve and treasury shares.
Shares held by employee share trusts and group companies
An employee share trust and group companies purchase and hold shares to satisfy performance shares granted and other share awards (see
note 4C). The assets and liabilities of the trust and shares held by the trust and group companies are included in the consolidated financial
statements. The book value of shares held is deducted from other reserves, and the trust’s borrowings are included in the Group’s liabilities. The
costs of the trust are included in the results of the Group. The shares held by the trust and group companies are excluded from the calculation of
earnings per share.
Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities are initially recognised at fair value, less any directly related transaction costs. When bonds are designated as being part
of a fair value hedge relationship, in those cases bonds are carried at amortised cost, adjusted for the fair value of the risk being hedged, with
changes in value shown in the income statement. Put options are initially recognised at the present value of the expected gross obligation, with
changes in value being recognised in the income statement. Other financial liabilities, which includes put options, are subsequently carried at
amortised cost, with the exception of:
financial liabilities which the Group has elected to measure at fair value through profit or loss;
derivative financial liabilities – see note 16 on page 174; and
contingent consideration recognised by an acquirer in a business combination to which IFRS 3 applies. Such contingent consideration is
subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss.
Lease liabilities
Lease liabilities are initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not yet paid at the start of the lease term. This is
discounted using an appropriate borrowing rate determined by the Group, where none is readily available in the lease contract. The lease
liability is subsequently reduced by cash payments and increased by interest costs. The lease liability is remeasured when the Group assesses
that there will be a change in the amount expected to be paid during the lease term.
The Group’s Treasury activities are designed to:
maintain a competitive balance sheet in line with at least A/A2 rating (see below);
secure funding at lowest costs for the Group’s operations, M&A activity and external dividend payments (see below);
protect the Group’s financial results and position from financial risks (see note 16);
maintain market risks within acceptable parameters, while optimising returns (see note 16); and
protect the Group’s financial investments, while maximising returns (see note 17).
The Treasury department provides central deposit-taking, funding and foreign exchange management services for the Group’s operations. The
department is governed by standards and processes which are approved by Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE). In addition to guidelines and
exposure limits, a system of authorities and extensive independent reporting covers all major areas of activity. Performance is monitored closely
by senior management. Reviews are undertaken periodically by corporate audit.
Key instruments used by the Treasury department are:
short-term and long-term borrowings;
cash and cash equivalents; and
plain vanilla derivatives, including interest rate swaps and foreign exchange contracts.
The Treasury department maintains a list of approved financial instruments. The use of any new instrument must be approved by the Chief
Financial Officer. The use of leveraged instruments is not permitted.
Unilever considers the following components of its balance sheet to be managed capital:
total equity – retained profit, other reserves, share capital, share premium, non-controlling interests (notes 15A and 15B);
short-term debt – current financial liabilities (note 15C); and
long-term debt – non-current financial liabilities (note 15C).
The Group manages its capital so as to safeguard its ability to continue as a going concern and to optimise returns to our shareholders through an
appropriate balance of debt and equity. The capital structure of the Group is based on management’s judgement of the appropriate balance of
key elements in order to meet its strategic and day-to-day needs. We consider the amount of capital in proportion to risk and manage the capital
structure in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of the underlying assets.
Our current long-term credit rating is A+/A1 and our short-term credit rating is A1/P1. We aim to maintain a competitive balance sheet which we
consider to be the equivalent of a credit rating of at least A/A2 in the long term. This provides us with:
appropriate access to the debt and equity markets;
sufficient flexibility for acquisitions;
sufficient resilience against economic and financial uncertainty while ensuring ample liquidity; and
optimal weighted average cost of capital, given the above constraints.
Unilever monitors the qualitative and quantitative factors utilised by the rating agencies. This information is publicly available and is updated by
the credit rating agencies on a regular basis.
170
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
15A. SHARE CAPITAL
Unilever PLC
£ million
2024
£ million
2023
PLC ordinary shares of 31 /9 p each(a)
78.4
78.3
Unilever Group
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Euro equivalent in millions(b)
88
88
(a) At 31 December 2024 , 2,521,497,338 (2023: 2,516,597,338) of PLC ordinary shares were in issue. During the year, 4,900,000 new shares were issued.
(b) The ordinary share capital of PLC is translated using the conversion rate as at the date of Unification of £1 = €1.121.
For information on the rights of shareholders of PLC, see the Governance report on pages 62 to 80.
15B. EQUITY
Basis of consolidation
Unilever is the majority shareholder of all material subsidiaries and has control in all cases. Information in relation to significant subsidiaries is
provided in note 27 on page 191.
Subsidiaries with significant non-controlling interests
Unilever has one subsidiary company which has a material non-controlling interest, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). Summary financial
information in relation to HUL is shown below.
HUL balance sheet as at 31 December
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Non-current assets
6,478
6,221
Current assets
2,125
2,004
Current liabilities
(1,456)
(1,315)
Non-current liabilities
(1,798)
(1,531)
HUL comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Turnover
6,607
6,636
Profit after tax
1,167
1,147
Total comprehensive income
1,318
937
HUL cash flow for the year ended 31 December
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
364
(22)
HUL non-controlling interest
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
(2,048)
(2,115)
Share of (profit)/loss for the year ended 31 December
(446)
(437)
Other comprehensive income
3
(1)
Dividend paid to the non-controlling interest
511
405
Currency translation
(60)
80
Other movements in equity
(4)
20
31 December
(2,044)
(2,048)
Analysis of other reserves
€ million
Total 2024
€ million
Total 2023
€ million
Total 2022
Fair value reserves – see following table
600
392
329
Currency retranslation of group companies – see following table
(7,026)
(7,432)
(5,803)
Capital redemption reserve
25
25
21
Book value of treasury shares – see following table
(37)
(207)
(282)
Repurchase of shares
(2,259)
(6,034)
(4,527)
Cancellation of PLC shares
5,282
Other(a)
(602)
(544)
(542)
(9,299)
(8,518)
(10,804)
(a) Relates primarily to options to purchase non-controlling interest in subsidiaries.
Unilever acquired 27,368,909 (2023: 31,734,256) of its own shares through purchases on the stock exchanges during the year, which includes the
share buyback programme as explained in note 24. During 2023, 112,746,434 of PLC ordinary shares were cancelled and the remaining shares were
held as treasury shares as a separate component of other reserves.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
171
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
15B. EQUITY continued
At 31 December 2024, the employee benefit trust held 1,998,281(2023: 1,361,032) of PLC shares. PLC and its subsidiaries held 326,473 (2023: 36,903)
of PLC shares as treasury shares in connection with share-based compensation plans. The shares are shown as a deduction from other reserves.
(see note 4C on pages 155 and 156).
Treasury shares – movements during the year
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
(959)
(4,809)
Repurchase of shares
(1,508)
(1,507)
Cancellation of PLC shares
5,282
Other purchases and utilisations
171
75
31 December
(2,296)
(959)
Currency retranslation reserves – movements during the year
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
(7,432)
(5,803)
Currency retranslation of group companies' net assets and liabilities during the year
(419)
(1,528)
Movement in net investment hedges and exchange differences in net investments in foreign operations
280
(115)
Recycling of currency retranslation to the income statement on business disposals
545
14
31 December
(7,026)
(7,432)
Fair value reserves – movements during the year
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
392
329
Movements in Other comprehensive income, net of tax
  Gains/(losses) on equity instruments
60
(27)
  Gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges
210
(27)
Hedging (gains)/losses transferred to non-financial assets
(62)
117
31 December
600
392
Refer to the consolidated statement of comprehensive income on page 138, the consolidated statement of changes in equity on page 139, and
note 6C on page 159.
Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plans, net of tax
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
(180)
330
Movement during the year
264
(510)
31 December
84
(180)
Refer to the consolidated statement of comprehensive income on page 138, the consolidated statement of changes in equity on page 139, note 4B
from pages 150 to 155 and note 6C on page 159.
Currency retranslation gains/(losses) – movements during the year
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
(7,344)
(5,883)
Currency retranslation during the year:
    Other reserves
406
(1,629)
    Retained profit
891
294
    Non-controlling interest
92
(126)
31 December
(5,955)
(7,344)
172
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
15C. FINANCIAL LIABILITIES
Financial liabilities(a)
€ million
Current
2024
€ million
Non-
current
2024
€ million
Total
2024
€ million
Current
2023
€ million
Non-
current
2023
€ million
Total
2023
Bank loans and overdrafts(b)
517
4
521
501
5
506
Bonds and other loans
5,363
23,285
28,648
4,066
22,626
26,692
Lease liabilities
322
1,164
1,486
334
1,061
1,395
Derivatives
152
442
594
48
446
494
Other financial liabilities(c)
633
171
804
138
397
535
6,987
25,066
32,053
5,087
24,535
29,622
(a) For the purposes of this note and note 17A, financial assets and liabilities exclude trade and other current receivables and trade payables and other liabilities which
are covered in notes 13 and 14 respectively.
(b) Bank loans and overdrafts include €4 million (2023 : €5 million) of secured liabilities.
(c) Includes options and financial liabilities to acquire non-controlling interests in the US, Myanmar, India, Italy and Hong Kong, refer to note 21.
Reconciliation of liabilities arising from financing activities
Non-cash movement
Movements in 2024 and 2023
Opening
balance at
1 January
€ million
Cash
movement
€ million
Business
acquisi-
tions/
disposals
€ million
Foreign
exchange
changes
€ million
Fair
value
changes
€ million
Other
movements
€ million
Closing
balance at
31 December
€ million
2024
Bank loans and overdrafts(a)
(506)
(52)
2
35
(521)
Bonds and other loans(a)
(26,692)
(1,119)
(755)
(5)
(77)
(28,648)
Lease liabilities(b)
(1,395)
385
21
(24)
(473)
(1,486)
Derivatives
(494)
(13)
(87)
(594)
Other financial liabilities(a)
(535)
25
(59)
(33)
(203)
1
(804)
Total
(29,622)
(761)
(38)
(823)
(295)
(514)
(32,053)
2023
Bank loans and overdrafts(a)
(519)
(98)
(9)
130
(10)
(506)
Bonds and other loans(a)
(26,512)
(413)
(3)
403
(159)
(8)
(26,692)
Lease liabilities(b)
(1,408)
399
12
55
(453)
(1,395)
Derivatives
(631)
7
130
(494)
Other financial liabilities(a)
(418)
(44)
19
(81)
(11)
(535)
Total
(29,488)
(112)
(44)
614
(110)
(482)
(29,622)
(a) These cash movements are included within the following lines in the consolidated cash flow statement: net change in short-term borrowings, additional financial
liabilities and repayment of financial liabilities. The difference of €(68) million (2023: €(14) million) represents cash movements in overdrafts that are not included in
financing cash flows.
(b) Lease liabilities cash movement is included within capital element of lease payments in the consolidated cash flow statement. The difference of €4 million (2023: €5
million) represents gain or loss from termination and modification of lease contracts.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
173
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
15C. FINANCIAL LIABILITIES continued
Analysis of bonds and other loans
€ million
Total 2024
Total 2023
Unilever PLC
1.375% Notes 2024 (£)
288
1.875% Notes 2029 (£)
300
286
1.500% Notes 2026 (£)
602
575
1.500% Notes 2039 (€)
647
647
2.125% Notes 2028 (£)(a)
334
320
Total PLC
1,883
2,116
Other group companies
The Netherlands
1.625% Notes 2033 (€)
795
794
1.375% Notes 2029 (€)
747
746
1.125% Bonds 2027 (€)
699
698
1.125% Bonds 2028 (€)
698
697
0.875% Notes 2025 (€)
650
649
0.500% Bonds 2025 (€)
650
649
1.375% Notes 2030 (€)
646
645
1.000% Notes 2027 (€)
599
599
0.500% Notes 2024 (€)
500
1.250% Notes 2025 (€)
1,000
1,000
1.750% Notes 2030 (€)
997
996
1.250% Notes 2031 (€)(a)
588
576
2.250% Notes 2034 (€)(a)
793
786
0.750% Notes 2026 (€)(a)
489
475
1.750% Notes 2028 (€)
646
645
3.250% Notes 2031 (€)
495
495
3.500% Notes 2035 (€)
496
496
3.250% Notes 2032 (€)
598
3.500% Notes 2037 (€)
597
3.250% Notes 2032 (€)
100
United States
5.900% Bonds 2032 (US $)
955
897
2.900% Notes 2027 (US $)
956
897
3.500% Notes 2028 (US $)
764
716
2.000% Notes 2026 (US $)
671
629
3.250% Notes 2024 (US $)
452
3.100% Notes 2025 (US $)
480
450
2.600% Notes 2024 (US $)
451
3.500% Bonds 2028 (US $)
478
449
3.375% Notes 2025 (US $)
336
315
7.250% Bonds 2026 (US $)
285
267
6.625% Bonds 2028 (US $)
231
214
5.600% Bonds 2097 (US $)
88
83
2.125% Notes 2029 (US $)
812
762
2.600% Notes 2024 (US $)
453
1.375% Notes 2030 (US $)(a)
391
368
0.626% Notes 2024 (US $)
452
2.625% Notes 2051 (US $)
613
576
1.750% Notes 2031 (US $)(a)
670
640
3.300% Notes 2029 (€)
549
549
3.400% Notes 2033 (€)
694
694
4.875% Notes 2028 (US $)
670
630
5.000% Notes 2033 (US $)
760
714
4.750% Notes 2031 (US $)
163
4.625% Bonds 2034 (US $)
949
4.250% Bonds 2027 (US $)
718
Commercial Paper (US $)
2,158
1,465
Other countries
Switzerland
89
6
Others
2
1
Total other group companies
26,765
24,576
Total bonds and other loans
28,648
26,692
(a) Bonds includes €(373) million (2023: €(378)million) fair value adjustment following the fair value hedge accounting of fixed-for-floating interest rate swaps.
Information in relation to the derivatives used to hedge bonds and other loans within a fair value hedge relationship is shown in note 16.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16. Treasury risk management
Derivatives and hedge accounting
Derivatives are measured at fair value with any related transaction costs expensed as incurred. The treatment of changes in the value of
derivatives depends on their use as explained below.
(i) Fair value hedges(a)
Certain derivatives are held to hedge the risk of changes in value of a specific bond or other loan. In these situations, the Group designates the
liability and related derivative to be part of a fair value hedge relationship. The carrying value of the bond is adjusted by the fair value of the risk
being hedged, with changes going to the income statement. Gains and losses on the corresponding derivative are also recognised in the income
statement. The amounts recognised are offset in the income statement to the extent that the hedge is effective. Ineffectiveness may occur if the
critical terms do not exactly match, or if there is a value adjustment resulting from a change in credit risk (in either the Group or the counter-party
to the derivative) that is not matched by the hedged item. When the relationship no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, the fair value
hedge adjustment made to the bond is amortised to the income statement using the effective interest method.
(ii) Cash flow hedges(a)
Derivatives are also held to hedge the uncertainty in timing or amount of future forecast cash flows. Such derivatives are classified as being part
of cash flow hedge relationships. For an effective hedge, gains and losses from changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in equity.
Cost of hedging, where material and opted for, is recorded in a separate account within equity. Any ineffective elements of the hedge are
recognised in the income statement. Ineffectiveness may occur if there are changes to the expected timing of the hedged transaction. If the
hedged cash flow relates to a non-financial asset, the amount accumulated in equity is subsequently included within the carrying value of that
asset. For other cash flow hedges, amounts deferred in equity are taken to the income statement at the same time as the related cash flow.
When a derivative no longer qualifies for hedge accounting, any cumulative gain or loss remains in equity until the related cash flow occurs.
When the cash flow takes place, the cumulative gain or loss is taken to the income statement. If the hedged cash flow is no longer expected to
occur, the cumulative gain or loss is taken to the income statement immediately.
(iii) Net investment hedges(a)
Certain derivatives are designated as hedges of the currency risk on the Group’s investment in foreign subsidiaries. The accounting policy for
these arrangements is set out in note 1.
(iv) Derivatives for which hedge accounting is not applied
Derivatives not classified as hedges are held in order to hedge certain balance sheet items and commodity exposures. No hedge accounting is
applied to these derivatives, which are carried at fair value with changes being recognised in the income statement.
(a) Applying hedge accounting has not led to material ineffectiveness being recognised in the income statement for both 2024 and 2023. Fair value changes on basis
spread is recorded in a separate account within equity.
The Group is exposed to the following risks that arise from its use of financial instruments, the management of which is described in the
following sections:
liquidity risk (see note 16A);
market risk (see note 16B); and
credit risk (see note 17B).
The Group’s risk management framework is established to set appropriate risk limits and controls, and to maintain adherence to these limits.
16A. MANAGEMENT OF LIQUIDITY RISK
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group will face in meeting its obligations associated with its financial liabilities. The Group’s approach to managing
liquidity is to ensure that it will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities when due without incurring unacceptable losses. In doing this,
management considers both normal and stressed conditions. A material and sustained shortfall in our cash flow could undermine the Group’s
credit rating, impair investor confidence and also restrict the Group’s ability to raise funds.
The Group’s funding strategy was supported by cash delivery from the business, coupled with the proceeds from bond issuances. Surplus cash
balances have been invested conservatively with low-risk counter-parties at maturities of primarily less than six months. In its liquidity assessment,
the Group does not consider any supplier financing arrangements as these arrangements are non-recourse to Unilever and supplier payment
dates and terms for Unilever do not vary based on whether the supplier chooses to use such financing arrangements.
Cash flow from operating activities provides the funds to service the financing of financial liabilities on a day-to-day basis. The Group seeks to
manage its liquidity requirements by maintaining access to global debt markets through short-term and long-term debt programmes. In addition,
Unilever has committed credit facilities for general corporate use.
On 31 December 2024, Unilever had undrawn revolving 364-day bilateral credit facilities in aggregate of $5,200 million and €2,600 million (2023:
$5,200 million and €2,600 million) with a 364-day term out. As part of the regular annual process, the intention is that these facilities will again be
renewed in 2025.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16A. MANAGEMENT OF LIQUIDITY RISK continued
The following table shows Unilever’s contractually agreed undiscounted cash flows, including expected interest payments, which are payable
under financial liabilities at the balance sheet date:
Undiscounted cash flows
€ million
Due
within
1 year
€ million
Due
between
1 and
2 years
€ million
Due
between
2 and
3 years
€ million
Due
between
3 and
4 years
€ million
Due
between
4 and
5 years
€ million
Due
after
5 years
€ million
Total
€ million
Net carrying
amount as
shown in
balance
sheet
2024
Non-derivative financial liabilities:
Bank loans and overdrafts
(535)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(7)
(546)
(521)
Bonds and other loans
(6,041)
(2,710)
(3,552)
(4,348)
(2,817)
(14,513)
(33,981)
(28,648)
Lease liabilities
(389)
(322)
(257)
(207)
(147)
(479)
(1,801)
(1,486)
Other financial liabilities
(633)
(41)
(131)
(2)
(807)
(804)
Trade payables, accruals and other
liabilities
(16,064)
(110)
(25)
(35)
(6)
(26)
(16,266)
(16,265)
Deferred consideration
(16)
(1)
(17)
(17)
(23,678)
(3,185)
(3,966)
(4,591)
(2,973)
(15,025)
(53,418)
(47,741)
Derivative financial liabilities:
Interest rate derivatives:
(442)
Derivative contracts – receipts
71
71
192
192
184
408
1,118
Derivative contracts – payments
(178)
(142)
(257)
(260)
(244)
(525)
(1,606)
Foreign exchange derivatives:
(188)
Derivative contracts – receipts
5,641
5,641
Derivative contracts – payments
(5,867)
(5,867)
Commodity derivatives:
(20)
Derivative contracts – receipts
Derivative contracts – payments
(20)
(20)
(353)
(71)
(65)
(68)
(60)
(117)
(734)
(650)
Total
(24,031)
(3,256)
(4,031)
(4,659)
(3,033)
(15,142)
(54,152)
(48,391)
2023
Non-derivative financial liabilities:
Bank loans and overdrafts
(524)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(3)
(531)
(506)
Bonds and other loans
(4,650)
(3,599)
(2,480)
(2,643)
(4,092)
(14,028)
(31,492)
(26,692)
Lease liabilities
(407)
(316)
(260)
(193)
(153)
(362)
(1,691)
(1,395)
Other financial liabilities
(138)
(352)
(50)
(2)
(542)
(535)
Trade payables, accruals and other
liabilities
(16,113)
(63)
(23)
(16)
(4)
(26)
(16,245)
(16,245)
Deferred consideration
(168)
(5)
(173)
(172)
(22,000)
(4,336)
(2,814)
(2,853)
(4,250)
(14,421)
(50,674)
(45,545)
Derivative financial liabilities:
Interest rate derivatives:
(452)
Derivative contracts – receipts
542
84
84
971
54
192
1,927
Derivative contracts – payments
(648)
(150)
(125)
(1,020)
(95)
(326)
(2,364)
Foreign exchange derivatives:
(85)
Derivative contracts – receipts
7,704
7,704
Derivative contracts – payments
(7,806)
(7,806)
Commodity derivatives:
(22)
Derivative contracts – receipts
Derivative contracts – payments
(22)
(22)
(230)
(66)
(41)
(49)
(41)
(134)
(561)
(559)
Total
(22,230)
(4,402)
(2,855)
(2,902)
(4,291)
(14,555)
(51,235)
(46,104)
The Group has sublet a small proportion of leased properties. Related future minimum sublease payments are €69 million (2023: €23 million).
176
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16A. MANAGEMENT OF LIQUIDITY RISK continued
The following table shows cash flows for which cash flow hedge accounting is applied. The derivatives in the cash flow hedge relationships are
expected to have an impact on profit and loss in the same periods as the cash flows occur.
€ million
Due
within
1 year
€ million
Due
between
1 and
2 years
€ million
Due
between
2 and
3 years
€ million
Due
between
3 and
4 years
€ million
Due
between
4 and
5 years
€ million
Due
after
5 years
€ million
Total
€ million
Net carrying
amount of
related
derivatives(a)
2024
Foreign exchange cash inflows
2,717
2,717
Foreign exchange cash outflows
(2,696)
(2,696)
31
Interest rate swaps cash inflows
70
70
1,017
42
592
795
2,586
55
Interest rate swaps cash outflows
(71)
(71)
(982)
(58)
(624)
(852)
(2,658)
Commodity contracts cash inflows
126
126
126
Commodity contracts cash outflows
(20)
(20)
(20)
2023
Foreign exchange cash inflows
2,807
2,807
Foreign exchange cash outflows
(2,842)
(2,842)
(6)
Interest rate swaps cash inflows
526
68
68
959
42
1,387
3,050
48
Interest rate swaps cash outflows
(528)
(68)
(68)
(978)
(55)
(1,387)
(3,084)
Commodity contracts cash inflows
8
8
8
Commodity contracts cash outflows
(22)
(22)
(22)
(a) See note 16C.
16B. MANAGEMENT OF MARKET RISK
Unilever’s size and operations result in it being exposed to the following market risks that arise from its use of financial instruments:
commodity price risk;
currency risk; and
interest rate risk.
The above risks may affect the Group’s income and expenses, or the value of its financial instruments. The objective of the Group’s management
of market risk is to maintain this risk within acceptable parameters, while optimising returns. Generally, the Group applies hedge accounting to
manage the volatility in income statement arising from market risk.
Where the Group uses hedge accounting to mitigate the above risks, it is normally implemented centrally by either the Treasury or Commodity
Risk Management teams, in line with their respective frameworks and strategies. Hedge effectiveness is determined at the inception of the hedge
relationship, and through periodic prospective effectiveness assessments to ensure that an economic relationship continues to exist between
the hedged item and hedging instrument. The Group generally enters into hedge relationships where the critical terms of the hedging instrument
match exactly with the hedged item, meaning that the economic relationship between the hedged item and hedging instrument is evident, so
only a qualitative assessment is performed. When a qualitative assessment is not considered sufficient, for example when the critical terms of the
hedging instrument do not match exactly with the hedged item, a quantitative assessment of hedge effectiveness will also be performed. The
hedge ratio is set on inception for all hedge relationships and is dependent on the alignment of the critical terms of the hedging instrument to
the hedged item (in most instances these are matched, so the hedge ratio is 1:1).
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
177
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16B. MANAGEMENT OF MARKET RISK continued
The Group’s exposure to, and management of, these risks is explained below. It often includes derivative financial instruments, the uses of which
are described in note 16C.
Potential impact of risk 
Management policy and
hedging strategy 
Sensitivity to the risk 
(i) Commodity price risk
The Group is exposed to the risk of changes in
commodity prices in relation to its purchase
of certain raw materials.
At 31 December 2024 , the Group had hedged
its exposure to future commodity purchases
with commodity derivatives valued at
660  million (2023: € 342 million).
Hedges of future commodity purchases
resulted in cumulative gains of €27  million
( 2023: loss of €79 million) being reclassified to
the income statement and gains of €11  million
(2023: loss of €34 million) being recognised as
a basis adjustment to inventory purchased.
The Group uses commodity forwards, futures,
swaps and option contracts to hedge against
this risk. All commodity forward contracts
hedge future purchases of raw materials
and the contracts are settled either in cash
or by physical delivery.
The Group also hedges risk components of
commodities where it is not possible to hedge
the commodity in full. This is done with
reference to the contract to purchase the
hedged commodity.
Commodity derivatives are generally
designated as hedging instruments in
cash flow hedge accounting relations. All
commodity derivative contracts are done
in line with approvals from the Global
Commodity Executive which is chaired by the
Unilever Chief Business Operations Officer
(CBOO) or the Global Commodity Operating
Team which is chaired by the Chief
Procurement Officer.
A 10% increase in commodity prices as at     
31 December 2024 would have led to
a €81  million gain on the commodity
derivatives in the cash flow hedge reserve
( 2023: €40 million gain in the cash flow
hedge reserve).
A decrease of 10% in commodity prices on
a full-year basis would have the equal but
opposite effect.
(ii) Currency risk
Currency risk on sales, purchases and
borrowings
Because of Unilever’s global reach, it is subject
to the risk that changes in foreign currency
values impact the Group’s sales, purchases
and borrowings.
At 31 December 2024, the exposure to the
Group from companies holding financial
assets and liabilities other than in their
functional currency amounted to €351 million
(2023: €254 million).
The Group manages currency exposures within
prescribed limits, mainly through the use of
forward foreign currency exchange contracts.
Operating companies manage foreign
exchange exposures within prescribed limits.
The aim of the Group’s approach to
management of currency risk is to leave
the Group with no material residual risk.
As an estimation of the approximate impact
of the residual risk, with respect to financial
instruments, the Group has calculated the
impact of a 10% change in exchange rates.
Impact on income statement
A 10% strengthening of the foreign currencies
against the respective functional currencies
of group companies would have led to
approximately an additional €35 million
loss in the income statement ( 2023:
25 million loss).
A 10% weakening of the foreign currencies
against the respective functional currencies
of group companies would have led to an
equal but opposite effect.
Impact on equity – trade-related cash flow
hedges
A 10% strengthening of foreign currencies
against the respective functional currencies
of group companies hedging future trade
cash flows and applying cash flow hedge
accounting, would have led to €158 million
loss (2023: €142 million loss) in equity.
A 10% weakening of the same would have
led to an equal but opposite effect.
As at year end, the Group had the below
notional amount of currency derivatives
outstanding to which cash flow hedge
accounting is applied:
Currency
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
EUR*
(1,014)
(951)
GBP
(404)
(372)
USD
306
363
SEK
(87)
(97)
CAD
(194)
(136)
SGD
68
78
Others
(260)
(301)
Total
(1,585)
(1,416)
*    Euro exposure relates to group companies having
non-euro functional currencies.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16B. MANAGEMENT OF MARKET RISK continued
Potential impact of risk
Management policy and
hedging strategy 
Sensitivity to the risk 
Currency risk on the Group’s net investments
The Group is also subject to currency risk
in relation to the translation of the net
investments of its foreign operations into
euros for inclusion in its consolidated
financial statements.
These net investments include Group financial
loans, which are monetary items that form part
of our net investment in foreign operations, of
7.9 billion (2023 : €13.0 billion), of which €3.5
billion (2023: €2.9 billion) is denominated in
USD and €3.1 billion (2023: €9.0 billion) is
denominated in GBP. In accordance with
IAS 21, the exchange differences on these
financial loans are booked through reserves.
Part of the currency exposure on the Group’s
investments is also managed using net
investment hedges for below currencies with
a nominal value of as stated below.
Unilever aims to minimise this currency risk
on the Group’s net investment exposure by
borrowing in local currency in the operating
companies themselves. In some locations,
however, the Group’s ability to do this is inhibited
by local regulations, lack of local liquidity or by
local market conditions.
Treasury may decide on a case-by-case basis to
actively hedge the currency exposure from net
investment in foreign operations. This is done
either through additional borrowings in the
related currency, or through the use of foreign
exchange derivative contracts.
Where local currency borrowings, or derivative
contracts, are used to hedge the currency risk in
relation to the Group’s net investment in foreign
subsidiaries, these relationships are designated
as net investment hedges for accounting
purposes.
Exchange risk related to the principal amount of
the USD denominated debt either forms part of
hedging relationship itself, or is hedged through
forward contracts.
Impact on equity – net investment hedges
A 10% strengthening of the euro against other
currencies would have led to €162 million
(2023: €260 million) loss in the equity on the
net investment hedges used to manage the
currency exposure on the Group’s investments.
A 10% weakening of the euro against other
currencies would have led to an equal but
opposite effect.
Impact on equity – net investments in group
companies
A 10% strengthening of the euro against all
other currencies would have led to €2,600
million negative retranslation effect (2023:
€2,620 million negative retranslation effect).
A 10% weakening of the euro against all other
currencies would have led to an equal but
opposite effect.
In line with accepted hedge accounting
treatment and our accounting policy for
financial loans, the retranslation differences
would be recognised in equity.
Currency
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
USD
3,023
2,636
CNY
(1,081)
ILS
(323)
At 31 December 2024, the net exposure of the net
investments in foreign currencies amounts to
26.0 billion (2023: €26.2 billion).
(iii) Interest rate risk(a)
The Group is exposed to market interest rate
fluctuations on its floating-rate debt. Increases
in benchmark interest rates could increase the
interest cost of our floating-rate debt and
increase the cost of future borrowings. The
Group’s ability to manage interest costs also
has an impact on reported results.
The Group does not have any material floating
interest-bearing financial assets or any
significant long-term fixed interest-bearing
financial assets. Consequently, the Group’s
interest rate risk arises mainly from financial
liabilities other than lease liabilities.
Taking into account the impact of interest rate
swaps, at 31 December 2024, interest rates were
fixed on approximately 76% of the expected
financial liabilities (excluding lease liabilities) for
2025, and 68% for 2026 (70% for 2024 and 59% for
2025 at 31 December 2023).
As at year end, the Group had the below notional
amount of interest rate derivatives outstanding
on which hedge accounting is applied:
Unilever’s interest rate management approach
aims for an optimal balance between fixed- and
floating-rate interest rate exposures on expected
financial liabilities. The objective of this approach
is to minimise annual interest costs.
This is achieved either by issuing fixed- or
floating-rate long-term debt, or by modifying
interest rate exposure through the use of interest
rate swaps.
The majority of the Group’s existing interest rate
derivatives are designated as fair value hedges
and are expected to be effective. The fair value
movement of these derivatives is recognised in
the income statement, along with any changes
in the relevant fair value of the underlying
hedged asset or liability.
Impact on income statement
Assuming that all other variables remain
constant, a 1.0 percentage point increase in
floating interest rates on a full-year basis as
at 31 December 2024 would have led to an
additional €94  million of additional finance
cost ( 2023: €77 million additional finance
costs).
A 1.0 percentage point decrease in floating
interest rates on a full-year basis would have
led to an equal but opposite effect.
Assuming that all other variables remain
constant, a 1.0 percentage point increase
in interest rates on a full-year basis as at 31
December 2024 would have led to an
additional €12 million of additional finance
costs related to net investment hedge
interest rate swaps.
A 1.0 percentage point decrease in interest
rates on a full-year basis would have led to
an equal but opposite effect.
Impact on equity – cash flow hedges
Assuming that all other variables remain
constant, a 1.0 percentage point increase
in interest rates on a full-year basis as at
31 December 2024 would have led to an
additional €5 million credit in equity from
derivatives in cash flow hedge relationships
(2023: €7 million debit).
A 1.0 percentage point decrease in interest
rates on a full-year basis would have led to
an additional €5 million debit in equity from
derivatives in cash flow hedge relationships
(2023: €8 million credit).
Cash flow hedge
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Currency
2,211
2,605
EUR
1,250
1,250
USD
961
1,355
Fair value hedge
Currency
3,660
3,566
EUR
2,000
2,000
USD
1,298
1,220
GBP
362
346
Net investment hedge
Currency
647
CNY
647
For interest management purposes, transactions
with a maturity shorter than six months from
inception date are not included as fixed interest
transactions.
The average interest rate on short-term
borrowings in 2024 was 6.3% (2023 : 5.9%).
(a) See the weighted average amount of financial liabilities with fixed-rate interest shown in the following table.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
179
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16B. MANAGEMENT OF MARKET RISK continued
The following table shows the split in fixed- and floating-rate interest exposures, taking into account the impact of interest rate swaps:
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Current financial liabilities
(6,987)
(5,087)
Non-current financial liabilities
(25,066)
(24,535)
Total financial liabilities
(32,053)
(29,622)
Less: lease liabilities
(1,486)
(1,395)
Financial liabilities (excluding lease liabilities)
30,567
28,227
Of which:
Fixed rate (weighted average amount of fixing for the following year)
(21,151)
(20,527)
16C. DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING
The Group does not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. The uses of derivatives and the related values of derivatives are
summarised in the following table. Derivatives used to hedge:
€ million
Trade
and other
receivables
€ million
Current
financial
assets
€ million
Non-Current
financial
assets
€ million
Trade
payables
and other
liabilities
€ million
Current
financial
liabilities
€ million
Non-Current
financial
liabilities
€ million
Total
31 December 2024
Foreign exchange derivatives
Fair value hedges
Cash flow hedges
59
(28)
31
Hedges on the net investment in foreign
operations
69
(28)
(a)
41
Hedge accounting not applied
18
79
(a)
(8)
(124)
(35)
Interest rate derivatives
Fair value hedges
(423)
(423)
Cash flow hedges
58
(3)
55
Hedges on the net investment in foreign
operations
(16)
(16)
Hedge accounting not applied
1
10
11
Commodity contracts
Cash flow hedges
126
(20)
106
Hedge accounting not applied
203
149
68
(56)
(152)
(442)
(230)
Total assets
420
Total liabilities
(650)
(230)
31 December 2023
Foreign exchange derivatives
Fair value hedges
Cash flow hedges
22
(28)
(6)
Hedges on the net investment in foreign
operations
(42)
(a)
(42)
Hedge accounting not applied
7
37
(a)
(15)
(a)
29
Interest rate derivatives
Fair value hedges
(425)
(425)
Cash flow hedges
75
(6)
(21)
48
Hedge accounting not applied
Commodity contracts
Cash flow hedges
8
(22)
(14)
Hedge accounting not applied
37
37
75
(65)
(48)
(446)
(410)
Total assets
149
Total liabilities
(559)
(410)
(a) Swaps that hedge the currency risk on intra-group loans and offset ‘Hedges of net investments in foreign operations’ are included within ‘Hedge accounting not
applied’. See below for further details.
180
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
16C. DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING continued
Master netting or similar agreements
A number of legal entities within the Group enter into derivative transactions under International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master
netting agreements. In general, under such agreements the amounts owed by each counter-party on a single day in respect of all transactions
outstanding in the same currency are aggregated into a single net amount that is payable by one party to the other. In certain circumstances,
such as when a credit event such as a default occurs, all outstanding transactions under the agreement are terminated, the termination value
is assessed and only a single net amount is payable in settlement of all transactions.
The ISDA agreements do not meet the criteria for offsetting the positive and negative values in the consolidated balance sheet. This is because the
Group does not have a legally enforceable right to offset recognised amounts against counterparties, as the right to offset is enforceable only
upon the occurrence of credit events such as a default.
The column ‘Related amounts not set off in the balance sheet – Financial instruments’ shows the netting impact of our ISDA agreements, assuming
the agreements are respected in the relevant jurisdiction.
(i) Financial assets
The following financial assets are subject to offsetting, enforceable master netting arrangements and similar agreements.
Related amounts not set
off in the balance sheet
As at 31 December 2024
€ million
Gross amounts of
recognised
financial assets
€ million
Gross amounts
of recognised
financial assets
set off in the
balance sheet
€ million
Net amounts of
financial assets
presented in the
balance sheet
€ million
Financial
instruments
€ million
Cash
collateral
received
€ million
Net amount
Derivative financial assets
478
(58)
420
(174)
(89)
157
As at 31 December 2023
Derivative financial assets
191
(42)
149
(122)
(6)
21
(ii) Financial liabilities
The following financial liabilities are subject to offsetting, enforceable master netting arrangements and similar agreements.
Related amounts not set
off in the balance sheet
As at 31 December 2024
€ million
Gross amounts
of recognised
financial
liabilities
€ million
Gross amounts
of recognised
financial
liabilities
set off in the
balance sheet
€ million
Net amounts
of financial
liabilities
presented in the
balance sheet
€ million
Financial
instruments
€ million
Cash
collateral
received
€ million
Net amount
Derivative financial liabilities
(708)
58
(650)
174
(476)
As at 31 December 2023
Derivative financial liabilities
(601)
42
(559)
122
(437)
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
181
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
17. Investment and return
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents in the balance sheet include deposits, investments in money market funds and highly liquid investments. To be
classified as cash and cash equivalents, an asset must:
be readily convertible into cash;
have an insignificant risk of changes in value; and
have a maturity period of typically three months or less at acquisition.
Cash and cash equivalents in the cash flow statement also include bank overdrafts and are recorded at amortised cost.
Other financial assets
The Group classifies its financial assets into the following measurement categories:
those to be measured subsequently at fair value (either through other comprehensive income, or through profit or loss), and
those to be measured at amortised cost.
This classification depends on our business model for managing the financial asset and the contractual terms of the cash flows.
At initial recognition, the Group measures a financial asset at its fair value plus, in the case of a financial asset not at fair value through profit or
loss, transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the financial asset. Transaction costs of financial assets carried at fair
value through profit or loss are expensed in the income statement.
All financial assets are either debt instruments or equity instruments. Debt instruments are those that provide the Group with a contractual right
to receive cash or another asset. Equity instruments are those where the Group has no contractual right to receive cash or another asset.
Debt instruments
The subsequent measurement of debt instruments depends on the Group’s business model for managing the asset and the cash flow
characteristics of the asset. There are three measurement categories that debt instruments are classified as:
financial assets at amortised cost;
financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income; or
financial assets at fair value through profit or loss.
(i) Amortised cost
Assets measured at amortised cost are those which are held to collect contractual cash flows on the repayment of principal or interest (SPPI).
A gain or loss on a debt investment recognised at amortised cost on derecognition or impairment is recognised in the income statement. Interest
income is recognised within finance income using the effective interest rate method.
(ii) Fair value through other comprehensive income
Assets that are held at fair value through other comprehensive income are those that are held to collect contractual cash flows on the
repayment of principal and interest and which are held to recognise a capital gain through the sale of the asset. Movements in the carrying
amount are recognised in other comprehensive income except for the recognition of impairment, interest income and foreign exchange gains or
losses which are recognised in the income statement. On derecognition, the cumulative gain or loss recognised in other comprehensive income
is reclassified from equity to the income statement. Interest income is included in finance income using the effective interest rate method.
(iii) Fair value through profit or loss
Assets that do not meet the criteria for either amortised cost or fair value through other comprehensive income are measured as fair value
through profit or loss. Related transaction costs are expensed as incurred. Unless they form part of a hedging relationship, these assets are held
at fair value, with changes being recognised in the income statement. Interest income from these assets is included within finance income.
Equity instruments
The Group subsequently measures all equity instruments at fair value. Where the Group has elected to present fair value gains and losses on
equity investments in other comprehensive income, there is no subsequent reclassification of fair value gains or losses to profit or loss. Dividends
from these investments continue to be recognised in the income statement.
Impairment of financial assets
Financial instruments classified as amortised cost and debt instruments classified as fair value through other comprehensive income are
assessed for impairment. The Group assesses the probability of default of an asset at initial recognition and then whether there has been a
significant increase in credit risk on an ongoing basis.
To assess whether there is a significant increase in credit risk, the Group compares the risk of a default occurring on the asset as at the reporting
date with the risk of default as at the date of initial recognition. It considers available reasonable and supportive forwarding-looking
information. Macroeconomic information (such as market interest rates or growth rates) is also considered.
Financial assets are written off when there is no reasonable expectation of recovery, such as a debtor failing to engage in a repayment plan with
the company. Impairment losses on assets classified as amortised cost are recognised in the income statement. When a later event causes the
impairment losses to decrease, the reduction in impairment loss is also recognised in the income statement. Permanent impairment losses on
debt instruments classified as fair value through other comprehensive income are recognised in the income statement.
182
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
17A. FINANCIAL ASSETS
The Group’s Treasury function aims to protect the Group’s financial investments, while maximising returns. The fair value of financial assets is
considered to be the same as the carrying amount for 2024 and 2023. The Group’s cash resources and other financial assets are shown below.
Financial assets(a)
€ million
Current
2024
€ million
Non-current
2024
€ million
Total
2024
€ million
Current
2023
€ million
Non-current
2023
€ million
Total
2023
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand
3,241
3,241
2,862
2,862
Short-term deposits(b)
2,436
2,436
1,181
1,181
Other cash equivalents(c)
459
459
116
116
6,136
6,136
4,159
4,159
Other financial assets
Financial assets at amortised cost(d)
736
526
1,262
961
454
1,415
Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive
income(e)
600
600
151
458
609
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss:
Derivatives
149
68
217
37
75
112
Other(f)
445
377
822
582
399
981
1,330
1,571
2,901
1,731
1,386
3,117
Total
7,466
1,571
9,037
5,890
1,386
7,276
(a) For the purposes of this note and note 15C, financial assets and liabilities exclude trade and other current receivables and trade payables and other liabilities which
are covered in notes 13 and 14 respectively.
(b) Short-term deposits typically have maturity of up to three months.
(c) Other cash equivalents include investments in overnight funds and marketable securities.
(d) Current financial assets at amortised cost include short-term deposits with banks with maturities longer than three months excluding deposits which are part of a
recognised cash management process, fixed income securities and loans to joint venture entities. Non-current financial assets at amortised cost include judicial
deposits of €196 million (2023€227 million).
(e) Included within non-current financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income are equity investments. These investments are not held by Unilever for
trading purposes and hence the Group has opted to recognise fair value movements through other comprehensive income. The fair value movement in 2024 of these
equity investments was €64 million (2023: €(39) million).
(f) Current other financial assets at fair value through profit or loss include money market funds, marketable securities and other capital market instruments. Included
within non-current financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are assets in a trust to fund benefit obligations in the US (see also note 4B) of €30 million (2023:
€33 million), option to acquire non-controlling interest in subsidiaries of €27 million (2023: €31 million) and investments in financial institutions.
There were no significant changes on account of change in business model in classification of financial assets since 31 December 2023.
There are no financial assets that are designated at fair value through profit or loss, which would otherwise have been measured at fair value
through other comprehensive income or amortised cost
Cash and cash equivalents reconciliation to the cash flow statement
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Cash and cash equivalents per balance sheet
6,136
4,159
Less: Bank overdrafts
(180)
(116)
Add: Cash and cash equivalents included in assets held for sale
2
Less: Bank overdraft included in liabilities held for sale
(6)
Cash and cash equivalents per cash flow statement
5,950
4,045
Approximately €3.0 billion (or 49%) of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents are held in the parent and central finance companies, for maximum
flexibility. These companies provide loans to our subsidiaries that are also funded through retained earnings and third-party borrowings. The
Group maintain access to global debt markets through an infrastructure of short- and long-term debt programmes. The Group make use of plain
vanilla derivatives, such as interest rate swaps and foreign exchange contracts, to help mitigate risks. More detail is provided in notes 16, 16A, 16B
and 16C on pages 174 to 180.
The remaining €3.1 billion (or 51%) of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents are held in foreign subsidiaries which repatriate distributable reserves
on a regular basis. For most countries, this is done through dividends which are in some cases subject to withholding or distribution tax. This
balance includes €176 million (2023: €98 million) of cash that is held in a few countries where we face cross-border foreign exchange controls and/
or other legal restrictions that inhibit our ability to make these balances available for general use by the wider business. The cash will generally be
invested or held in the relevant country and, given the other capital resources available to the Group, does not significantly affect the ability of the
Group to meet its cash obligations.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
183
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
17B. CREDIT RISK
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counter-party fails to meet its contractual obligations. Additional information in
relation to credit risk on trade receivables is given in note 13. These risks are generally managed by local controllers. Credit risk related to the use of
treasury instruments, including those held at amortised cost and at fair value through other comprehensive income, is managed on a Group basis.
This risk arises from transactions with financial institutions involving cash and cash equivalents, deposits and derivative financial instruments.
The maximum exposure to credit risk at the reporting date is the carrying value of each class of financial assets. To reduce this risk, Unilever has
concentrated its main activities with a limited number of counter-parties which have secure credit ratings. Individual risk limits are set for each
counter-party based on financial position, credit rating and past experience. Credit limits and concentration of exposures are actively monitored by
the Group’s Treasury department. Netting agreements are also put in place with Unilever’s principal counter-parties. In the case of a default, these
arrangements would allow Unilever to net assets and liabilities across transactions with that counter-party. To further reduce the Group’s credit
exposures on derivative financial instruments, Unilever has collateral agreements with Unilever’s principal counter-parties in relation to derivative
financial instruments. Under these arrangements, counter-parties are required to deposit securities and/or cash as a collateral for their obligations
in respect of derivative financial instruments. At 31 December 2024, the collateral held by Unilever under such arrangements amounted to €89
million (2023: €6 million) which was entirely in cash.
Further details in relation to the Group’s exposure to credit risk are shown in note 13 and note 16A.
18. Financial instruments fair value risk
The Group is exposed to the risk of changes in fair value of its financial assets and liabilities. The following table summarises the fair values and
carrying amounts of financial instruments.
Fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities
€ million
Fair value
2024
€ million
Fair value
2023
€ million
Carrying amount
2024
€ million
Carrying amount
2023
Financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
6,136
4,159
6,136
4,159
Financial assets at amortised cost
1,262
1,415
1,262
1,415
Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income
600
609
600
609
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss
  Derivatives
217
112
217
112
  Other
822
981
822
981
9,037
7,276
9,037
7,276
Financial liabilities
Bank loans and overdrafts
(521)
(506)
(521)
(506)
Bonds and other loans
(28,037)
(26,112)
(28,648)
(26,692)
Lease liabilities
(1,486)
(1,395)
(1,486)
(1,395)
Derivatives
(594)
(494)
(594)
(494)
Other financial liabilities
(804)
(535)
(804)
(535)
(31,442)
(29,042)
(32,053)
(29,622)
The fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities (excluding listed bonds) is considered to be the same as the carrying amount for 2024
and 2023. The fair value of trade receivables and payables is considered to be equal to the carrying amount of these items due to their
short-term nature.
Fair value hierarchy
The fair values shown in notes 15C and 17A have been classified into three categories depending on the inputs used in the valuation technique.
The categories used are as follows:
Level 1: quoted prices for identical instruments;
Level 2: directly or indirectly observable market inputs, other than Level 1 inputs; and
Level 3: inputs which are not based on observable market data.
184
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
18. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS FAIR VALUE RISK continued
For assets and liabilities which are carried at fair value, the classification of fair value calculations by category is summarised below:
Notes
€ million
Level 1
2024
€ million
Level 1
2023
€ million
Level 2
2024
€ million
Level 2
2023
€ million
Level 3
2024
€ million
Level 3
2023
€ million
Total fair
value
2024
€ million
Total fair
value
2023
Assets at fair value
Financial assets at fair value
through other comprehensive
income
17A
10
163
4
4
586
442
600
609
Financial assets at fair value
through profit or loss:
    Derivatives(a)
16C
420
149
420
149
    Other
17A
445
582
377
399
822
981
Liabilities at fair value
  Derivatives(b)
16C
(650)
(559)
(650)
(559)
  Contingent consideration
14
(1)
(157)
(1)
(157)
(a) Includes €203 million (2023: €37 million) derivatives, reported within trade receivables, that hedge trading activities.
(b) Includes €(56) million (2023: €(65) million) derivatives, reported within trade payables, that hedge trading activities.
There were no significant changes in classification of fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities since 31 December 2023. There were also
no significant movements between the fair value levels since 31 December 2023.
The impact in 2024 income statement due to Level 3 instruments is a loss of €(58) million (2023: loss of €(68) million).
Reconciliation of Level 3 fair value measurements of financial assets and financial liabilities is given below:
Reconciliation of movements in Level 3 valuations
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
1 January
684
696
Gains/(losses) recognised in income statement
(58)
(68)
Gains/(losses) recognised in other comprehensive income
67
(8)
Purchases and new issues
135
71
Sales and settlements
134
(7)
31 December
962
684
SIGNIFICANT UNOBSERVABLE INPUTS USED IN LEVEL 3 FAIR VALUES
Assets valued using Level 3 techniques include €658 million (2023: €584 million) relating to a number of unlisted investments within Unilever
Ventures companies, none of which are individually material; €172 million (2023: €161 million) of long-term cash receivables under life insurance
policies and €27 million (2023: €31 million) for option to acquire non-controlling interest. Valuation techniques used are specific to each asset and
liability, a change in one or more of the inputs to reasonably possible alternative assumptions would not change the value significantly for all
assets and liabilities.
Calculation of fair values
The fair values of the financial assets and liabilities are defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability
in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair values are
consistent with those used in the year ended 31 December 2023.
Assets and liabilities carried at fair value
The fair values of quoted investments falling into Level 1 are based on current bid prices.
The fair values of unquoted financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income and at fair value through profit or loss are based
on recent trades in liquid markets, observable market rates, discounted cash flow analysis and statistical modelling techniques such as the
Monte Carlo simulation. If all significant inputs required to fair value an instrument are observable, the instrument is included in Level 2. If one
or more of the significant inputs is not based on observable market data, the instrument is included in Level 3.
Derivatives are valued using valuation techniques with market observable inputs. The models incorporate various inputs including the credit
quality of counter-parties, foreign exchange spot and forward rates, interest rate curves and forward rate curves of the underlying commodities.
For listed securities where the market is not liquid, and for unlisted securities, valuation techniques are used. These include the use of recent
arm’s length transactions, reference to other instruments that are substantially the same and discounted cash flow calculations.
Other financial assets and liabilities (fair values for disclosure purposes only)
Cash and cash equivalents, trade and other current receivables, bank loans and overdrafts, trade payables and other current liabilities have fair
values that approximate to their carrying amounts due to their short-term nature.
The fair values of listed bonds are based on their market value.
Non-listed bonds, other loans, bank loans and non-current receivables and payables are based on the net present value of the anticipated future cash
flows associated with these instruments using rates currently available for debt on similar terms, credit risk and remaining maturities.
Policies and processes used in relation to the calculation of Level 3 fair values
Assets valued using Level 3 valuation techniques are primarily made up of long-term cash receivables and unlisted investments. Valuation
techniques used are specific to the circumstances involved. Unlisted investments include €658 million (2023: €584 million) of investments within
Unilever Ventures companies.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
185
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
19. Provisions
Provisions are recognised where a legal or constructive obligation exists at the balance sheet date, as a result of a past event, where the amount
of the obligation can be reliably estimated and where the outflow of economic benefit is probable.
Provisions
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Due within one year
831
537
Due after one year
571
563
Total provisions
1,402
1,100
Movements during 2024
€ million
Restructuring
€ million
Legal
€ million
Brazil
indirect taxes
€ million
Other
€ million
Total
1 January 2024
175
241
68
616
1,100
Additions through business combinations
Income statement:
    Charges
460
129
15
121
725
    Releases
(45)
(30)
(5)
(56)
(136)
Utilisation
(129)
(54)
(2)
(80)
(265)
Currency translation
5
(4)
(12)
(11)
(22)
31 December 2024
466
282
64
590
1,402
Restructuring provisions primarily include people costs such as redundancy costs and the cost of compensation where manufacturing, distribution,
service or selling agreements are to be terminated. The Group expects these provisions to be substantially utilised within the next few years.
The Group is involved from time to time in legal and arbitration proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. As previously disclosed,
along with other consumer product companies and retail customers, Unilever is involved in a number of ongoing investigations by national
competition authorities. These proceedings and investigations are at various stages and concern a variety of product markets. Where specific
issues arise, provisions are made to the extent appropriate. Due to the nature of the legal cases, the timing of utilisation of these provisions
is uncertain.
Provisions for Brazil indirect taxes are separate from the matters listed as contingent liabilities in note 20. Unilever does not have provisions and
contingent liabilities for the same matters. Due to the nature of disputed indirect taxes, the timing of utilisation of these provisions is uncertain.
Other includes provisions for indirect taxes in countries other than Brazil, interest on tax provisions and provisions for various other matters.
The timing of utilisation of these provisions is uncertain.
20. Commitments and contingent liabilities
COMMITMENTS
Lease commitments are the future cash outflows from the lease contracts which are not recorded in the measurement of lease liabilities. These
include potential future payments related to leases of low-value assets, leases which are less than twelve months, variable leases, extension
and termination options and leases not yet commenced but which we have committed to.
Other commitments principally comprise commitments under contract to purchase materials and services. They do not include commitments to
purchase property, plant and equipment, which are reported in note 10 on pages 163 to 165.
Lease commitments and other commitments fall due as follows:
€ million
Leases
2024
€ million
Leases
2023
€ million
Other
commitments
2024
€ million
Other
commitments
2023
Within 1 year
101
64
1,654
1,510
Later than 1 year but not later than 5 years
163
79
2,360
2,595
Later than 5 years
66
148
184
265
330
291
4,198
4,370
186
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
20. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES continued
CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
Contingent liabilities are either possible obligations that will probably not require a transfer of economic benefits, or present obligations that
may, but probably will not, require a transfer of economic benefits. It is not appropriate to make provisions for contingent liabilities, but there
is a chance that they will result in an obligation in the future. Assessing the amount of liabilities that are not probable is highly judgemental,
so contingent liabilities are disclosed on the basis of the known maximum exposure.
Contingent liabilities arise in respect of litigations against group companies, investigations by competition, regulatory and fiscal authorities and
obligations arising under environmental legislation. In many markets, there is a high degree of complexity involved in the local tax regimes. The
majority of contingent liabilities are in respect of fiscal matters in Brazil, with no other contingent liability being individually material.
In the case of fiscal matters, the known maximum exposure is the amount included in a tax assessment.
Summary of contingent liabilities
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Corporate reorganisation – IPI, PIS and COFINS taxes and penalties
3,230
3,757
Inputs for PIS and COFINS taxes
35
40
Goodwill amortisation
144
174
Other tax assessments – approximately 500 cases
855
983
Total Brazil Tax
4,264
4,954
Other contingent liabilities
571
575
Total contingent liabilities
4,835
5,529
Brazil tax
During 2004, and in common with many other businesses operating in Brazil, one of our Brazilian subsidiaries received a notice of infringement
from the Federal Revenue Service in respect of indirect taxes regarding corporate reorganisation. The notice alleges that a 2001 reorganisation of
our local corporate structure was undertaken without a valid business purpose. The 2001 reorganisation was comparable with restructuring done
by many companies in Brazil. The original dispute was resolved in the courts in the Group’s favour. However, in 2013 a new assessment was raised
in respect of a similar matter. Additionally, during the course of 2014 and between 2017 and 2024, other notices of infringement were issued based
on the same grounds argued in the previous assessments. The total amount of the tax assessments in respect of this matter is €3,230 million (2023:
€3,757 million).
The Group believes that the likelihood that the Brazilian tax authorities will ultimately prevail is low, however there can be no guarantee of success
in court. In each case we believe our position is strong, so they have not been provided for and are considered to be contingent liabilities. Due to
the fiscal environment in Brazil, there remains the possibility of material tax assessments related to the same matters for periods not yet assessed.
We expect that tax litigation cases related to this matter may move from the Administrative to the Judicial Courts, although the exact timing is
uncertain. In such case, we will be required to make a judicial deposit or provide a guarantee in respect of the disputed tax, interest and penalties.
The judicial process in Brazil is likely to take a number of years to conclude.
The contingent liabilities reported for indirect taxes relating to disputes with the Brazilian authorities are separate from the provisions listed in
note 19. Unilever does not hold provisions and contingent liabilities for the same matters.
21. Acquisitions and disposals
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition accounting method as at the acquisition date, which is the date at which
control is transferred to the Group.
Goodwill is measured at the acquisition date as the fair value of consideration transferred, plus non-controlling interests and the fair value
of any previously held equity interests less the net recognised amount (which is generally fair value) of the identifiable assets and liabilities
assumed. Goodwill is subject to an annual review for impairment (or more frequently if necessary) in accordance with our accounting policies.
Any impairment is charged to the income statement as it arises. Detailed information relating to goodwill is provided in note 9 on pages 160
to 162.
Non-controlling interests are valued based on the proportion of net assets of the acquired company at the date of acquisition.
Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
Changes in ownership that do not result in a change of control are accounted for as equity transactions and therefore do not have any impact
on goodwill. The difference between consideration and the non-controlling share of net assets acquired is recognised within equity.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
21. ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSALS continued
2024
In 2024, the Group completed the business acquisitions and disposals as listed below. The net consideration for acquisitions in 2024 is €616 million
(2023: €675 million for acquisitions completed during that year). More information related to the 2024 acquisitions is provided below.
Deal completion date
Acquired/disposed business
1 February 2024
Acquired 91.88% of K18, a US-based premium hair care brand. The acquisition complements Unilever’s existing
Beauty and Wellbeing portfolio, with a range of high-quality, hair care products.
1 June 2024
Sold Elida Beauty to Yellow Wood Partners LLC. Elida Beauty comprises more than 20 beauty and personal care
brands, such as Q-Tips, Caress, Timotei and TIGI.
1 August 2024
Sold Qinyuan Group (also known as “Truliva”) to Yong Chao Venture Capital Co., Ltd. Qinyuan Group offers a
range of water purification solutions to households in China.
8 October 2024
Sold the Russian subsidiary to Arnest Group. The sale includes all of Unilever’s business in Russia and its four
factories in the country, along with our business in Belarus.
1 November 2024
Sold Pureit to A.O. Smith. Pureit offers a range of water purification solutions across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Vietnam and Mexico, among others.
On 22 January 2025, Hindustan Unilever Limited announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Minimalist, a premium actives-led beauty brand
in India. The transaction is expected to be completed by Q2 2025.
2023
In 2023, the Group completed the business acquisitions and disposals as listed below. The net consideration for acquisitions in 2023 was €675
million. More information related to the 2023 acquisitions is provided below.
Deal completion date
Acquired/disposed business
10 January 2023
Acquired 51% of Zywie Ventures Private Limited ('OZiva'), a leading plant-based, and clean-label consumer
wellness brand focused on the need spaces such as Lifestyle Protein, Hair & Beauty Supplements and Women’s
health.
1 May 2023
Sold Suave brand in North America to Yellow Wood Partners LLC. The Suave beauty and personal care brand
includes hair care, skin care, skin cleansing and deodorant products.
1 August 2023
Acquired 100% of Yasso Holdings, Inc. ('Yasso'), a premium frozen Greek yogurt brand in the United States
offering a high-quality range of low-calorie yet indulgent products. The acquisition is aligned to the
premiumisation strategy of Unilever’s Ice Cream Business Group.
1 November 2023
Sold Dollar Shave Club to Nexus Capital Management LP.
On 1 May 2023, Unilever sold the North America Suave business to Yellow Wood Partners LLC for consideration of €592 million. A gain on disposal
of €497 million was recognised (see note 3).
EFFECT ON CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
If the acquisition deals completed in 2024 had all taken place at the beginning of the year, Group turnover would have been €60,772 million, and
Group operating profit would have been €9,402 million. In 2023, if all of the acquisitions had taken place at the beginning of the year, Group
turnover for 2023 would have been €59,709 million and Group operating profit would have been €9,780 million.
188
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
21. ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSALS continued
EFFECT ON CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
Acquisitions
The following table sets out the overall impact of acquisitions in 2024 as well as comparative years on the consolidated balance sheet. The
fair values currently used for opening balances are provisional. These balances remain provisional due to there being outstanding relevant
information in regard to facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date and/or where valuation work is still ongoing.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Net assets acquired
333
368
487
Non-controlling interest
(27)
(20)
(99)
Goodwill
310
327
580
Total consideration
616
675
968
In 2024, the net assets acquired and total payment for acquisitions consists of:
€ million
2024
Intangible assets
382
Other non-current assets
14
Trade and other receivables
15
Other current assets
36
Non-current liabilities(a)
(99)
Current liabilities
(15)
Net assets acquired
333
Non-controlling interest
(27)
Goodwill(b)
310
Total consideration
616
Of which:
Cash consideration paid
616
Deferred consideration
(a) Non-current liabilities include deferred tax of €99 million.
(b) Goodwill not deductible for tax purposes.
Goodwill represents the future value that the Group believes it will obtain through operational synergies and the application of acquired company
ideas to existing Unilever channels and businesses. Detailed information relating to goodwill is provided in note 9 on pages 160 to 162.
Disposals
Total consideration for 2024 disposals is1,396 million (2023: €578 million for disposals completed during that year). The following table sets out
the effect of disposals in 2024 and comparative year on the consolidated balance sheet. The results of disposed businesses are included in the
consolidated financial statements up until their date of disposal.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Goodwill and intangible assets(a)
1,107
56
Other non-current assets
218
55
Current assets(b)
700
108
Liabilities(c)
(683)
(144)
Net assets sold
1,342
75
Loss on recycling of currency retranslation on disposal
545
14
Non-controlling interest
(85)
0
Profit/(loss) on sale attributable to Unilever
(406)
489
Consideration
1,396
578
Of which:
Cash(d)
1,299
477
Non-cash items and deferred consideration
97
101
(a) 2024 includes intangibles of €984 million relating to the disposals of the Elida Beauty, Russia and Truliva businesses.
(b) 2024 includes inventories of €126 million, cash of €324 million and trade receivables of €215 million.
(c) 2024 includes €431 million of trade payables.
(d) 2024 includes €324 million related to cash balances of businesses sold.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
189
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
22. Assets and liabilities held for sale
Non-current assets and groups of assets and liabilities which comprise disposal groups are classified as ‘held for sale’ when all of the following
criteria are met: a decision has been made to sell; the assets are available for sale immediately; the assets are being actively marketed; and a
sale has been agreed or is expected to be concluded within 12 months of the balance sheet date.
Immediately prior to classification as held for sale, the non-current assets or groups of assets are remeasured in accordance with the Group’s
accounting policies. Subsequently, non-current assets and disposal groups classified as held for sale are valued at the lower of book value or
fair value less disposal costs. Assets held for sale are neither depreciated nor amortised.
Non-current assets and liabilities held for sale are recognised as current on the balance sheet.
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
Property, plant and equipment held for sale(a)
3
2
Disposal groups held for sale
Non-current assets
Goodwill and intangibles
94
534
Property, plant and equipment
33
21
Other non-current assets
1
1
128
556
Current assets
Inventories
29
80
Trade and other receivables
6
47
Current tax assets
4
Cash and cash equivalents
1
2
36
133
Assets held for sale
167
691
Current liabilities
Trade payables and other current liabilities
10
24
Current tax liabilities
1
2
Financial liabilities due within one year
30
Provisions
3
44
26
Non-current liabilities
Pension and post-retirement healthcare liabilities
1
Financial liabilities due after one year
4
Deferred tax liabilities
3
145
4
149
Liabilities held for sale
48
175
(a) Includes manufacturing assets held for sale.
190
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
23. Related party transactions
A related party is a person or entity that is related to the Group. These include both people and entities that have, or are subject to, the influence
or control of the Group.
Joint ventures
The following related party balances existed with joint venture businesses at 31 December:
Related party balances
€ million
Total 2024
€ million
Total 2023
Sales to joint ventures
1,168
1,144
Purchases from joint ventures
110
134
Receivables from joint ventures
112
99
Payables to joint ventures
111
111
Loans to joint ventures
227
219
Royalties and service fees
9
19
Significant joint ventures are Unilever FIMA LDA and Gallo Worldwide LDA in Portugal, Binzagr Unilever Distribution in the Middle East, the Pepsi
Lipton Tea Partnership in the US and Pepsi Lipton International Ltd for the rest of the world.
All transactions between the group and related parties are conducted on arm's length basis.
Associates
There are no trading balances due to or from associates.
24. Share buyback
On 8 February 2024, we announced a share buyback programme for an aggregate market value equivalent of up to €1.5 billion. As at 31 December
2024, the Group repurchased 27,368,909 (2023: 31,734,256) ordinary shares which are held by Unilever as treasury shares. Consideration paid in
2024 for the repurchase of shares including transaction costs was 1,508 million (2023: 1,507 million) and was recognised in other reserves.
25. Remuneration of auditors
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Fees payable to the Group’s auditors for the audit of the consolidated and parent
company accounts of Unilever PLC
12
7
6
Fees payable to the Group’s auditors for the audit of accounts of subsidiaries of
Unilever PLC pursuant to legislation(a)(b)
20
16
17
Total statutory audit fees
32
23
23
Fees payable to the Group’s auditors for the audit of non-statutory
financial statements(c)
8
Audit-related assurance services(d)
1
Other taxation advisory services
Services relating to corporate finance transactions
Other assurance services(e)
7
1
1
All other non-audit services(f)
Total fees payable
48
24
24
(a) Comprises fees payable to the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative for audit work on statutory financial
statements and Group reporting returns of subsidiary companies.
(b) Amount payable to KPMG in respect of services supplied to associated pension schemes was less than €1 million individually and in aggregate ( 2023: less than
€1 million individually and in aggregate; 2022: less than €1 million individually and in aggregate).
(c) 2024 includes fees payable for reporting accountant services on the historical financial information of the Ice Cream business.
(d) In 2024, amounts paid in relation to each type of service are less than €1 million individually and in aggregate.
(e) 2024 includes fees payable for CSRD assurance reporting services. With the exception of this service, amounts paid in relation to each type of service are less than
€1 million individually and in aggregate (2023: less than €1 million and in aggregate; 2022: less than €1 million and in aggregate).
(f) 2024, 2023 and 2022 include various services, each less than €1 million individually.
26. Events after the balance sheet date
Where events occurring after the balance sheet date provide evidence of conditions that existed at the end of the reporting period, the impact of these
events is adjusted within the financial statements. Otherwise, events after the balance sheet date of a material size or nature are disclosed below.
On 13 February 2025, Unilever announced a quarterly dividend with the 2024 fourth-quarter results of £0.3775 per PLC ordinary share. The total
value of the announced dividend is €1,121 million.
In February 2025, we announced a share buyback programme of €1.5 billion to be conducted during 2025.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
191
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS UNILEVER GROUP
27. Significant subsidiaries
The following represents the significant subsidiaries of the Group at 31 December 2024, that principally affect the turnover, profit and net assets
of the Group. The percentage of share capital shown below represents the aggregate percentage of equity capital directly or indirectly held by
Unilever PLC in the company. The companies are incorporated and principally operated in the countries under which they are shown except where
stated otherwise.
Country
Name of company
Shareholding
Argentina
Unilever de Argentina S.A.
100%
Australia
Unilever Australia Limited
100%
Brazil
Unilever Brasil Ltda.
100%
Canada
Unilever Canada, Inc.
100%
China
Unilever Services (Hefei) Co. Ltd
100%
China
Wall's (China) Co. Limited
100%
England and Wales
Unilever UK & CN Holdings Limited
100%
England and Wales
Unilever Global IP Ltd
100%
England and Wales
Unilever U.K. Holdings Limited
100%
England and Wales
Unilever UK Limited
100%
England and Wales
Unilever U.K. Central Resources Limited
100%
France
Unilever France S.A.S.
100%
Germany
Unilever Deutschland GmbH
100%
Germany
Unilever Deutschland Holding GmbH
100%
India
Hindustan Unilever Limited
62%
Indonesia
PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk
85%
Italy
Unilever Italia Mkt Operations S.R.L.
100%
Mexico
Unilever de Mexico, S. de R.l. de C.V.
100%
Netherlands
Mixhold B.V.
100%
Netherlands
Unilever Finance Netherlands B.V.
100%
Netherlands
Unilever IP Holdings B.V.
100%
Netherlands
Unilever Nederland B.V.
100%
Netherlands
Unilever Europe B.V.
100%
Netherlands
UNUS Holding B.V.
100%
Pakistan
Unilever Pakistan Limited
99%
Philippines
Unilever Philippines, Inc.
100%
Poland
Unilever Polska Sp. z o.o.
100%
Singapore
Unilever Asia Private Limited
100%
South Africa
Unilever South Africa (Pty) Limited
100%
Spain
Unilever Espana S.A.
100%
Switzerland
Unilever Finance International AG
100%
Thailand
Unilever Thai Trading Limited
100%
Turkey
Unilever Sanayi ve Ticaret Turk A.S.
100%
United States of America
ConopCo, Inc.
100%
United States of America
Unilever Capital Corporation
100%
United States of America
Unilever North America Supply Chain Company LLC
100%
United States of America
Unilever United States, Inc.
100%
United States of America
Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
100%
United States of America
Paula's Choice, Inc.
100%
United States of America
The LIV Group, Inc.
100%
United States of America
Nutraceutical Wellness, Inc
80%
Vietnam
Unilever Vietnam International Company Limited
100%
See pages 200 to 209 for a complete list of subsidiary undertakings, associates and joint ventures.
192
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Company Accounts Unilever PLC
Income statement
for the year ended 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Turnover
1
75
94
Royalties and services charged out to group companies
75
94
Incurred costs and royalties paid
(394)
(1,042)
Other expenses
(4)
Operating loss
(319)
(952)
Net finance costs
(391)
(446)
  Finance income
86
89
  Finance costs
(477)
(535)
Income from shares in group companies
2
13,648
6,456
Profit before taxation
12,938
5,058
Taxation
3
36
212
Net profit
12,974
5,270
Statement of comprehensive income
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Net profit
12,974
5,270
Other comprehensive income
Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss, net of tax:
Re-translation differences
(33)
   Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plans, net of tax
4
(3)
Total comprehensive income
12,978
5,234
Statement of cash flows
Unilever PLC does not have cash and cash equivalents. Instead, Unilever PLC has current accounts with Unilever UK Central Resources Limited and
Unilever Finance International AG. Unilever UK Central Resources Limited and Unilever Finance International AG make and collect payments on
behalf of Unilever PLC.
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193
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
Statement of changes in equity
Statement of changes in equity
€ million
Called up
Share capital
€ million
Share
premium
account
€ million
Capital
redemption
reserve
€ million
Other
reserves
€ million
Retained
profit
€ million
Total equity
Re-presented balance as at 1 January 2023(a)
92
52,844
18
(3,138)
27,706
77,522
Profit or loss for the period
5,270
5,270
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Re-translation differences(a)
(53)
20
(33)
Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plan, net of tax
(3)
(3)
Total comprehensive income
(53)
5,287
5,234
Dividends on ordinary capital
(4,327)
(4,327)
Repurchase of shares(b)
(1,507)
(1,507)
Cancellation of treasury shares(c)
(4)
4
5,278
(5,278)
Other movements in treasury shares(d)
88
(25)
63
Other movements in equity
(4)
(4)
Re-presented balance as at 31 December 2023
88
52,844
22
668
23,359
76,981
Profit or loss for the period
12,974
12,974
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Remeasurement of defined benefit pension plan, net of tax
4
4
Total comprehensive income
12,978
12,978
Dividends on ordinary capital
(4,320)
(4,320)
Issuance of shares(e)
Repurchase of shares(b)
(1,508)
(1,508)
Cancellation of treasury shares(c)
Other movements in treasury shares(d)
31
31
Other movements in equity
156
156
31 December 2024
88
52,844
22
(809)
32,173
84,318
(a) Other reserves includes an adjustment of €1,500 million relating to translation differences on share capital and share premium arising from the change of
presentational currency (see page 195).
(b) Repurchase of shares reflects the cost of acquiring ordinary shares as part of the share buyback programme announced on 10 February 2022 and 8 February 2024
(see note 9C).
(c) During 2023, 112,746,434 ordinary shares held in treasury were cancelled pertaining to 2021, 2022 and up to June 2023. The amount paid to repurchase these shares
was initially recognised in other reserves and was transferred to retained profit on cancellation amounting to €5,278 million.
(d) At 31 December 2024, 1,998,281 (2023: 1,361,032) treasury shares are held at an employee share ownership trust and PLC and its subsidiaries holds 326,473 (2023:
36,903) own ordinary shares.
(e) During 2024, 4,900,000 (2023: 100,000) ordinary shares were issued at 3 1/9 pence per share amounting to €177,777 (2023: €3,588).
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
Balance sheet
as at 31 December
Notes
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
€ million
2022 (re-presented)
Assets
Non-current assets
Investments in subsidiaries
4
88,035
88,000
87,950
Other non-current assets
5
1,552
1,508
1,807
Deferred tax assets
3
285
1
14
Financial assets
11
Pension assets
7
1
5
89,890
89,510
89,776
Current assets
Trade and other current receivables
6
220
402
271
Other current assets
5
288
220
690
271
Total assets
90,110
90,200
90,047
Liabilities
Current liabilities
Trade payables and other current liabilities
7
3,673
10,868
10,185
Financial liabilities
8
196
486
187
3,869
11,354
10,372
Non-current liabilities
Financial liabilities
8
1,921
1,863
2,151
Provisions
2
2
2
1,923
1,865
2,153
Total liabilities
5,792
13,219
12,525
Equity
Shareholders’ equity
Called up share capital
9
88
88
92
Share premium account
9
52,844
52,844
52,844
Capital redemption reserve
22
22
18
Other reserves
9
(809)
668
(3,138)
Retained profit
9
32,173
23,359
27,706
84,318
76,981
77,522
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
90,110
90,200
90,047
These financial statements have been approved by the Directors and signed on their behalf by Fernando Fernandez.
F Fernandez on behalf of The Board of Directors
5 March 2025
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
195
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Notes to the Company Accounts
Unilever PLC
Accounting information and policies
BASIS OF PREPARATION
The Company Accounts of PLC are prepared on the going concern basis
and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards
(IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB),
and UK-adopted international accounting standards. The Company
accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006.
The accounts are prepared under the historical cost convention, except
for the revaluation of financial assets classified as ‘fair value through
other comprehensive income’ or ‘fair value through profit or loss’, as
well as derivative financial instruments, which are reported in
accordance with the accounting policies set out below.
Unilever PLC is included within the consolidated financial statements
of the Group. The consolidated financial statements of the Group are
prepared in accordance with IFRS. As PLC does not have cash and
cash equivalents, the Company is no longer presenting a separate
statement of cash flows.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounting policies of PLC Company Accounts are the same as the
Unilever Group, refer to pages 142 to 144, except for the accounting
policies included below.
Foreign currency
Effective from 1 January 2024, the functional currency of Unilever
PLC has changed from sterling to euro. This follows a review and
subsequent change of the internal debt of PLC, from sterling to euro,
which triggered a formal evaluation of PLC's functional currency. The
change is applied prospectively.
Similarly, with effect from 1 January 2024, Unilever PLC’s presentational
currency was changed from sterling to euro to better align with its
functional and group’s presentational currencies. The amounts
presented for the years ended 31 December 2023 and 2022 have been
re-presented into euro using exchange rate as at 1 January 2024, unless
specified below. Share capital and share premium were re-presented
using the rate at the date of the Unification, the difference arising on
re-presentation was recorded as foreign currency translation reserves
within the opening Other Reserves. Certain 2023 equity movements,
including dividends, repurchase of shares and cancellation of shares,
were re-presented using spot rate at the date of the transaction. The
difference arising due to this use of spot rate in lieu of exchange rate as
at 1 January 2024 was recorded as re-translation difference in the other
comprehensive income. There is no impact on the presentation of the
Group results as a result of this change.
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the Company’s
functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of
the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign
currencies at the balance sheet date are retranslated to the functional
currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling at that date. Non-monetary
assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost in a
foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date of
the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in
foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are retranslated to the
functional currency at foreign exchange rates ruling at the date the
fair value was determined. Foreign exchange differences arising on
translation of monetary assets and liabilities are recognised in the
income statement.
Turnover
Turnover excludes value added tax and includes royalties and service
fees received from group companies. Royalty income from brand and
technology licence arrangements is recognised at the time sales are
made by group companies. Revenue from services is recognised over
time based on the usage of these services by group companies.
Operating profit
The operating profit is stated after deducting the costs that are mainly
related to the royalties and delivered services. Expenses are allocated
to the period in which they relate.
The operating profit includes residual central group costs charged to
PLC from another group company, Unilever Europe Business Centre
B.V. (UEBC). These residual costs arise because central group costs are
incurred and charged out to group entities by UEBC, but some of these
are not able to be recovered by UEBC. These costs are recharged to PLC
as the ultimate parent entity of the Group.
Investment in subsidiaries
Shares in group companies are stated at cost less any amounts written
off to reflect an impairment.
Financial guarantees
Where PLC enters into financial guarantee contracts to guarantee the
indebtedness of other companies within its group, they consider these
to be insurance arrangements and account for them as such. IFRS 17
‘Insurance Contracts’ has been released and is mandatory for annual
reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. The standard
provides that wherein the issuer has explicitly asserted that it regards
financial guarantees as insurance contracts and has used accounting
applicable to insurance contracts, the issuer may choose to apply either
IFRS 17 or IAS 32, IFRS 7 and IFRS 9 to account for such guarantees.
Unilever had made an election to apply IAS 32, IFRS 7 and IFRS 9 and
it was treated as a change in accounting policy, with restatement of
comparatives for the previous reporting period.
Capital Redemption Reserve
The nominal value of shares cancelled is transferred from share capital
to the capital redemption reserve.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND
JUDGEMENTS
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make
judgements and estimates in the application of accounting policies
that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and
expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates
and judgements are periodically evaluated and are based on historical
experience and other factors, including expectations of future events
that are believed to be reasonable. Revisions to accounting estimates
are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised and in any
future period affected.
Management believes that the following judgement has the most
significant effect on the amounts recognised in the Company’s financial
statements:
Transition exchange rate for share capital and share premium – when
calculating the impact of the presentation currency change on the
financial statements, management used the transition exchange rate
as at 1 January 2024 (£1 = €1.153). For certain account balances, such as
share premium and share capital, a historical exchange rate was used,
specifically the rate at the date of the Unification (£1 = €1.121). The
resulting difference arising on re-presentation was recorded as foreign
currency translation reserves within the opening Other Reserves. This
approach ensures consistency with the Group financial statements.
There are no estimates which management believe have a significant
effect on the amounts recognised in the PLC Company Accounts.
196
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
1. Turnover
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Royalties (point in time)
7
Services (over time)
75
87
Turnover
75
94
2. Income from shares in group companies
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Dividends received from shares
in group undertakings
13,648
6,456
13,648
6,456
3. Taxation
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Current tax
Current year
15
219
Pillar 2 income taxes
(9)
Adjustments in respect of prior
years
(255)
7
(249)
226
Deferred tax
Current year
3
33
Adjustments in respect of prior
years
282
(47)
285
(14)
Tax (charge)/credit on profits
on ordinary activities
36
212
The current UK corporate tax rate is 25% ( 2023: 23.5%). On 10 June 2021,
the Finance Act 2021 received Royal Assent, confirming that the UK rate
of corporation tax increased from 19% to 25% from 1 April 2023. This
had a consequential impact on the company's tax charge. Deferred tax
balances are measured at the tax rate to be applied when temporary
differences are expected to reverse in the future.
Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of deductible
temporary differences of €317 million (2023: nil) arising from the
Corporate Interest Restriction because it is not probable that future
taxable profit will be available against which the Company can use the
benefits therefrom.
Pillar Two legislation applies to the Company and we have applied
Pillar Two top-up taxes of €9 million.
Reconciliation of tax expense
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Profit/(loss) for the year
12,938
5,058
Tax using the UK corporation tax
rate of 25% (2023: 23.5%)
(3,234)
(1,188)
Tax effects of:
Income not subject to tax
(primarily tax-exempt
dividends)
3,412
1,517
Pillar 2 income taxes
(9)
Non-deductible expenses
(87)
(18)
Effects of tax rates in foreign
jurisdictions
(79)
(62)
Double tax relief
3
2
Permanent differences – other
3
2
(Under)/over provided in prior
years
27
(41)
Total tax expense
36
212
The movement in deferred tax asset is as below:
Movement in 2024
€ million
As at
1 January
2024
€ million
Income
statement
€ million
Other
compre-
hensive
income
€ million
As at
31 December
2024
Pensions and
similar obligations
(1)
(1)
Tax losses
1
208
209
Other
77
77
Total deferred tax
asset (net)
1
285
(1)
285
Movement in 2023
€ million
As at
1 January
2023
(re-presented)
€ million
Income
statement
(re-
presented)
€ million
Other
compre-
hensive
income
(re-
presented)
€ million
As at
31 December
2023
(re-presented)
Pensions and
similar obligations
(1)
1
Tax losses
15
(14)
1
Total deferred tax
asset (net)
14
(14)
1
1
4. Investments in subsidiaries
€ million
Cost
At 1 January 2023 (re-presented)
87,956
Additions(a) (re-presented)
50
Disposals (re-presented)
At 31 December 2023 (re-presented)
88,006
Additions(a)
35
Disposals
At 31 December 2024
88,041
Impairment losses
At 1 January 2023 (re-presented)
(6)
At 31 December 2023 (re-presented)
(6)
At 31 December 2024
(6)
Net book value at 31 December 2024
88,035
Net book value at 31 December 2023
88,000
(a) The additions to investment includes an amount of €50 million for 2023 and
€35 million for 2024 following adoption of IFRS 17.
Investments include the subsidiary company Hindustan Unilever Limited
(HUL), with a cost of €2,534 million ( 2023: €2,534 million). The shares
of HUL are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock
Exchange and have a market value of €29,102 million (2023: €32,267
million) as at 31 December 2024. Information on the non-controlling
interest in HUL is given in note 15B of the consolidated financial
statements.
Investments in subsidiaries comprise equity shares of group companies.
These investments only generate cash inflows in combination with other
assets within the Group. Accordingly, cash inflows are not independent
at any level below the cash generating units (CGUs) used for group
impairment testing purposes. Additionally, some investments benefit
from the synergies of multiple CGUs together. Management evaluates
on a case-to-case basis whether any impairment booked for the Group
impacts the carrying value of the investments. Based on the evaluation
for the current year, management has not determined any indicators of
impairment for investments.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
197
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
5. Other non-current assets
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
31 Dec 2023
(re-presented)
Loans to group companies(b)
1,549
1,508
Others
3
1,552
1,508
(b) Loans to group companies are interest-bearing at market rates and are
unsecured and repayable on demand. During 2023, a loan amounting to
€288 million was reclassed to other current assets based on the maturity date.
PLC does not consider the fair value of loans to group companies to be
significantly different from their carrying values. As these are amounts
due from other entities within the Group, PLC has estimated the
expected credit losses to be immaterial. Our historical experience of
collecting these balances supported by the level of default confirms
that the credit risk is low.
6. Trade and other current receivables
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
31 Dec 2023
(re-presented)
Amounts due from group
companies(c)
125
120
Taxation and social security
95
282
220
402
(c) Amounts due from group companies are mainly interest-bearing amounts
that are repayable on demand. Other amounts are interest-free and settled
monthly.
PLC does not consider the fair value of amounts due from group
companies to be significantly different from their carrying values. As
these are amounts due from other entities within the Group, PLC has
estimated the expected credit losses to be immaterial. Our historical
experience of collecting these balances supported by the level of
default confirms that the credit risk is low.
7. Trade payables and other current liabilities
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
31 Dec 2023
(re-presented)
Loans from group companies(d)
2,000
3,459
Amounts owed to group
companies(d)
1,644
7,379
Taxation and social security
Accruals and deferred income
29
30
3,673
10,868
(d) Amounts owed to group companies are mainly interest-bearing amounts
that are repayable on demand. Other amounts are interest-free and settled
monthly. Loans from group companies are all interest-bearing at market rates
and are unsecured, repayable on demand and supported by formal
agreements.
8. Financial liabilities
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
31 Dec 2023
(re-presented)
Current
Bonds and other loans
288
Other financial liabilities(e)
196
198
Total Current
196
486
Non-current
Bonds and other loans
1,883
1,828
Derivatives
38
35
Total Non-current
1,921
1,863
Total
2,117
2,349
The fair value of the bonds at 31 December 2024 was €1,711 million
(2023: €1,946 million).
Analysis of bonds and other loans:
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
31 Dec 2023
(re-presented)
£250 million 1.375% Notes 2024
288
£250 million 1.875% Notes 2029
300
286
£500 million 1.500% Notes 2026
602
575
€650 million 1.500% Notes 2039
647
647
£300 million 2.125% Notes 2028(f)
334
320
1,883
2,116
(e) Other financial liabilities:
The Company has recognised the carrying value of financial guarantee
contracts of €196 million (2023: €198 million) in the financial statements.
The maximum exposure to credit risk of these guarantees is £39,223 million
(2023€36,845 million) which could subsequently be recognised as a liability,
representing the maximum amount the Company could have to pay if the
financial guarantees were to be called upon.
            These consist of guarantees relating to:
External debt:
The long-term debt issued by group companies such as Unilever Finance
Netherlands B.V. and Unilever Capital Corporation, which are on a joint and
several liability basis with Unilever United States, Inc.
Commercial paper issued by Unilever Finance Netherlands B.V. and Unilever
Capital Corporation under the USCP programme, which are on a joint and
several liability basis with Unilever United States, Inc.
Commercial paper issued by Unilever Finance Netherlands B.V. under the
multi-currency ECP programme; and
Certain borrowings and derivatives of the other group companies.
For the above external debt, the maximum exposure amount is €27,883
million (2023: €25,670 million) and fair value of guarantees recognised is €192
million (2023: €194 million).
Pension obligations:
Group companies' obligations to the UK and Netherlands pension funds and
of the group captive insurance company. The maximum exposure amount is
€11,340 million (2023: €11,175 million) and fair value of guarantees recognised
is €4 million (2023: €4 million).
(f) The 2.125% note includes €(27) million (2023 : €(25) million) fair value
adjustment following the fair value hedge accounting of fixed-for-floating
interest rate swaps.
9. Capital and funding
The Company’s capital and funding strategy is described in note 15
of the consolidated financial statements.
9A. Called up share capital
During the current year, the company issued 4,900,000 (2023: 100,000)
shares amounting to €177,777 (2023: €3,588) and cancelled nil (2023:
112,746,434) shares amounting to nil (2023: €4)million. The called up
share capital amounting to €88 million at 31 December 2024 ( 31 December
2023: €88 million) consists of 2,521,497,338 (2023: 2,516,597,338 ) ordinary
shares.
Information on the called up and paid up capital is given in note 15A of the
consolidated financial statements.
9B. Share premium account
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
1 January
52,844
52,844
Change during the year:
Issuance of ordinary shares
Decrease due to share capital
reduction
31 December
52,844
52,844
Share premium is the excess of the consideration received over the
nominal value of the shares issued.
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
9C. Other reserves
Other reserves relate to treasury shares, shares held in trust and others.
Treasury shares and others
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Re-presented balance on 1
January(g)
748
(2,970)
Change during the year:
Other comprehensive income
for the year
(53)
Repurchase of shares
(1,508)
(1,507)
Cancellation of shares bought
back (h)
5,278
31 December
(760)
748
(g) 2023 includes an adjustment of €1,500 million relating to translation
differences on share capital and share premium arising from the change of
presentational currency (see page 195).
(h) During the year 2023, 112,746,434 treasury shares, which were acquired for
a value of €5,278 million in 2021, 2022 and up to June 2023, were cancelled.
During 2024, as part of a share buyback programme, Unilever PLC
repurchased 27,368,909 (2023: 31,734,256) ordinary shares which are held
as treasury shares. Consideration paid for the repurchase including
transaction costs was €1,508 million (2023: €1,507 million) which is
recorded within other reserves.
PLC holds 43,550,481 (31 December 2023: 16,181,572) of its own ordinary
shares. These are held as treasury shares within other reserves.
Shares held in trust
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
1 January
(80)
(168)
Change during the year:
Other purchases and
utilisations
31
88
31 December
(49)
(80)
PLC holds 1,998,281 (2023: 1,361,032) of its own ordinary shares via the
employee share ownership trust and PLC and its subsidiaries holds
326,473 (2023: 36,903) own ordinary shares.
9D. Retained profit
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
1 January
23,359
27,706
Profit for the year(i)
12,974
5,270
Other comprehensive income for
the year
4
17
Cancellation of shares bought
back (j)
(5,278)
Other movements
156
(29)
Dividends paid(k)
(4,320)
(4,327)
31 December
32,173
23,359
(i) Profit includes residual central group costs amounting to €240 million (2023:
€897 million). Further information is included within Accounting information
and policies.
(j) During the year 2023, 112,746,434 treasury shares, which were acquired for
a value of €5,278 million in 2021, 2022 and up to June 2023, were cancelled.
(k) Further details are given in note 8 to the consolidated financial statements
on page 159.
9E. Profit appropriation
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Profit for the year(l)
12,974
5,270
Dividends(m)
(3,251)
(3,244)
To profit retained
9,723
2,026
(l) Profit for the year includes residual central group costs amounting to €240
million (2023: €897 million) which are disclosed as part of incurred costs in the
income statement. For further details, please refer to Accounting information
and policies.
(m) The dividend to be paid in March 2025 (see note 15) is not included in the 2024
dividend amount.
10. Treasury risk management
The Company is exposed to market risks from its use of financial
instruments, the management of which is described in note 16B on
pages 176 to 179 in the consolidated financial statements.
Market risks
Currency risk
The Company's functional and presentational currency has changed
from pound sterling to euro with effect from 1 January 2024, however
the Company is exposed to loans and amounts due from or owed to the
group companies, and bonds that are denominated in other currencies.
The Company's exposure for holding monetary assets and liabilities in
currencies other than its functional currency is €35 million (2023: €15
million). The Company entered into derivatives to mitigate the foreign
currency risk but does not apply hedge accounting.
Currency sensitivity analysis
The sensitivity analysis below details the Company's sensitivity to a
10% change in the foreign currencies against the euro. These
percentages represent management's assessment of the possible
changes in the foreign exchange rates at the respective year-ends.
The sensitivity analysis includes only outstanding foreign currency
denominated monetary items and adjusts their translation at the
period-end for the above percentage change in foreign currency rates.
A 10% strengthening of the foreign currencies against the euro would
have led to approximately an additional €4 million gain in the income
statement (2023: €2 million gain).
A 10% weakening of the foreign currencies against the euro would have
led to an equal but opposite effect.
Interest rate risk
The Company is exposed to interest rate risks on its interest-bearing
loans and amounts due from or owed to the group companies,
commercial papers and bonds issued which are swapped to floating
rate. Increases in benchmark interest rates would increase the interest
income and interest cost.
Interest rate sensitivity analysis
The sensitivity analysis below has been determined based on the
exposure to interest rates at the statement of financial position date.
At 31 December 2024, the Company had €362 million (2023: €346
million) of outstanding fixed-to-float interest rate swaps on which fair
value hedge accounting is applied.
The following changes in the interest rates represent management's
assessment of the possible change in interest rates at the respective
year-ends:
Assuming that all variables remain constant, a 1.0 percentage point
increase in floating interest rates on a full-year basis as at 31 December
2024 would have led to an additional €18 million of finance cost (2023:
€100 million additional finance cost).
A 1.0 percentage point decrease in floating interest rate on a full-year
basis would have an equal but opposite effect.
11. Transactions with related parties
A related party is a person or entity that is related to PLC. These include
both people and entities that have, or are subject to, the influence or
control of PLC. Information on key management personnel has been
given in note 23 of the consolidated financial statements.
The following related party balances existed with group companies at
31 December.
€ million
31 Dec 2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Trading and other balances due
from/(to) subsidiaries
(1,520)
(7,262)
Loans due from/(to) subsidiaries
(451)
(1,663)
Refer to notes 5, 6 and 7 for an explanation of these balances.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
199
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
NOTES TO THE COMPANY ACCOUNTS UNILEVER PLC
11. Transactions with related parties continued
The following related party transactions took place during the year
with subsidiaries:
€ million
2024
€ million
2023 (re-presented)
Turnover
Royalties
7
Services
75
87
Others
Dividends received
13,648
6,456
Loans and related interest
(401)
(438)
Incurred costs and royalties paid
(394)
(1,042)
Information on guarantees given by PLC to group companies is given in
note 12 of the Company Accounts.
12. Contingent liabilities and financial commitments
Post the implementation of IFRS 17, there are no amounts to disclose.
Please see note 8 for further details for these liabilities, commitments
and guarantees.
There are also certain financial commitments which are not included in
the total amount of financial guarantees because they do not currently
relate to existing liabilities or cannot be quantified:
PLC and Unilever United States, Inc. have guaranteed the standby
facilities of $5,200 million and €2,600 million (2023: $5,200 million and
€2,600 million) for the group companies which remain undrawn as at
31 December 2024 and 2023;
The joint and several liability undertakings issued by NV in
accordance with Article 2:403 of the Dutch Civil Code for almost all
of its Dutch group companies were withdrawn by means of filings
with the Dutch Trade Register on 27 November 2020, being the last
practicable date prior to the effective date of the cross-border merger
between NV and PLC. With effect from the date of the cross-border
merger, PLC issued a guarantee confirming PLC's liability for any
residual liability (referred to in Article 2:404 (2) of the Dutch Civil
Code) of NV remaining after the withdrawal of such undertakings,
to the extent that such liability did not transfer in the cross-border
merger; and
PLC has guaranteed some contingent consideration of group
companies relating to past business acquisitions and financial
commitments including (indemnities arising from past business
disposals) as well as certain global and regional contracts.
13. Remuneration of auditors
The parent company accounts of Unilever PLC are required to
comply with the Companies (Disclosure of Auditor Remuneration
and Liability Limitation Agreements) Regulations 2008. For details
of the remuneration of the auditors, please refer to note 25 of the
consolidated financial statements.
14. Remuneration of Directors
Information about the remuneration of Directors is given in the tables
noted as audited in the Directors' Remuneration Report on pages 95 to
117. Information on key management compensation is provided in note
4A to the consolidated financial statements on page 149.
15. Post-balance sheet events
Dividend
On 13 February 2025 , the Directors announced a dividend of £0.3775 per
PLC ordinary share. Dividends will be paid out of retained profit. The
dividend is payable on 28 March 2025 to shareholders registered at the
close of business on 28 February 2025.
200
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Group Companies
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024
In accordance with Section 409 of the Companies Act 2006, a list of subsidiaries, partnerships, associates and joint ventures as at 31 December
2024 is set out below. All subsidiary undertakings are subsidiary undertakings of their immediate parent undertaking(s) pursuant to Section
1162 (2) (a) of the Companies Act 2006 unless otherwise indicated – see the notes on page 210. All subsidiary undertakings not included in the
consolidation are not included because they are not material for such purposes. All associated undertakings are included in the Unilever Group’s
financial statements using the equity method of accounting unless otherwise indicated – see the notes on page 210.
See page 191 of the Annual Report and Accounts for a list of the significant subsidiaries.
Companies are listed by country and under their registered office address. The aggregate percentage of capital held by the Unilever Group is
shown after the subsidiary company name, except where it is 100%. If the Nominal Value field is blank, then the Share Class Note will identify the
type of interest held in the entity.
Subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidation
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Algeria – Zone Industrielle Hassi Ameur Oran 31000
Unilever Algérie SPA (72.50)
DZD1,000.00
1
Argentina – Tucuman 1, piso 4, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Arisco S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Unilever De Argentina S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Club de Beneficios S.A.U.
ARS1.00
1
Urent S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Ulands S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Argentina – Martín Güemes 24 Sur, San Juan, Provincia de San Juan
Helket S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Argentina – Juana Manso 205, 7mo. Piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Compre Ahora S.A.
ARS1.00
1
Australia – 219 North Rocks Road, North Rocks NSW 2151
Ben & Jerry’s Franchising Australia Limited
AUD1.00
1
Unilever Australia (Holdings) Pty Limited
AUD1.00
1
Unilever Australia Group Pty Limited
AUD2.7414
1
Unilever Australia Limited
AUD1.00
1
Unilever Australia Trading Limited
AUD1.00
1
Australia – 111-115 Chandos Street, Crows Nest, NSW 2065
Dermalogica Holdings Pty Limited
AUD1.00
1
Dermalogica Pty Limited
AUD2.00
1
Australia – Level 12, 60 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Paula’s Choice International Australia Pty Limited
AUD0.01
1
Australia – Level 16, 68 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Brand Evangelists for Beauty Pty Ltd (68.03)
1
Austria – Jakov-Lind-Straße 5, 1020 Wien
Delico Handels GmbH
EUR36,336.42
1
Unilever Austria GmbH
EUR10,000,000.00
1
Bangladesh – 51 Kalurghat Heavy Industrial Area, Kalurghat, Chittagong
Unilever Bangladesh Limited (60.75)
BDT100.00
1
Bangladesh – Fouzderhat Industrial Area, North Kattali, Chattogram 4217
Unilever Consumer Care Limited (81.98)
BDT10.00
1
Belgium – Anderlecht, Industrielaan 9, 1070 Brussels
Unilever Belgium NV/SA
No Par Value
1
Bolivia – Av. Blanco Galindo, Km 10.5, Cochabamba
Unilever Andina Bolivia S.A.
BOB100.00
1
Brazil – Avenida das Nações Unidas, n. 14.261, Ala A, 3º andar, Foco 4, Vila
Gertrudes, São Paulo/SP, CEP 04794-000
Euphoria Ice Cream Comercio de Alimentos
Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Rua Gomes de Carvalho, 1666, conjunto 161, 16ª andar, Bairro Vila
Olimpia, São Paulo, ZIP Code 04547-006
E-UB Comércio Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Cidade de Valinhos, Estado de São Paulo, Rua Campos Salles, nº 20,
Parte, Centro, ZIP Code 13271-900
Unilever Logistica Serviços Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Av. das Nações Unidas, n. 14.261, 3rd floor, Parte – Gelados SP, Wing B,
Vila Gertrudes, ZIP Code 04794-000, São Paulo/SP
Unilever Brasil Gelados Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Av. das Nações Unidas, n. 14.261, 3rd to 6th floors, Wing B Vila
Gertrudes, ZIP Code 04794-000, São Paulo/SP
Unilever Brasil Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Brazil – Av. das Nações Unidas, n. 14.261, 3rd floor, Wing A, Vila Gertrudes, ZIP
Code 04794-000, São Paulo/SP
Unilever Brasil Industrial Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Avenida das Nações Unidas, nº 14.261, Vila Gertrudes, Andares 24º a
27º, Sala/Conjunto nº 2401B, 2501B, 2601B, e 2701B, parte, Espaço de Escritório
WeWork nº 25-109, na Cidade de São Paulo, Estado de São Pa, CEP 04794-000
Mãe Terra Produtos Naturais Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Brazil – Rua Tenente Pena, No. 156, Bom Retiro, CEP 01127-020, São Paulo
Smart Home Comércio E Locação De
Equipamentos S.A. (59.50)
No Par Value
1
Brazil – São Paulo, Estado de São Paulo na Rua Demóstenes nº 1072, Bairro
Campo Belo CEP 04614-010
Ole Franquia Limitada
BRL1.00
1
Brazil – Rua Gomes de Carvalho, 1666, conjunto 161, 5ª andar, locker 5D Bairro
Vila Olimpia, São Paulo, ZIP Code 04547-006
Compra Agora Serviços Digitais Limitada
BRL1.00
5
Bulgaria – City of Sofia, Borough Mladost, 1, Business Park, Building 4, Floor 5
Unilever Bulgaria EOOD
BGN1,000.00
1
Bulgaria – District Veliko Tarnovo, 5030 Debelets, Promishlena Zona
Unilever Ice Cream Bulgaria EOOD
BGL50.00
1
Cambodia – Morgan Tower Building, Level 15, No.
15F-8A/8B/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17A, Street Sopheak Mongkul, Phum 14,
Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Unilever (Cambodia) Limited
KHR20,000.00
1
Canada – 3081, 3rd Avenue, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Y1A 4Z7
Dermalogica (Canada) Limited
No Par Value
6
Canada – 100 King Street West, 1 First Canadian Place, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON
M5X 1G5
UPD Canada Inc.
No Par Value
7
Canada – 1000 rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, Bureau 2500, Montreal, H3B 0A2
4012208 Canada Inc.
No Par Value
7
Canada – 160 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M4W 3R2
Unilever Canada Inc.
No Par Value
8
No Par Value
9
No Par Value
10
No Par Value
11
No Par Value
12
Canada – Lawson Lundell LLP, 925 W Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L2
Hourglass Cosmetics Canada Limited
No Par Value
1
Chile – Avenida Las Condes 11.000, Piso 5, Comuna de Vitacura
Unilever Chile Limitada
13
China – Room 1001, No. 398 Caoxi Road (N), Xuhui District, Shanghai,
200030
Blueair (Shanghai) Sales Co. Limited
CNY1.00
1
China – No. 33 North Fuquan Road, Changning District, Shanghai, 200335
Unilever (China) Investing Company
USD1.00
1
China – 88 Jinxiu Avenue, Hefei Economic and Technology Development Zone,
Anhui, 230601
Unilever (China) Limited
USD1.00
1
Unilever Services (Hefei) Co. Ltd.
CNY1.00
1
China – No. 225 Jingyi Road, Tianjin Airport Economic Area, Tianjin
Unilever (Tianjin) Company Limited
USD1.00
1
China – 1068 Ting Wei Road, Jinshanzui Industrial Region, Jinshan District,
Shanghai
Unilever Foods (China) Co. Limited
USD1.00
1
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
China – No. 166 Unilever Avenue West, Qinglong Town, Pengshan District,
Meishan City, Sichuan province 620800
Unilever (Sichuan) Company Limited
USD1.00
1
China – No.16 Wanyuan Road, Beijing E&T Development, Beijing 100076
Wall’s (China) Co. Limited
USD1.00
1
China – Room 326, 3rd Floor, Xinmao Building, 2 South Taizhong Road,
(Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone
Uchieve Commerce (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
CNY1.00
1
China – Floor 1, Building 2, No. 33 North Fuquan Road, Changning District,
Shanghai 200335
Shanghai CarverKorea Limited
USD1.00
1
China – 2F, No. 10, Lane 255, Xiaotang Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai
Paula’s Choice (Shanghai) Trading Co. Limited
CNY1.00
1
China – Room 1436, No. 1256 and No. 1258 Wanrong Road, Jingan District,
Shanghai
Paula’s Choice (Shanghai) Technology Co. Limited
CNY1.00
1
China – No. 88 Yanghua Road, Mingzhu Industrial Zone, Conghua District,
Guangzhou City
Unilever (Guangzhou) Co. Limited
CNY1.00
1
China – 5th Floor, Qunjia Building Block 1, No. 366 Shengkang Road, Jiubao
Street, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
GoUni (Hangzhou) Trading Co. Limited
CNY1.00
1
China – Room 407, No. 1256, No. 1258 Wanrong Road, Jingan District, Shanghai
UPD (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd
CNY1.00
1
Colombia – Avenida Carrera 45, 108-27 Torre 3, Piso 5 y 6, Bogotá D.C.
Unilever Andina Colombia Limitada
COP100.00
1
Costa Rica – Provincia de Heredia, Cantón Belén, Distrito de la Asunción, de la
intersección Cariari-Belén, 400 Mts. Oeste, 800 Mts. al Norte
UL Costa Rica SCC S.A.
CRC1.00
1
Côte d’Ivoire – 01 BP 1751 Abidjan 01, Boulevard de Vridi
Unilever-Côte d’Ivoire (99.78)
XOF2,650.00
1
Côte d’Ivoire – Abidjan-Marcory, Boulevard Valery Giscard d’Estaing, Immeuble
Plein Ciel, Business Center, 26 BP 1377, Abidjan 26
Unilever Afrique de l’Ouest
XOF10,000.00
1
Croatia – Strojarska cesta 20, 10000 Zagreb
Unilever Hrvatska d.o.o.
EUR1.00
1
Cuba – Zona Especial de Desarrollo Mariel, Provincia Artemisa
Unilever Suchel, S.A. (60)
USD1,000.00
56
Cyprus – Head Offices, 195C Old Road, Nicosia Limassol, CY-2540 Idalion
Industrial Zone – Nicosia
Unilever Tseriotis Cyprus Limited (84)
EUR1.00
1
Czech Republic – Voctářova 2497/18, 180 00 Praha 8
Unilever ČR, spol. s.r.o.
CZK210,000.00
1
Denmark – Ørestads Boulevard 73, 2300 København S
Unilever Danmark A/S
DKK1,000.00
1
Denmark – Petersmindevej 30, 5000 Odense C
Unilever Produktion ApS
DKK100.00
1
Djibouti – Haramous, BP 169
Unilever Djibouti FZCO Limited
USD200.00
1
Dominican Republic – Av. Winston Churchill, Torre Acropolis, Piso 16, Santo
Domingo
Unilever Caribe, S.A.
DOP1,000.00
1
Ecuador – Km 25, Vía a Daule, Guayaquil
Unilever Andina Ecuador S.A.
USD1.00
1
Egypt – 5th Floor, North Tower, Galleria 40 Business Complex, Sheikh Zayed, 6th
of October City, Giza
Unilever Mashreq for Manufacturing and Trading
(SAE)
EGP10.00
1
Unilever Egypt for Shared Consultations Services
EGP10.00
1
Egypt – Public Free Zone, Alexandria
Unilever Mashreq International Company (in
liquidation)
USD1,000.00
1
Egypt – 14 May Bridge, Sidi Gaber, Smouha, Alexandria
Unilever Mashreq Trading LLC (in liquidation)
EGP1000.00
1
Commercial United for Import and Export LLC (in
liquidation)
EGP1000.00
1
Egypt – 15 Sphinx Square, El-Mohandsin, Giza
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Unilever Mashreq for Import and Export LLC
EGP100.00
1
El Salvador – Local 19, Nivel 19, Edificio Torre Futura, Calle El Mirador y 87
Avenida Norte, Colonia Escalón, San Salvador
Unilever El Salvador, SCC S.A. de C.V.
USD1.00
1
Unilever de Centro America S.A. de C.V.
USD11.00
1
England and Wales – Unilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y
0DY
Accantia Group Holdings (unlimited company)
GBP0.01
1
Alberto-Culver (Europe) Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Alberto-Culver Group Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Alberto-Culver UK Holdings Limited (in
liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Alberto-Culver UK Products Limited (in
liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
GBP5.00
14
Associated Enterprises Limited°
GBP1.00
1
GroNext Technologies Limited
GBP1.00
1
Hourglass Cosmetics UK Limited
GBP1.00
1
Margarine Union (1930) Limited°
GBP1.00
1
GBP1.00
18
GBP1.00
68
GBP1.00
69
MBUK Trading Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Mixhold Investments Limited
GBP1.00
1
ND4A Limited
GBP1.00
1
Toni & Guy Products Limited°
GBP0.001
1
UAC International Limited
GBP1.00
1
UML Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unidis Forty Nine Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unilever AC Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Assam Estates Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Company for Industrial Development
Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Company for Regional Marketing and
Research Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Corporate Holdings Limited°
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Employee Benefit Trustees Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Group Limited°
GBP0.25
1
Unilever South India Estates Limited°
GBP1.00
1
GBP1.00
15
Unilever S.K. Holdings Limited
GBP1.43
1
Unilever Overseas Holdings Limited°
GBP1.00
1
Unilever U.K. Central Resources Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever U.K. Holdings Limited°
GBP1.00
1
Unilever UK & CN Holdings Limited
GBP1.00
2
GBP1.00
3
GBP10.00
24
Unilever UK Group Limited
GBP1.00
2
Unilever US Investments Limited°
GBP1.00
1
United Holdings Limited°
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – c/o BDO LLP, 5 Temple Square, Temple Street, Liverpool L2
5RH
Unilever Australia Investments Limited (in
liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Australia Partnership Limited (in
liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Innovations Limited (in liquidation)
GBP0.10
1
England and Wales – The Manser Building, Thorncroft Manor, Thorncroft Drive,
Dorking Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8JB
Dermalogica (UK) Limited
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – Oceana House 39-49 Commercial Road, First Floor,
Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 1GA
Aquis Haircare UK Ltd
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – c/o TMF Group, 13th Floor, 1 Angel Court, London EC2R
7HJ
Twenty Nine Capital Partners Limited
Partnership∞ (80)
4
202
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Unilever Ventures III Limited Partnership∞ (86.25)
4
Unilever Ventures Limited
GBP1.00
1
Twenty Nine Capital Partners (General Partner)
Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Ventures General Partner Limited
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – Union House, 182-194 Union Street, London SE1 0LH
REN Limited
GBP0.01
1
GBP0.0032
19
GBP0.0042
126
Murad Europe Limited
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – Lever House, 3 St James Road, Kingston Upon Thames,
Surrey KT1 2BA
Alberto-Culver Company (U.K.) Limited
GBP1.00
1
CPC (UK) Pension Trust Limited (in liquidation)
16
Nature Delivered Limited
GBP0.001
1
GBP0.001
79
GBP0.001
84
Marshfield Bakery Limited (in liquidation)
GBP0.01
1
Unilever Pension Trust Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever UK Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever UK Pension Fund Trustees Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Superannuation Trustees Limited
GBP1.00
1
USF Nominees Limited
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – 1 More Place, London SE1 2AF
Accantia Health and Beauty Limited (in
liquidation)
GBP0.25
1
England and Wales – Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 4ZD
Unilever Global IP Limited°
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – Suite 1, 7th Floor, 50 Broadway, London SW1H 0BL
Paula’s Choice UK Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – 3rd Floor, 1 Ashley Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 2DT
Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited (80.30)
GBP1.00
2
(100)
GBP1.00
85
(66.47)
GBP1.00
128
(82.92)
GBP1.00
129
Estonia – Harju maakond, Tallinn, Haabersti linnaosa, Paldiski mnt 96, 13522
Unilever Eesti Aktsiaselts
EUR6.30
1
Ethiopia – Bole Sub City, Kebele 03/05, Lidiya Building, Addis Ababa
Unilever Manufacturing PLC
ETB1,000.00
1
Finland – Post Box 254, 00101 Helsinki
Unilever Finland Oy
EUR16.82
1
Unilever Ingman Production Oy
EUR1000.00
1
France – 20, rue des Deux Gares, 92500, Rueil-Malmaison
Bestfoods France Industries S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
Cogesal-Miko S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
Fralib Sourcing Unit S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
Saphir S.A.S. (99.99)
EUR1.00
1
U-Labs S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
Unilever France S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
Unilever France Holdings S.A.S. (99.99)
EUR1.00
1
Unilever France HPC Industries S.A.S. (99.99)
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Retail Operations France (99.99)
No Par Value
1
France – ZI de la Norge – Chevigny Saint-Sauveur, 21800 Quetigny
Amora Maille Societe Industrielle S.A.S. (99.99)
No Par Value
1
France – 42, rue Jean de La Fontaine, Paris, 75016
Laboratoire Garancia
EUR62.50
1
UPD EU
EUR1.00
1
Germany – Wiesenstraße 21. 40549 Düsseldorf
Dermalogica GmbH
EUR25,000.00
1
Germany – Spitaler Straße 16, 20095 Hamburg
ProCepta Service GmbH
EUR28,348.00
1
Germany – Neue Burg 1, 20457 Hamburg
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
DU Gesellschaft für Arbeitnehmerüberlassung
mbH (99.99)
DEM50,000.00
1
Unilever Deutschland GmbH
EUR90,000,000.00
1
EUR2,000,000.00
1
EUR1,000,000.00
1
EUR 100.000,00
1
Unilever Deutschland Holding GmbH
EUR39,000.00
1
EUR18,000.00
1
EUR14,300.00
1
EUR5,200.00
1
EUR6,500.00
1
Unilever Deutschland Produktions GmbH & Co.
OHG
4
Germany – Alt-Moabit 2, c/o Mazars Advisors GmbH & Co. KG, 10557 Berlin
T2 Germany GmbH (in liquidation)
EUR25,000.00
1
Germany – Langnesestraße 1, 64646 Heppenheim
Maizena Grundstücksverwaltung Gesellschaft mit
beschränkter Haftung & Co. offene
Handelsgesellschaft
4
Rizofoor Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
EUR15,350.00
1
EUR138,150.00
1
Schafft GmbH
EUR63,920.00
1
EUR100,000.00
1
Germany – Wiesenstrasse. 21, D-40549 Düsseldorf
Murad GmbH
EUR1.00
1
Ren GmbH
EUR1.00
1
Germany – Zehdenicker Str. 110119 Berlin
Paula’s Choice Germany GmbH 
4
Ghana – Plot No. Ind/A/3A-4, Heavy Industrial Area, Tema, PO Box 721, Tema
Unilever Ghana PLC (74.50)
GHC0.0192
1
Greece – Kymis Ave & 10, Seneka Str. GR-145 64 Kifissia
Elais Unilever Hellas SA
EUR10.00
1
Unilever Knorr SA
EUR10.00
1
Unilever Logistics SA
EUR10.00
1
Guatemala – 24 Avenida 35-87 Calzada Atanasio Tzul, Zona 12
Unilever de Centroamerica S.A.
GT60.00
1
Haiti – 115, Rue Panamericaine, Estabissement Número 1, Petion Ville
Les Condiments Alimentaires, S.A. (61) (in
liquidation)
HTG1000.00
1
Honduras – Anillo Periférico 600 metros después de la colonia, Residencial, Las
Uvas contigua acceso de residencial Roble Oeste, Tegucigalpa M.D.C.
Unilever de Centroamerica S.A.
HNL10.00
1
Hong Kong – Suite 1106-8, 11/F, Tai Yau Building, 181 Johnston Road, Wanchai
Blueair Asia Limited
HKD0.10
1
Hong Kong – 6 Dai Fu Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate
Unilever Hong Kong Limited
HKD0.10
1
Hong Kong – Room 66, Unit 1111, 11/F, Silvercord Tower 2, 30 Canton Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hourglass Cosmetics Hong Kong Limited
HKD1.00
1
Hong Kong – Room 1808, 18/F, Tower II Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road,
Admiralty
Hong Kong CarverKorea Limited
HKD1.00
7
Hong Kong – 14th Floor, One Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay
UPD Hong Kong Limited
HKD100.00
1
Hong Kong – 14/F, One Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay
Go-Uni Limited (67)
USD1.00
1
Hong Kong – Unit B, 17/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty
Paula’s Choice Hong Kong Limited
HKD1.00
1
Paula’s Choice Hong Kong Distributor Services Ltd
HKD1.00
1
Hungary – 1138-Budapest, Váci út 121-127
Unilever Magyarország Kft
HUF1.00
1
India – Unilever House, B. D. Sawant Marg, Chakala, Andheri (E), Mumbai
400099
Daverashola Estates Private Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Hindlever Trust Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Hindustan Unilever Limited° (61.90)
INR1.00
1
Lakme Lever Private Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Levers Associated Trust Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Levindra Trust Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Unilever India Limited (61.90)
INR1.00
1
Unilever India Exports Limited (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Unilever Industries Private Limited°
INR10.00
1
Unilever Ventures India Advisory Private Limited
INR1.00
75
India – S-327, Greater Kailash – II, New Delhi – 110048, Delhi
Blueair India Private Limited (in liquidation)
INR10. 00
1
India – c/o Vaish Associates, 106, Peninsula Centre, Dr S.S. Rao Road, Parel,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400012
Jech India Private Limited (in liquidation)
INR10. 00
1
Indonesia – Grha Unilever, Green Office Park Kav 3, Jalan BSD Boulevard Barat,
BSD City, Tangerang, 15345
PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk (84.99)
IDR2.00
1
PT Unilever Enterprises Indonesia (99.99)
IDR1,000.00
1
PT Unilever Trading Indonesia
IDR1,003,875.00
1
Indonesia – Gedung Pasaraya Blok M, Gedung B, Lantai 6 dan 7, Jalan
Iskandarsyah II No. 2, DKI Jakarta
PT Gerai Cepat Untung (88.19)
IDR100,000.00
1
Indonesia – KEK Sei Mangkei, Nagori Sei Mangkei, Kecamatan Bosar Maligas,
Kabupaten Simalungun 21183, Sumatera Utara
PT Unilever Oleochemical Indonesia
IDR1,000,000.00
1
Iran – No. 23, Corner of 33rd Street, Zagros Street, Argentina Square, Tehran
Unilever Iran (Private Joint Stock Company) (99.99)
IRR1,000,000.00
1
Ireland – 20 Riverwalk, National Digital Park, Citywest Business Campus,
Dublin 24
Lipton Soft Drinks (Ireland) Limited
EUR1.26
1
Unilever Ireland (Holdings) Limited
EUR1.26
1
Unilever Ireland Limited
EUR1.26
1
Isle of Man – Bridge Chambers, West Quay, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 1DL
Rational International Enterprises Limited
USD1.00
1
Israel – 3 Gilboa Street, Airport City, Ben Gurion Airport
Beigel & Beigel Mazon (1985) Limited
ILS1.00
1
Israel – 52 Julius Simon Street, Haifa, 3296279
Bestfoods TAMI Holdings Ltd
ILS0.001
1
Israel Vegetable Oil Company Ltd
ILS0.0001
1
Unilever Israel Foods Ltd
ILS0.10
35
ILS0.10
79
ILS0.10
17
ILS0.0002
25
Unilever Israel Home and Personal Care Limited
ILS1.00
1
Unilever Israel Marketing Ltd
ILS0.0001
1
Unilever Shefa Israel Ltd
ILS1.00
1
Israel – Haharoshet 1, PO Box 2288, Akko, 2451704
Glidat Strauss Limited
ILS1.00
30
ILS1.00
1
ILS1.00
31
Italy – Piazza Paleocapa 1/D, 10100, Torino
Gromart S.R.L.
EUR1,815,800.00
1
Italy – Viale Sarca 235, 20126 Milan
Unilever Italia Administrative Services S.R.L.
EUR70,000.00
1
Italy – Via Paolo di Dono n. 3/A 00142 Roma
Unilever Italia Logistics S.R.L.
EUR600,000.00
1
Unilever Italia Manufacturing S.R.L.
EUR10,000,000.00
1
Unilever Italia Mkt Operations S.R.L.
EUR25,000,000.00
1
Unilever Italy Holdings S.R.L.
EUR1,000.00
1
Italy – Via Plava, 74 10135 Torino
Equilibra S.R.L. (75)
EUR1.00
1
Armores Srl (75)
EUR1.00
1
Syrio Srl (75)
EUR1.00
1
Italy – Business Center Monte Napoleone, Via Monte Napoleone 8, 20121 –
Milano
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
UPD Italia S.r.l.
EUR10,000.00
1
Japan – 2-1-1, Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8578
Unilever Japan Customer Marketing K.K.
JPY100,000,001.00
1
Unilever Japan Holdings G.K.
JPY10,000,000.00
1
Unilever Japan K.K.
JPY100,000,001.00
1
Unilever Japan Service K.K.
JPY50,000,000.00
1
Rafra Japan K.K.
JPY20,000,000.00
7
Japan – Marunouchi Trust Tower - Main 20F, 1-8-3 Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0005
UPD Japan K.K.
JPY109,850.00
1
Jersey – 13 Castle Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE4 5UT
Unilever Chile Investments Limited
GBP1.00
1
Jordan – Ground Floor, Office No. 1, GH24 Building, Business Park, Development
Zone, Amman
Unilever Jordan for Marketing Services
JOD1000.00
1
Kazakhstan – Abylai Khan Avenue, 53, Abylai Khan Building, 6th Floor, Almaty
Unilever Kazakhstan LLP
4
Kenya – Commercial Street, Industrial Area, PO Box 30062-00100, Nairobi
Unilever Kenya Limited°
KES20.00
1
Korea – 443 Taeheran-ro, Samsung-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul
Unilever Korea Co., Ltd
KRW10,000.00
1
Korea – 81, Tojeong 31-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
CARVERKOREA Co., Limited (97.47)
KRW500.00
7
Korea – #1-313 #1-314, 48, Achasan-ro 17-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Paula’s Choice Korea, Limited
KRW500,000,000.0
0
1
Kuwait – AlQibla - Land No.14, Abu Bakir Alssiddiq Street, Mohamed
Abdulrahman AlBahar building – Floor #9 – Unit 4
AlBahar United For Wholesale and Retail Trading
Company LLCX (30)
KWD0.10
1
Laos – Viengvang Tower, 4th Floor, Room no. 402A, Boulichan Road, Dongpalan
Thong Village, Sisattanak District, Vientiane Capital
Unilever Services (Lao) Sole Co. Limited
LAK80,000.00
1
Latvia – Kronvalda bulvāris 3-10, Rīga, LV-1010
Unilever Baltic LLC
EUR1.00
1
Lebanon – Sin El Fil, Dolphin Building, 3rd Floor, Beirut
Unilever Levant s.a.r.l.
LBP1,000,000.00
1
Lithuania – Skuodo St. 28, Mazeikiai, LT-89100
UAB Unilever Lietuva distribucija
EUR3,620.25
1
UAB Unilever Lietuva ledu gamyba
EUR3,620.25
1
Malawi – Room 33, Gateway Mall, Area 47, Lilongwe Malawi
Unilever South East Africa (Private) Limited (in
liquidation)
MWK2.00
1
Malaysia – Suite 2-1, Level 2, Vertical Corporate Tower B, Avenue 10, The
Vertical, Bangsar South City, No. 8, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan
Paula's Choice Malaysia SEA Sdn. Bhd.
No Par Value
1
Unilever (Malaysia) Holdings Sdn. Bhd.
No Par Value
1
Unilever (Malaysia) Services Sdn. Bhd.
No Par Value
1
Mexico – Av. Tepalcapa No. 2, Col. Rancho Santo Domingo, C.P. 54900 Tultitlán,
Estado de México
Unilever de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.
4
Unilever Holding Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.
4
Unilever Manufacturera S. de R.L. de C.V.
4
Unilever Real Estate Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.
4
Unilever NA Sourcing West S. de R.L. de C.V.
4
Morocco – 65, Main Street Finance District, Casablanca Finance City, Place Anfa
Ouest Et Palmeraie, Immeuble Walili Street, 10ème Étage - Hay-Hassani (AR)
Unilever Maghreb S.A.
MAD100.00
1
Mozambique – Avenida 24 de Julho, Edifício 24, nº 1097, 4º andar, Maputo
Unilever Mocambique Limitada (in liquidation)
USD0.01
1
Myanmar – Plot No (40,41,47), Min Thate Hti Kyaw Swar Road, 39 Ward, Shwe
Pyi Thar Industrial Zone (2), Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region, 11411
Unilever (Myanmar) Limited
MMK11,129,679,6
00.00
1
Unilever (Myanmar) Services Limited
USD2,000,000.00
1
204
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Myanmar – Lot No. 31, Bamaw Ahtwin Wun Street, Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial
Zone 3, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon, 11401
Unilever EAC Myanmar Company Limited (60)
MMK500,000,000,
000. 00
1
Nepal – Hetauda-3, Basamadi Makawnapur
Unilever Nepal Limited (49.52)
NPR100.00
1
Netherlands – Weena 455, 3013 AL Rotterdam
Alberto-Culver Netherlands B.V. (in liquidation)
EUR1.00
2
EUR1.00
3
Argentina Investments B.V.
EUR454.00
1
BFO Holdings B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Brazinvest B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Chico-invest B.V.
EUR455.00
1
Doma B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Handelmaatschappij Noorda B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Hourglass Cosmetics Europe B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Foods & Refreshments Global B.V.
EUR453.78
1
Itaho B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Lipoma B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Marga B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Mavibel (Maatschappij voor Internationale
Beleggingen) B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Mexinvest B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Mixhold B.V.°
EUR1.00
2
EUR1.00
3
EUR1.00
26
N.V. Elma (in liquidation)
NLG1,000.00
1
NLG1,000.00
27
New Asia B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Nommexar B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Ortiz Finance B.V.
NLG100.00
1
Pabulum B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Rizofoor B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Rolf von den Baumen’s Vetsmelterij B.V.
EUR454.00
1
Rolon B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Saponia B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
ThaiB1 B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
ThaiB2 B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Unilever Administration Centre B.V. (in liquidation)
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Alser B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Berran B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Canada Investments B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Caribbean Holdings B.V.
EUR1,800.00
1
Unilever Employment Services B.V. (in liquidation)
EUR1,000.00
1
Unilever Europe B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Europe Business Center B.V.
EUR454.00
1
EUR454.00
14
Unilever Finance International B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Finance Netherlands B.V.o
EUR1.00
1
FoodServiceHub B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Global Services B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Holdings B.V.
EUR454.00
1
Unilever IP Holdings B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Indonesia Holding B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Insurances N.V.
EUR454.00
1
Unilever International Holdings B.V.°
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Netherlands Retail Operations B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Nederland Holdings B.V.
EUR454.00
1
Unilever Nederland Services B.V.
EUR460.00
1
Unilever PL Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever Turkey Holdings B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Unilever US Investments B.V.°
EUR1.00
1
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Unilever Ventures Holdings B.V.
EUR453.79
1
Univest Company B.V.
EUR1.00
1
UNUS Holding B.V.
EUR0.10
2
EUR0.10
3
Non-voting
Verenigde Zeepfabrieken B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
Wemado B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo
Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company NewCo
Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo 3
Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Netherlands – Hofplein 19, 3032 AC Rotterdam
Unilever Nederland B.V.
EUR454.00
1
Netherlands – Valkweg 2, 7447JL Hellendoorn
Ben en Jerry’s Hellendoorn B.V.
EUR453.78
1
Netherlands – Markhek 5, 4824 AV Breda
De Korte Weg B.V.
EUR1.00
1
EUR1.00
26
Non-voting
Netherlands – Bronland 14, 6708 WH Wageningen
Unilever Innovation Centre Wageningen B.V.
EUR460.00
1
Netherlands – Grote Koppel 7, 3813 AA Amersfoort
Paula’s Choice Europe B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Netherlands – Unilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DY
(Registered Seat: Rotterdam)
Unilever Overseas Holdings B.V.
NLG1,000.00
1
New Zealand – Level 4, 103 Carlton Gore Rd, Newmarket, Auckland 1023
Ben & Jerry’s Franchising New Zealand Limited
No Par Value
1
Unilever New Zealand Limited
NZD2.00
1
Nicaragua – Km 11.5, Carretera Vieja a León, 800 Mts Norte, 100 Mts Este, 300
Mts Norte, Managua
Unilever de Centroamerica S.A.
NIC50.00
1
Niger – BP 10272 Niamey
Unilever Niger S.A. (in liquidation)
XOF10,000.00
1
Nigeria – 1 Billings Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos
Unilever Nigeria Plc (76.41)
NGN0.50
1
West Africa Popular Foods Nigeria Limited (51)
NGN1.00
1
Norway – Martin Linges vei 25, Postbox 1, 1331 Fornebu
Unilever Norge AS
NOK100.00
1
Pakistan – Avari Plaza, Fatima Jinnah Road, Karachi, 75530
Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited (76.57)
PKR10.00
1
Unilever Pakistan Limited (99.29)
PKR50.00
1
(71.78)
PKR100.00
1
Palestine – Ersal St., Awad Center, PO Box 3801, Al-Beireh, Ramallah
Unilever Market Development Company (in
liquidation)
JOD1.00
1
Palestine – Jamil Center, Al-Beireh, Ramallah
Unilever Agencies Limited (99) (in liquidation)
JOD1.00
1
Panama – PH Dream Plaza, Piso 10 y, Provincia de Panamá, Corregimiento de
Parque Lefevre, Costa del Este
Unilever Regional Services Panama S.A. (in
liquidation)
USD1.00
1
Panama – Santa María Business District, Torre Argos, Piso 6, Distrito de Juan
Diaz, Provincia de Panamá
Unilever de Centroamerica S.A.
No Par Value
1
Paraguay – Roque Centurión Miranda No. 1635, casi Avenida San Martin,
Edificio Aymac II, Asunción
Unilever de Paraguay S.A.
PYG1,000,000.00
1
Peru – Av. Paseo de la Republica, 5895 OF. 402, Miraflores, Lima 18
Unilever Andina Perú S.A.
PEN1.00
1
Philippines – Linares Road, Gateway Business Park, General Trias, Cavite
Metrolab Industries, Inc.
PHP1.00
7
PHP10.00
22
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
205
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Philippines – 7th Floor, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 31st Street corner
2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Unilever Global Services, Inc.
PHP10.00
7
Unilever Philippines, Inc.
PHP50.00
7
Philippines – 11th Avenue, Corner 39th Street, Bonifacio Triangle, Bonifacio
Global City, Taguig City, Manila
Universal Philippines Body Care, Inc.
PHP100.00
7
Philippines – Manggahan Light Industrial Park, A. Rodriguez Avenue, Bo.
Manggahan, Pasig City
Unilever RFM Ice Cream, Inc. (50)
PHP1.00
29
PHP1.00
103
Philippines – Four/Neo, 12th Floor, Fourth Avenue, Bonifacio Global City,
Barangay Fort Bonifacio, Taguig 1634, Metro Manila
Gronext Technologies Phils., Inc.
PHP1.00
7
Poland – Jerozolimskie 134, 02-305, Warszawa
Unilever Polska Sp. z o.o.
PLN50.00
1
Unilever Poland Services Sp. z o.o.
PLN50.00
1
Unilever Polska S.A.
PLN10.00
1
Puerto Rico – Professional Services Park 997, San Roberto St., Suite 7, San Juan
Unilever de Puerto Rico, Inc.°
USD100.00
1
Qatar – Almana & Partners WLL Building, Area No. 43, Al Mamoura, PO Box 49
Unilever Qatar LLC
QAR1,000.00
1
Romania – Ploiesti, 291 Republicii Avenue, Prahova County
Unilever Romania S.A. (99.93)
ROL0.10
1
Unilever South Central Europe S.A.
ROL260.50
1
Romania – 121 Cernăuţi Street, Suceava 720089
Betty Ice SRL
RON10.00
1
Romania – Bvd. Republicii 291, Camera 15, Corp C6
Betty Ice Distributie SRL
RON10.00
1
Romania – Bucuresti, Sector 2, Barbu Vacarescu 301-311, Cladirea AFI
Lakeview, Biroul , E-8-A11
Good People SA (75) (in liquidation)
RON10.00
1
Saudi Arabia – PO Box 5694, Jeddah 21432
Binzagr Unilever LimitedX (49)
SAR1,000.00
1
Scotland – c/o Brodies LLP, Capital Square, 58 Morrison Street, Edinburgh EH3
8BP
Twenty Nine Capital Partners (SLP) Limited
Partnership∞
4
Unilever Ventures (SLP) General Partner Limited
GBP1.00
1
Unilever Ventures III (SLP) Limited Partnership∞
(14.098)
4
Twenty Nine Capital Partners (SLP) V Limited
Partnership∞
4
Serbia – Belgrade, Serbia, Omladinskih brigada 90b – Novi Beograd
Unilever Beograd d.o.o.
13
Singapore – 18 Nepal Park, 139407
Unilever Asia Private Limited
SGD1.00
1
Unilever Singapore Pte. Limited
No Par Value
1
UPD Singapore Pte. Ltd.
SGD1.00
1
Gronext Technologies Pte. Ltd.
No Par Value
1
Singapore – 1 Maritime Square, #09-34/35, Harbourfront Centre, 099253
Paula’s Choice Singapore, SEA Pte. Ltd.
SGD1.00
1
Slovakia – Karadzicova 10, 821 08 Bratislava
Unilever Slovensko, spol. s. r.o.
EUR1.00
1
South Africa – 15 Nollsworth Crescent, Nollsworth Park, La Lucia Ridge Office
Estate, La Lucia, 4051
Unilever Market Development (Pty) Limited
ZAR1.00
1
Unilever South Africa (Pty) Limited
ZAR2.00
1
Unilever South Africa Holdings (Pty) Limited
ZAR1.00
1
ZAR1.00
2
ZAR1.00
3
Aconcagua 14 Investments (RF) (Pty) Limited
ZAR1.00
1
South Africa – Oakhurst Office Park, 11-13 St Andrews Road, Parktown,
Johannesburg 2193 
UPD South Africa (Pty) Limited (60)
No Par Value
1
Spain – C/ Tecnología 19, 08840 Viladecans
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Unilever España S.A.
EUR48.00
1
Spain – C/ Felipe del Río, 14 – 48940 Leioa
Unilever Foods Industrial España, S.L.U.
EUR600.00
1
Sri Lanka – 258 M Vincent Perera Mawatha, Colombo 14
Unilever Merchandising Private Limited
LKR100.00
1
Ceytea (Private) Limited
LKR10.00
1
Lever Brothers (Exports and Marketing) (Private)
Limited°
LKR2.00
1
Premium Exports Ceylon (Private) Limited
LKR10.00
1
Unilever Ceylon Services (Private) Limited
LKR10.00
1
Unilever Lanka Consumer Limited
LKR10.00
1
Unilever Sri Lanka Limited°
LKR10.00
1
Sudan – Property No. 125, Block 2, Industrial Area, Kafori District, Bahri, Kafori
Unilever Sudanese Investment Company
SDG10,000.00
1
Sweden – Box 1056, Svetsarvägen 15, 171 22, Solna, Stockholm
Alberto Culver AB
SEK100.00
1
Unilever Holding AB
SEK100.00
1
Unilever Produktion AB
SEK50.00
1
Unilever Sverige AB
SEK100.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company Sweden AB
SEK1.00
1
Sweden – Karlavagen 104, 115 26 Stockholm
Blueair AB
SEK100.00
2
Switzerland – Bahnhofstrasse 19, CH 8240 Thayngen
Knorr-Nährmittel Aktiengesellschaft
CHF1,000.00
1
Unilever Schweiz GmbH
CHF100,000.00
1
Switzerland – Spitalstrasse 5, 8200 Schaffhausen
Helmsman Capital AG
CHF1,000.00
1
Unilever ASCC AG
USD1,190.3345
1
Unilever Finance International AG
EUR1,077.4701
1
Unilever Business and Marketing Support AG
CHF1,000.00
1
Unilever Overseas Holdings AG
EUR1,077.4701
1
Unilever Schaffhausen Service AG
CHF1,000.00
1
Unilever Swiss Holdings AG
CHF1,000.00
1
Unilever Supply Chain Company AG
CHF1,000.00
1
Switzerland – Hinterbergstr. 30, CH-6312 Steinhausen
Oswald Nahrungsmittel GmbH
CHF800,000.00
1
Taiwan – 15F, No. 39, Sec. 2, Dunhua S. Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Unilever Taiwan Limited (99.92)
TWD10.00
1
Taiwan – RM 1, 8 F, No. 186, Sec. 1, Zhangmei Rd, Changhua City, Changhua
County 50062, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Paula's Choice Taiwan Co., Limited
TWD27.00
1
Tanzania – Plot No. 4A, Nyerere Road, Dar Es Salaam, PO Box 40383
Unilever Tanzania Limited
TZS20.00
1
Thailand – 161 Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang Sub-District, Huay Kwang District,
Bangkok 10310
Unilever Thai Holdings Limited
THB100.00
1
Unilever Thai Trading Limited
THB100.00
1
Thailand – 989 Siam Piwat Tower, Level 12A, Area No. B1-B2, Office No. 1225,
Rama 1 Road, Pathum Wan Sub-District, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok
UPD (Thailand) Limited
THB100.00
1
Thailand – 21/39 Soi Ladpraw 15, Chom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900
Gronext Technologies (Thailand) Limited
THB100.00
1
Trinidad & Tobago – Albion Plaza, 3rd Floor, 22-24 Victoria Avenue, Port of
Spain
Unilever Caribbean Limited (50.01)
TTD1.00
1
Tunisia – Z.I. Voie Z4-2014, Mégrine Erriadh – Tunis
Unilever Tunisia S.A. (99.78)
TND6.00
1
Unilever Maghreb Export S.A. (99.76)
TND5.00
1
Tunisia – Z.I. Voie Z4, Megrine Riadh, Tunis, 2014
UTIC Distribution S.A. (99.78)
TND10.00
1
Turkey – İnkılap Mahallesi, Dr. Adnan Büyükdeniz Cad, No: 13, Ümraniye
İstanbul
Unilever Gida Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞo (99.98)
TRY0.01
1
Unilever Sanayi Ve Ticaret Türk AŞo (99.98)
TRY0.01
1
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Besan Besin Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ (99.99)
TRY0.01
1
Unilever Hizli Tuketim Urunleri Satis Pazarlama ve
Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (99.99)
TRY1.00
1
Uganda – DFCU Towers, 5th Floor, Plot 26 Kyadondo Road, Industrial Area, PO
Box 3515, Kampala
Unilever Uganda Limited
UGX20.00
1
Ukraine – 03150, Velyka Vasylkyvska 139
Unilever Ukraine LLC
UAH1.00
1
United Arab Emirates – PO Box 17053, Jebel Ali, Dubai
Severn Gulf FZCOX (50)
AED100,000.00
1
Unilever Gulf FZE
AED1,000,000.00
1
United Arab Emirates – Office No. 901, owned by Easa Saleh AlGurg LLC, Deira,
Riqqa AlBateeen
Unilever Binzagr Gulf General Trading LLCX (50)
AED1,000.00
1
Unilever General Trading LLC
AED1,000.00
1
United Arab Emirates – Warehouse No. 1.2, Dubai Industrial Park – Seeh Shwaib
2
Unilever Home & Personal Care Products
Manufacturing LLCX (49)
AED1,000.00
1
United States – 700 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632-3201
Alberto-Culver Company
No Par Value
1
Alberto-Culver International, Inc.
USD1.00
1
Alberto-Culver USA, Inc.
No Par Value
1
BC Cadence Holdings, Inc.
USD0.01
7
Ben & Jerry’s Gift Card, LLC
13
Ben & Jerry’s Franchising, Inc.
USD1.00
7
Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc.
USD1.00
7
Conopco, Inc.
USD1.00
7
Kate Somerville Holdings, LLC
13
Kate Somerville Skincare LLC
13
Kensington & Sons, LLC
No Par Value
13
Living Proof, Inc.
USD0.01
7
Pantresse, Inc.
USD120.00
7
REN USA Inc.
No Par Value
7
Skin Health Experts, LLC
13
St. Ives Laboratories, Inc.
USD0.01
1
The Laundress, LLC
13
Unilever Bestfoods (Holdings) LLC
13
Unilever Capital Corporation
USD1.00
1
Unilever North America Supply Chain Company,
LLC
13
Unilever United States, Inc.
USD0.3333
7
USD73.50
22
Unilever Ventures Advisory LLC
13
US Health & Wellbeing LLC
No Par Value
13
Yasso, Inc.
USD0.01
7
Yasso Holdings, Inc. 
USD0.01
7
United States – 1535 Beachey Pl Carson, CA 90746
Dermalogica, LLC
13
United States – 2121 Park Place, First Floor El Segundo, CA 90245
Murad LLC
13
United States – 125 S Clark, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60603
Blueair Inc.
No Par Value
1
United States – 2816 S. Kilbourne Avenue, Chicago, IL 60624
Unilever Illinois Manufacturing, LLC
13
United States – 2900 W. Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65109
Unilever Manufacturing (US), Inc.
No Par Value
7
United States – 40 Merritt Boulevard, Trumbull, CT 06611
Unilever Trumbull Holdings, Inc.
USD1.00
7
Unilever Trumbull Research Services, Inc.
USD1.00
1
USD1.00
34
United States – 60 Lake Street, Suite 3N, Burlington, VT 05401
Seventh Generation, Inc.
USD0.001
7
United States – 605 5th Ave S, Ste 800, Seattle, WA 98104-388
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Paula’s Choice, Inc.
USD0.001
7
USD0.001
22
United States – 705 5th Avenue South, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104
Paula’s Choice, LLC
13
United States – c/o The Corporation Trust Company, Corporation Trust Center,
1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801, New Castle County
Cocotier, Inc.
USD0.001
7
Nature Delivered Inc.
USD0.01
7
Nirvana Holdco LLC (80)
7
Nirvana Intermediate LLC (80)
7
Nutraceutical Wellness, Inc. (80)
USD0.001
7
The Uncovery, LLC
13
Aquis, LLC
13
Heat Enterprise Holdings Inc
USD0.00001
23
K18, Inc.
USD0.00001
23
Biomimetek, Inc.
USD0.00001
23
United States – 1501 Lincoln Blvd, #1064 Venice, CA 90291
Kingdom Animalia, LLC
13
United States – 11 Ranick Drive South, Amityville, NY 11701
Sundial Brands, LLC
13
Madam C.J. Walker Enterprises, LLC
13
Nyakio, LLC
13
United States – 415 Jackson Street, Floor 2, San Francisco, CA 94111
Olly Public Benefit Corporation
USD0.00001
7
United States – 32 West Loockerman Street, Dover, DE 19801
Tatcha, LLC
13
United States – 2121 Park Place, 1st Floor, El Segundo, CA 90245
The LIV Group, Inc.
USD0.01
7
United States – 4056 Del Rey Avenue, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
SmartyPants, Inc.
No Par Value
7
United States – 1169 Gorgas Avenue, Suite A, San Francisco, CA 94129
Welly Health PBC (51)
USD0.00001
7
USD0.00001
22
United States – 1675 South Street, Suite B, City of Dover, DE 19901
Onnit Labs, Inc.
USD0.01
7
United States – 8 The Green STE R, City of Dover, Kent County, Delaware, 19901
Brand Evangelists for Beauty Inc. (68.03)
USD0.01
23
Uruguay – Complejo World Trade Center de Montevideo, Torre IV, Calle Luis
Bonavita Nro. 1266, Piso 31, Oficina 3101, Montevideo, CP 11.300
Unilever Uruguay SCC S.A.
UYU1.00
1
Uruguay – Edificio World Trade Center Free Zone Torre II, Piso 11, Unidad 1133,
Dr. Luis Bonavita 1294, Montevideo, C.P. 11.300
Unilever America Latina S.A.
UYU1.00
1
Venezuela – Torre BOD, Piso 15, La Castellana, Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela
Unilever Andina Venezuela S.A.
VES0.000001
1
Vietnam – Lot A2-3, Tay Bac Cu Chi Industry Zone, Tan An Hoi Ward, Cu Chi
District, Ho Chi Minh City
Unilever Vietnam International Company Limited
VND863,104,820,0
00.00
13
Vietnam – No. 156, Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Tan Phu Ward, District 7, Ho Chi
Minh City
Unicorn Market Place Vietnam Company Limited
(in liquidation)
VND207,819,496,3
11
13
Vietnam – 3rd Floor, The Sun Building, No. 3 Me Tri Street, Me Tri Ward, Nam Tu
Liem District, Hanoi
Paula’s Choice Vietnam Company Limited
VND 6,879,000,000
13
Zambia – Stand 2375, Corner Addis Ababa Drive & Great East Road, Show
Grounds, Lusaka
Unilever South East Africa Zambia Limited
ZMK2.00
34
ZMK2.00
1
Zambia – Stand No. 3027, Nakambala Road Industrial Site, PO Box 71570, Ndola
Chesebrough-Ponds (Private) Limited
1
Zimbabwe – 2 Stirling Road, Workington, Harare
Unilever – Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited
ZWD0.002
1
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
207
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKINGS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CONSOLIDATION
Brazil – Av Das Nacoes Unidas, 14261 4º Andar Ala B, Vila Gertrudes, Cep
04792-000, Sao Paulo
Unileverprev Sociedade De Previdencia Privada
No Par Value
13
Canada – 66 Wellington Street West, Suite 5300, Td Bank Tower, Toronto,
Ontario, M5K1E6
Magnum ICC CA Ltd
CAD1.00
7
England and Wales – Unilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y
0DY
Unilever Fragrance Limited
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – 1 More London Place, London SE1 2AF
Unidis Twenty Six Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
Unidis Sixty Four Limited (in liquidation)
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside CH62 4ZD
The Magnum Ice Cream Company UK Trading
Limited
GBP1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company Manufacturing
UK Limited
GBP1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company R&D United
Kingdom Limited
GBP1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company Limited
GBP1.00
1
Germany – Rotebühlplatz 21, 70178 Stuttgart
TIGI Haircare GmbH
EUR25,600.00
1
Germany – Wiesenstraße 21. 40549 Düsseldorf
Living Proof GmbH
EUR1.00
1
Ghana – Plot No. Ind/A/3A-4, Heavy Industrial Area, Tema, PO Box 721, Tema
Unilever Oleo Ghana Limited
GHC2.250
1
India – Unilever House, B. D. Sawant Marg, Chakala, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400
099
Hindustan Unilever Foundation (61.90)
INR10.00
1
Indonesia – Grha Unilever, Green Office Park Kav 3, Jalan BSD Boulevard Barat,
BSD City, Tangerang, 15345
PT The Magnum Ice Cream Indonesia
IDR10,000,000.00
1
Kenya – Commercial Street, PO Box 40592-00100, Nairobi
Union East African Trust Limited
KES20.00
1
Myanmar – No. 40-41, Min Thate Hti Kyaw Swar Street, 35 Ward, Shwe Pyi Thar
Industrial Zone (2), Shwe Pyi Thar Township, Yangon Region
Lever Brothers (Burma) Limited
MMK500,000.00
1
Netherlands – Weena 455, 3013 AL Rotterdam
The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo 1
Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo 2
Netherlands B.V.
EUR1.00
1
Pakistan – Avari Plaza, Fatima Jinnah Road, Karachi, 75530
The Magnum Ice Cream Company Pakistan
Limited
PKR10.00
1
Sri Lanka – 258 M Vincent Perera Mawatha, Colombo 14
Maddema Trading Company (Private) Limited (in
liquidation)
LKR10.00
1
R.O. Mennell & Co. (Ceylon) (Private) Limited (in
liquidation)
LKR10.00
1
Switzerland – Bahnhofstrasse 19, 8240 Thayngen
The Magnum Ice Cream Company Switzerland AG
CHF100,000.00
1
Thailand – No. 161 Rama 9 Road, Huai Khwang Sub-District, Huai Khwang
District, Bangkok
The Magnum Ice Cream (Thailand) Company
Limited
THB100,000.00
1
United States – 700 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632-3201
Unilever AC Canada Holding, Inc.
USD10.00
1
Unilever United States Foundation, Inc.
13
United States – 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Magnum ICC US, LCC
13
Magnum ICC US Holdco, LLC
13
Magnum ICC US SpinCo, LLC
13
ASSOCIATED UNDERTAKINGS
Australia – Level 1, 569 Church Street, Richmond, VIC, 3121
SNDR PTY LTD∆◊ (72.98)
No Par Value
58
Australia – Floor 1, 101 Moray Street, South Melbourne, 3205
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Straand Pty Ltd∆◊ (100)
No Par Value
107
(12.05)
No Par Value
109
Bahrain – Shop 61, Building 866, Road 3618, Block 436 Alseef Manama
Unilever Bahrain Co. W.L.L. (49)
BHD50.00
1
Brazil – Avenida Engenheiro Luiz Carlos Berrini, 105, 16th floor, Ed. Berrini One,
Cidade das Monções, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, ZIP Code: 04571-010
Gallo Brasil Distribuição e comércio Limitada (55)
BRL1.00
7
Canada – Suite 300-171 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V7M 3K9
A&W Root Beer Beverages Canada Inc.◊ (40)
No Par Value
38
Canada – 229 Amesbury Gate, Bedford, Nova Scotia, B4B 0R8
The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc.∆◊ (64.29)
No Par Value
58
(11.79)
No Par Value
119
Canada – 1400-160 Bloor Street East, Toronto, ON M4W 3R2
Food Service Direct Logistics Canada, Inc.◊ (60)
CAD1.00
7
Cyprus – 2 Marcou Dracou Street, Engomi Industrial Estate, 2409 Nicosia
Unilever PMT Limited (49)
EUR1.71
2
EUR1.71
3
England and Wales – 100 Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars, London EC4Y 0DY
Uflexreward Holdings LimitedΔ (99.64)
GBP0.001
35
GBP0.001
21
GBP0.001
120
Uflexreward LimitedΔ (99.64)
GBP0.001
1
England and Wales – Unit 1.8 & 1.9, The Shepherds Building, Charecroft Way,
London W14 0EE
SCA Investments Holdings Limited∆◊ (15.61)
GBP0.001
40
(25.19)
GBP0.001
41
(3.63)
GBP0.001
42
(5.31)
GBP0.001
112
England and Wales – 2nd Floor, 5 Jubilee Place, Chelsea, London SW3 3TD
Trinny London Limited∆◊ (54.88)
GBP0.01
58
(32.32)
GBP0.01
71
England and Wales – 126b Olympic Avenue, Milton, Abingdon, OX14 4SA
P2i Limited∆◊ (12.89)
GBP0.000001
1
(5.44)
GBP0.000001
44
(5.44)
GBP0.000001
46
(4.20)
GBP0.000001
52
(4.20)
GBP0.000001
50
(2.44)
GBP0.000001
102
(50)
GBP1.0000
80
England and Wales – Odeon House, 146 College Road, Harrow, HA1 1BH
Clean Beauty Co Ltd∆◊ (69.76)
GBP0.0001
97
(26.52)
GBP0.0001
58
(13.21)
GBP0.0001
87
England and Wales – 2 Leman Street, London, England, E1W 9US
Penhros Bio Limited (32)
GBP1.00
1
England and Wales – 6 Snow Hill, London, EC1A 2AY
VHSquared Limited (in liquidation) (39.47)
GBP0.01
1
(1.79)
GBP0.01
57
(17.86)
GBP0.01
36
France – 13 Avenue Morane Saulnier, 78140 Velizy Villacoublay
Pegase S.A.S. (25)
EUR5,000.00
1
France – 7 rue Armand Peugeot, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison
Relais D’or Centrale S.A.S. (49.99)
No Par Value
1
Germany – Beerbachstraße 19, 91183 Abenberg
Hans Henglein & Sohn GmbH (50)
EUR100,000.00
1
Henglein & Co. Handels-und Beteiligungs GmbH &
Co. KG (50)
4
Henglein Geschäftsführungsgesellschaft mit
beschränkter Haftung (50)
DEM50,000.00
1
Nürnberger Kloßteig NK GmbH & Co. KG (50)
4
208
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Henglein NRW GmbH (50)
DEM250,000.00
1
Germany – Lauchaer Straße 1, 06647 An der Poststraße OT Klosterhaeseler
Henglein GmbH & Co. KG (50)
DEM50,000.00
1
Germany – Neue Burg 1, 20457 Hamburg
Dollar Shave Club GmbH (in liquidation) (35)
EUR25,000.00
1
India – 1st & 2nd Floor, Kagalwala House, Plot No. 175, CST Road, Kalina,
Bandra Kurla, Santacruz East Mumbai, Mumbai 400098
Peel-Works Private Limited∆◊ (48.15)
INR30.00
63
(16.66)
INR30.00
70
(14.65)
INR30.00
32
India – 1st Floor Lodha, i-Think Techno Campus, A Wing, Chirak Nagar, Thane
MH 400607
Pureplay Skin Sciences (India) Private Limited∆◊
(0.1)
INR10.00
75
(100)
INR100.00
73
(100)
INR100.00
64
(6.54)
INR100.00
65
(8.75)
INR100.00
106
India – Plot No. D 5, Road No. 20, Marol MIDC, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093
Scentials Beautycare & Wellness Ltd∆◊ (63.43)
INR10.00
73
(0.10)
INR10.00
75
India – 15 Ambika Nagar, Sector 4, Hiran Magri, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313002
Derma Goodness Private Limited∆◊ (0.2)
INR10.00
75
(97.93)
INR100.00
110
India – Z-44, Panchasayar, P-210-4-1, Panchasayar, Kolkata, WB 700094
Wellness Ville Private Limited∆◊ (0.10)
INR10.00
75
(92.11)
INR10.00
118
India – 28 B.T. Road, Cossipore Chiria, More Kolkata, WB 700002
Rabiko Lifestyle Private Limited∆◊ (0.02)
INR10.00
75
(100.00)
INR10.00
114
India – A-2004, Floor-20, Plot-141, Phoenix Tower-A, S.B. Marg, Delisle Road,
Lower Parel West, Mumbai 400013
Nutritionalab Private Limited (13.31)
INR10.00
1
India – Ground Floor, Plot No. 57, Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh 160002
Zywie Ventures Private Limited (33.02)
INR10.00
1
India – 109, Floor 1, Plot 16, Vithaldas Chamber, Mumbai Samachar Marg
Bombay Stock Exchange, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra- 400001
ClayCo Cosmetics Private Limited∆◊ (100)
INR10.00
114
(0.1)
INR10.00
75
India – B/902, Anmol Tower, Off S.V. Rd, Goregaon West, Mumbai,
Maharashtra, 400104
Poptech Growth Private Limited∆◊ (0.01)
75
(37.50)
127
Indonesia – Jalan Srengseng Raya Nomor 55A, Rukun Tetangga 001, Rukun
Warga 002, Kelurahan Srengseng, Kecamatan Kembangan, Jakarta Barat
11630
PT Anugrah Mutu Bersama (40)
IDR1,000,000.00
1
Iran – Second Floor, No. 23, Corner of 33rd Street, Zagros Street, Argentina
Square, Tehran
Unilever-Golestan Foods (Private Joint Stock
Company)(51)
IRR1,000,000.00
1
Ireland – 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
Pepsi Lipton International Limited
EUR1.00
53
EUR1.00
54
EUR1.00
79
EUR1.00
121
EUR1.00
122
EUR1.00
123
EUR1.00
124
Israel – Kochav Yokneam Building, 4th Floor, PO Box 14, Yokneam Illit 20692
IB Ventures Limited (99.74)
ILS1.00
14
Italy – Via Quercete, n.a. 81016, San Potito Sannitico (CE)
P2P S.r.l (50)
EUR1.00
1
Luxembourg – 5 Heienhaff, L-1736 Senningerberg
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
Helpling Group Holding S.à r.l.∆◊ (34.06)
EUR1.00
60
(1.37)
EUR1.00
33
(6.13)
EUR1.00
125
Mauritius – c/o Apex Fund Services (Mauritius) Ltd, 4th Floor, 19 Bank Street,
Cyber City, Ebene 72201
Capvent Asia Consumer Fund Limited (40.41) (in
liquidation)
USD0.01
78
Netherlands – 1016CG Amsterdam, Heregracht 346 A
Inde Wild B.V.∆◊ (61.77)
EUR0.01
111
Oman – PO Box 1711, Ruwi, Postal Code 112
Towell Unilever LLC (49)
OMR1.00
1
Philippines – 11th Avenue Corner, 38th Street, Bonifacio Triangle, Bonifacio
Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila
Sto Tomas Paco Land Corp∆◊ (40)
PHP1.00
7
(40)
PHP10.00
46
(40)
PHP20.00
44
Cavite Horizons Land, Inc.(35.10)
PHP1.00
7
PHP10,000.00
46
Philippines – Manggahan Light Industrial Compound, A. Rodriguez Avenue, Bo.
Manggahan, Pasig City
WS Holdings Inc.∆◊
PHP1.00
29
PHP1.00
103
Selecta Walls Land Corp∆◊
PHP10.00
29
PHP10.00
103
Portugal – Largo Monterroio Mascarenhas, 1,1099–081 Lisboa
Fima Ola – Produtos Alimentares, S.A. (55)
EUR4,125,000.00
1
Gallo Worldwide, Limitada (55)
EUR550,000.00
5
Grop – Gelado Retail Operation Portugal,
Unipessoal, Limitada (55)
EUR50,000.00
1
Transportadora Central do Infante, Limitada (54)
EUR27,000.00
5
Unilever Fima, Limitada (55)
EUR14,462,336.00
5
Victor Guedes – Industria e Comercio, S.A. (55)
EUR275,000.00
1
Fima Dressings Unipessoal, Lda (55)
EUR50,000.00
1
Saudi Arabia – PO Box 22800, Jeddah 21416
Binzagr Unilever Distribution Company Limited
(49)
SAR1,000.00
1
Singapore – 3 Phillip Street, #14-05 Royal Group Building, 048693
YOU Private Limited∆◊ (33.33)
76
(33.56)
45
Singapore – 20A Tanjong Pagar Road, 088443
ESQA Corp Pte Ltd∆◊ (60)
73
(100)
76
Sweden – Sturegatan 38, Stockholm, 11436
SachaJuan Haircare AB∆◊ (69.5)
SEK1.00
9
United Arab Emirates – PO Box 49, Dubai
Al Gurg Unilever LLC (49)
AED1,000.00
1
United Arab Emirates – PO Box 49, Abu Dhabi
Thani Murshid Unilever LLC (49)
AED1,000.00
1
United States – c/o Resident Agents Inc. 8 The Green, STE R, Dover, Kent,
Delaware, 19901
Discuss IO Inc. (7.77)
USD0.0001
7
(16.78)
USD0.0001
111
(50.53)
USD0.0001
58
United States – 700 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632-3201
Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership (50)
4
Food Service Direct Logistics, LLC (40)
13
(17.83)
USD0.0001
55
(17.83)
USD0.0001
58
United States – c/o The Company Corporation, 251 Little Falls Drive,
Wilmington, DE, New Castle 19808
Equilibria, Inc.∆◊ (20.00)
USD0.00001
98
FabFitFun Inc.∆◊ (68.18)
USD0.001
6
(7.48)
USD0.001
100
Outliers, Inc.∆◊ (58.77)
USD0.00001
62
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
209
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Name of
Undertaking
Nominal
Value
Share
Class
Note
(31.35)
USD0.00001
113
Perelel, Inc.∆◊(64.71)
USD0.00001
97
(68.42)
USD0.00001
58
True Botanicals, Inc.∆◊ (51.23)
USD0.0001
62
Hung Vanngo Beauty, Inc.∆◊ (24.95)
USD0.00001
59
United States – c/o Cogency Global Inc, 850 New Burton Road, in the City of
Dover, County of Kent, Delaware
Volition Beauty Inc.∆◊ (66.44)
USD0.0001
58
United States – c/o The Corporation Trust Company, Trust Center, 1209 Orange
Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801, New Castle County
Koco Life LLC∆◊ (26.19)
104
(41.15)
105
New Voices Fund LP (32.90)
4
Oak Essentials Holdco, Inc.∆◊ (37.5)
USD0.0001
58
Lemme, Inc.∆◊ (24.95)
USD0.0001
62
United States – c/o A Registered Agent, Inc, 8 The Green, Ste A, Dover, Kent, DE,
19901
Clean Beauty for All, Inc.∆◊ (21.73)
USD0.0001
62
(41.99)
USD0.0001
95
(62.35)
USD0.0001
51
(67.85)
USD0.0001
96
OneSkin, Inc.∆◊ (28.57)
USD0.00001
58
(4.69)
USD0.00001
7
United States – 11150 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA
90025
Gateway Personal Care Parent, LLC
USD1.00
6
United States – National Registered Agents Inc., 1209 Orange Street,
Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801
Mealogic, Inc.∆◊ (37.5)
USD0.00001
58
United States – 131 Continental Drive Suite 305, Newark, Newcastle, DE, 19713
Create Wellness, Inc.∆◊ (90)
USD0.00001
62
United States – Northwest Registered Agent Service, Inc., 8 The Green, St, Dover,
Kent, DE, 19901
Eetho Brands Inc.∆◊ (24.95)
USD0.0001
58
210
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GROUP COMPANIES
Notes:
1:  Ordinary, 2: Ordinary-A, 3: Ordinary-B, 4: Partnership, 5: Quotas, 6: Class-A Common, 7: Common, 8: Class A, 9: Class B, 10: Class C, 11: Class II Common, 12: Class III
Common, 13: Membership Interest, 14: Preference, 15: Redeemable Preference, 16: Limited by Guarantee, 17: C Ordinary Shares, 18: Viscountcy, 19: B3 Ordinary, 20: Series
C-1 Pref, 21: Ordinary-C, 22: Preferred, 23: Common Stock, 24: Redeemable Preference Class B, 25: Special, 26: Cumulative Preference, 27: 5% Cumulative Preference,       
28: Non-Voting Ordinary B, 29: Common B, 30: Management, 31: Dormant, 32: Series C1 Preference, 33: Series D-2, 34: Cumulative Redeemable Preference, 35: A-Ordinary,
36: Preferred Ordinary, 37: Com, 38: Class Common-B, 39: Series A Participating Preference, 40: H-Ordinary, 41: I-Ordinary, 42: J-Ordinary, 43: Series A Preferred
Convertible, 44: A Preference, 45: Series B1 CCPS, 46: B Preference, 47: Series A-5, 48: Series C-2 Preferred, 49: A-4 Com, 50: D Preference, 51: Series A-3 Preferred, 52: C
Preference, 53: E Ordinary, 54: G Preferred, 55: Series Seed, 56: Nominal, 57: Preferred A, 58: Series A Preferred, 59: Series Seed-2 Preferred, 60: Series C-2, 61: Series D, 62:
Series A-1 Preferred, 63: Series B-2 Preference, 64: Pre Series B CCPS, 65: Series B CCPS, 66: Series C1 CPPS, 67: Series C2, 68: Office Holders, 69: Security, 70: Series B-3
Preference, 71: Series B Preferred, 72: Series Seed B CPPS, 73: Series A CCPS, 74: Series A2 CPPS, 75: Equity, 76: Series B CCPS, 77: Series B Preferred Convertible, 78: Class A
Redeemable Non-Voting Ordinary, 79: B Ordinary, 80: N Ordinary, 81: A-1 Com, 82: A-2 Com, 83: A-3 Com, 84: Series A EIS, 85: Series A Convertible Preferred, 86: Series A2
Preferred, 87: Series B2 Preferred, 88: Series C Preferred, 89: Series A1 CPPS, 90: D1 Preferred, 91: Series E, 92: Series C-2 Pref, 93: Series B-1 Preferred, 94: Series B-2 Preferred,
95: Series A-2 Preferred, 96: Series A-4 Preferred, 97: Preferred Seed, 98: Seed-3 Preferred, 99: CCPS,100: Series A Preferred Stock, 101: Ordinary Preferred, 102: E Preference,
103: Common A, 104: Series D-5 Preferred, 105: Series D-6 Preferred, 106: Series C CCPS, 107: Series Seed Convertible Preferred, 108: Series C-E Preferred, 109: Series Seed 2
Convertible Preferred Shares, 110: Seed CCPS, 111: Series Seed Preferred Shares, 112: M-Ordinary, 113: Series A-9 Preferred, 114: Series Seed CCPS, 115: Series A-1, 116: Pre-
Series B CCCPS, 117: Series A CCCPS, 118: Series Seed A CCPS, 119: Series B Common Stock, 120: B1 Ordinary, 121: I Preferred, 122: K Preferred, 123: M Preferred,                 
124: O Preferred 125: Series F, 126: B4 Ordinary, 127: Pre-Series A CCPS, 128: Series B Convertible Preferred, 129: Series B2 Convertible Preferred.
Ο  Indicates an undertaking directly held by PLC. All other undertakings are indirectly held. In the case of Hindustan Unilever Limited, 47.43% is directly held and the
remainder of 14.47% is indirectly held. In the case of Unilever Kenya Limited, 11.30% is directly held and the remainder of 88.70% is indirectly held. In the case of Unilever
Sri Lanka Limited, 18.32% is directly held and the remainder of 81.68% is indirectly held. In the case of Mixhold B.V., 27.71% is directly held and the remainder of 72.29% is
indirectly held. In the cases of each of Unilever Gida Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. and Unilever Sanayi ve Ticaret Turk A.Ş., a fractional amount is directly held and the remainder
is indirectly held. In the case of Mixhold B.V., 55.37% of the ordinary-A shares are directly held, the remainder of 44.63% are indirectly held and the other share classes are
indirectly held.
†  Shares the undertaking holds in itself.
Δ  Denotes an undertaking where other classes of shares are held by a third party.
Χ Binzagr Unilever Limited, Severn Gulf FZCO, Unilever Binzagr Gulf General Trading LLC, Unilever Home, Personal Care Products Manufacturing LLC and AlBahar United For
Wholesale and Retail Trading Company LLC are subsidiary undertakings pursuant to Section 1162(2)(b) Companies Act 2006. The Unilever Group is entitled to 50% of the
profits made by Binzagr Unilever Limited, Severn Gulf FZCO and Unilever Binzagr Gulf General Trading LLC. The Unilever Group is entitled to 80% of the profits made by
Unilever Home and Personal Care Products Manufacturing LLC.
◊ Accounted for as non-current investments within non-current financial assets.
∞ Exemption pursuant to Regulation 7 of the Partnership (Accounts) Regulations 2008.
In addition, we have revenues either from our own operations or otherwise in the following locations: Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Americas, American Samoa,
Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African
Republic, Chad, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Curacao, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland), Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern
Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Heard Island and McDonald Islands,
Holy See (Vatican City State), Iceland, Iraq, Jamaica, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Moldova, Republic Of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat,
Namibia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint
Martin (French part), Saint Pierre And Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sint Maarten (Dutch part),
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Togo,
Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Western Sahara and Yemen.
The Unilever Group has established branches in Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Republic of Moldova, Turkey
and the UK.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
211
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Shareholder information
Financial calendar
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Date
30 April 2025
Voting and Registration date
28 April 2025
QUARTERLY DIVIDENDS
Announcement date
Ex-dividend date
for ordinary shares
Ex-dividend
date for ADSs
Record date
Payment date
Quarterly dividend announced
with the Q4 2024 results
13 February 2025
27 February 2025
28 February 2025
28 February 2025
28 March 2025
Quarterly dividend announced
with the Q1 2025 results
24 April 2025
15 May 2025
16 May 2025
16 May 2025
13 June 2025
Quarterly dividend announced
with the Q2 2025 results
31 July 2025
14 August 2025
15 August 2025
15 August 2025
12 September 2025
Quarterly dividend announced
with the Q3 2025 results
23 October 2025
6 November 2025
7 November 2025
7 November 2025
5 December 2025
CONTACT DETAILS
Unilever PLC
100 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DY
United Kingdom
Institutional Investors telephone +44 (0)20 7822 6830
Any queries can also be sent to us electronically via
www.unilever.com/investors/contacts/
Private Shareholders can email us at
shareholder.services@unilever.com
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
UK
Computershare Investor Services PLC
The Pavilions
Bridgwater Road
Bristol BS99 6ZZ
Telephone +44 (0) 370 600 3977
Website
www.investorcentre.co.uk
FAQ and Contact Form
www.investorcentre.co.uk/
contactus
The Netherlands
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Gustav Mahlerlaan 10
1082 PP Amsterdam
Telephone +31 (0) 20 628 6070
Email
corporate.broking@nl.abnamro.com
US
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
Operations Center
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Toll-free number +1 866 249 2593
Direct dial +1 718 921 8124
Email
db@astfinancial.com
WEBSITE
Shareholders are encouraged to visit our website, which has a wealth
of information about Unilever.
There is a section on our website designed specifically for investors. It
includes detailed coverage of the Unilever share price, our quarterly
and annual results, performance charts, financial news and investor
relations speeches and presentations. It also includes details of the
conference and investor/analyst presentations.
You can also view the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
(and the Additional Information for US Listing Purposes) on our website,
and those for prior years.
Find out more at www.unilever.com
www.unilever.com/investorrelations
www.unilever.com/investor-relations/annual-report-and-accounts
References to information on websites in this document are included as
an aid to their location and such information is not incorporated in, and
does not form part of, this document. Any website URL is included as
text only and is not an active link.
PUBLICATIONS
Copies of the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024 (and the
Additional Information for US Listing Purposes) and the Annual Report
on Form 20-F 2024 can be accessed directly or ordered via the website.
www.unilever.com/investorrelations
UNILEVER ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2024
The Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024 (and the Additional
Information for US Listing Purposes) forms the basis for the Annual
Report on Form 20-F, which is filed with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission and is also available free of charge from
their website.
www.sec.gov
Quarterly results announcements
Unilever’s quarterly results announcements are in English with figures
in euros.
212
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Additional Information for
US Listing Purposes
Additional information for US listing purposes
Form 20-F references
Item 1
Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
n/a
Item 2
Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
n/a
Item 3
Key Information
B.
Capitalisation and Indebtedness
n/a
C.
Reasons for the offer and use of proceeds
n/a
D.
Risk factors
Item 4
Information on the Company
A.
History and development of the company
B.
Business overview
C.
Organisational structure
D.
Property, plant and equipment
Item 4A
Unresolved Staff Comments
n/a
Item 5
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
A.
Operating results
10-##, 38-47, 57-58, 176-179
B.
Liquidity and capital resources
C.
Research and development, patents and licences, etc.
3, 14-33, 36-37, 148, 216
D.
Trend information
2, 6-33, 52-59
E.
Critical accounting estimates
n/a
Item 6
Directors, Senior Management and Employees
A.
Directors and senior management
B.
Compensation
C.
Board practices
D.
Employees
3, 50, 149, 214
E.
Share ownership
F.
Disclosure of a registrant's actions to recover
erroneously awarded compensation
n/a
Item 7
Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
A.
Major shareholders
B.
Related party transactions
C.
Interest of experts and counsel
n/a
Item 8
Financial Information
A.
Consolidated statements and other financial information
121-199, 211, 215, 221
B.
Significant changes
Item 9
The Offer and Listing
A.
Offer and listing details
B.
Plan of distribution
n/a
C.
Markets
D.
Selling shareholders
n/a
E.
Dilution
n/a
F.
Expenses of the issue
n/a
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
213
STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
Item 10
Additional Information
A.
Share capital
n/a
B.
Articles of association
C.
Material contracts
D.
Exchange controls
E.
Taxation
F.
Dividends and paying agents
n/a
G.
Statement by experts
n/a
H.
Documents on display
I.
Subsidiary information
n/a
J.
Annual security report to security holders
n/a
Item 11
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Item 12
Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
A.
Description of debt securities
n/a
B.
Description of warrants and rights
n/a
C.
Description of other securities
n/a
D.
American Depositary Shares
Item 13
Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
A.
Defaults
B.
Dividend arrearages and delinquencies
Item 14
Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds
n/a
Item 15
Controls and Procedures
A.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
B
Annual Report on Internal Control
C
Attestation Report
D
Changes in Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
n/a
Item 16
Reserved
Item 16A.
Audit Committee Financial Expert
Item 16B.
Code of Ethics
Item 16C.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Item 16D.
Exemptions from The Listing Standards for Audit Committees
n/a
Item 16E.
Purchases of Equity Securities by The Issuer and Affiliated
Purchasers
Item 16F.
Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
n/a
Item 16G.
Corporate Governance
Item 16H.
Mine Safety Disclosures
n/a
Item 16I.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent
Inspections
n/a
Item 16J.
Insider Trading Policies (Share Dealing Standard)
216
Item 16K.
Cybersecurity
Item 17
Financial Statements
Item 18
Financial Statements
Item 19
Exhibits    Please refer to the Exhibit list located immediately following the signature page for this document as filed with the SEC.
214
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
Employees
The average number of employees for the last three years is provided in note 4A on page 149. The average number of employees during 2024
included 129 seasonal workers. We believe our relationship with our employees and any labour unions of which they may be part is satisfactory
in all material respects.
Global employee share plans (SHARES)
Unilever’s global employee plan ‘SHARES’ gives eligible Unilever employees below management level the opportunity to invest between €10 and
€200 per month from their net salary in Unilever shares. For every three shares our employees buy (Investment Shares), Unilever will give them one
free Matching Share, which will vest if employees hold their Investment Shares for at least three years. The Matching Shares are not subject to any
performance conditions. Executive Directors are not eligible to participate in SHARES. As of 21 February 2025 (the latest practicable date for
inclusion in this report), awards for 318,988 PLC shares were outstanding under SHARES.
North American share plans
Unilever also maintains share plans for its North American employees that are governed by an umbrella plan referred to as the Unilever North
America Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, which was amended and restated as of 29 November 2022 to authorise the issue of newly issued
Unilever Ordinary Shares under the Plan. These plans are the North American equivalents of the Unilever Share Plan 2017 and SHARES plans, as
amended from time to time. The rules governing these share plans are materially the same as the rules governing the Unilever Share Plan 2017 and
SHARES plans, respectively. However, the plans contain non-competition and non-solicitation covenants and they are subject to US and Canadian
employment and tax laws. The plans are administered by the North America Compensation Committee of Unilever United States, Inc. and they are
governed by New York law.
The foregoing description of the Unilever North America Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the Unilever North America Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, including all amendments thereto, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to
the Form S-8 (File No. 333-185299) filed with the SEC on 12 December 2022.
Compensation Committee
The Committee is concerned with the remuneration of the Executive and Non-Executive Directors and the tier of management directly below the
Board. The Committee also has responsibility for the cash and executive and all-employee share-based incentive plans, the Remuneration Policy
and performance evaluation of the Unilever Leadership Executive, and the periodic review of the remuneration and related policies of the wider
workforce to assess alignment to PLC’s purpose, value and strategy.
DIRECTORS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Family relationship
There are no family relationships between any of our Executive Directors, members of the ULE or Non-Executive Directors.
Other arrangements
None of our Non-Executive Directors, Executive Directors or other key management personnel are elected or appointed under any arrangement or
understanding with any major shareholder, customer, supplier or others. As mentioned on page 112, Nelson Peltz, a Non-Executive Director, is the
Chief Executive and founding partner of Trian Fund Management, LP, which held interests in approximately 1.3% of Unilever’s issued share capital
as at 21 February 2025.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
215
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Major shareholders
The voting rights of the significant shareholders of the Company are the same as for other holders of the class of share held by such significant
shareholders.
The principal trading market upon which the Company’s ordinary shares are listed is the London Stock Exchange. The Company’s ordinary shares
are also listed and traded on Euronext Amsterdam.
In the United States, Unilever PLC American Depositary Receipts are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Deutsche Bank Trust Company
Americas (Deutsche Bank) acts for PLC as depositary.
At 21 February 2025 (the latest practicable date for inclusion in this report), there were 1,773 registered holders of Unilever PLC American
Depositary Receipts in the United States. We estimate that approximately 40% of the Company’s ordinary shares (including shares underlying
Unilever PLC American Depositary Receipts) were held in the United States in 2024.
If you are a shareholder of the Company, your interest is in a UK legal entity, your dividends will be paid in pound sterling (converted into US dollars
if you have Unilever PLC American Depositary Receipts) and you may be subject to UK tax.
To Unilever’s knowledge, the Company is not owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by another corporation, any foreign government or by any
other legal or natural person, severally or jointly. The Company is not aware of any arrangements the operation of which may at any subsequent
date result in a change of control of the Company.
Related party transactions
Transactions with related parties are conducted in accordance with agreed transfer pricing policies and include sales to joint ventures and
associates. Other than those disclosed in note 23 to the consolidated financial statements (and incorporated herein as above), there were no
related party transactions that were material to the Group or to the related parties concerned that are required to be reported in 2024 up to
21 February 2025 (the latest practicable date for inclusion in this report).
Dividend record
The following tables show the dividends declared and dividends paid by PLC for the last five years, expressed in terms of the revised share
denominations which became effective from 22 May 2006.
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Dividends declared for the year
PLC dividends
Dividend per 31 /9 p
£1.48
£1.48
£1.48
£1.46
£1.48
Dividend per 31 /9 p (US Registry)
$1.88
$1.86
$1.77
$2.00
$1.91
Dividends paid during the year
PLC dividends
Dividend per 31 /9 p
£1.47
£1.50
£1.45
£1.48
£1.45
Dividend per 31 /9 p (US Registry)
$1.86
$1.86
$1.80
$2.03
$1.85
216
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STRATEGIC REPORT
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
Material contracts
At the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, Unilever is not party to
any contracts that are considered material to its results or operations.
Exchange controls
Other than certain economic sanctions which may be in place from
time to time, there are currently no UK laws, decrees or regulations
restricting the import or export of capital or affecting the remittance
of dividends or other payments to holders of the PLC’s shares who
are non-residents of the UK. Similarly, other than certain economic
sanctions which may be in force from time to time, there are no
limitations relating only to non-residents of the UK under English law
or the PLC’s Articles of Association on the right to be a holder of, and
to vote in respect of, the company’s shares.
Unilever Annual Report on Form 20-F 2024
Filed with the SEC on the SEC’s website. Printed copies are available,
free of charge, upon request to Unilever PLC, Investor Relations
department, 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DY
United Kingdom.
Documents on display in the United States
Unilever files and furnishes reports and information with the United
States SEC. Certain of our reports and other information that we file or
furnish to the SEC are also available to the public over the internet on
the SEC’s website.
2023 compared to 2022 Financial Performance
We have not included a discussion of year-over-year comparisons
between 2023 and 2022 in this Annual Report on Form 20-F. This
discussion can be found in ’Group Financial Review’, ’Business Group
Review’, ’Planet & Society’, ’Financial Performance’ and ’Financial
Statements’ in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended
31 December 2023 filed with the SEC on 13 March 2024.
OTHER INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
Innovation, research and development
We have over 20,000 patents protecting the discoveries and
breakthroughs that our global team of 5,000 world-leading experts
produce. We have invested around €900 million in R&D in each of the
last three years.
We strive to create superior products and consumer-relevant scalable
innovations, and help ensure efficiency and resilience in supply. Science
and technology and consumers sit at the heart of our approach to
innovation. We are building digital and automated technology into
our innovation centres. For example, our UK Materials Innovation
Factory has one of the highest concentrations of automated equipment
for materials chemistry anywhere in the world. It delivers robust and
reproducible data many times faster than traditional methods. We run
virtual tests and scenarios to optimise products before the lab and
scale-up stage, bringing efficiency and cutting time to market. Our
new Agile Innovation hubs, including in Shanghai, China, use real-
time consumer data to develop new insights, then rapidly develop
prototypes to test via digital commerce in a matter of days. This
provides rapid, efficient, on-trend innovation.
We are investing in real science behind our focus areas. For example, in
our world-leading research and partnerships on the microbiome, where
we have more than 100 patents. This is unlocking significant benefits
and leading to new scientific insights and product innovations, such as
biome-friendly skin care products and superior, probiotic cleaning
products for the home.
R&D also underpins our sustainability goals, helping to power our
move away from petrochemicals, stop plastic pollution and ensure
we source ingredients in a sustainable way. Science, technology and
innovation are required behind these goals, from renewable materials
to new bio-based ingredients to next-generation packaging materials.
Every Unilever product is based on an innovation crafted by our experts
in collaboration with our network of partners. We translate our scientific
discoveries into everyday products that improve people’s health,
confidence and wellbeing, while taking care to reduce our impact on
the planet. We are constantly evolving alongside our consumers’ ever-
changing lives and tastes, and to remain at the cutting edge of science
and technology.
Raw materials
Our products use a wide variety of raw and packaging materials, which
we source locally and internationally and which may be subject to price
volatility, either directly or as a result of movements in foreign exchange
rates.
Commodity prices decreased towards the end of 2023 and into the first
half of 2024, leading to negative net material inflation of €(0.4) billion
in 2024. A slight increase in the second half of the year remained well
below previous peaks. The impact of net material inflation is being
offset through increased productivity measures.
Seasonality
Certain of our businesses, such as ice cream, are subject to significant
seasonal fluctuations in sales. However, Unilever operates globally
in many different markets and product categories, and no individual
element of seasonality is likely to be material to the results of the
Group as a whole.
Insider Dealing Policies (Share Dealing Standard)
Unilever has adopted insider trading policies and procedures
applicable to directors, senior management and employees that are
reasonably designed to promote compliance with applicable insider
trading laws, rules and regulations and any listing standards.
Intellectual property
We have a large portfolio of patents and trademarks, and we conduct
some of our operations under licences that are based on patents or
trademarks owned or controlled by others. We are not dependent on
any one patent or group of patents. We use all appropriate efforts to
protect our brands and technology.
Competition
As a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, we are competing
with a diverse set of competitors. Some of these operate on an
international scale like ourselves, while others have a more regional
or local focus. Our business model centres on building brands which
consumers know, trust, like and buy in conscious preference to those of
our competitors. Our brands command loyalty and affinity and deliver
superior performance.
Information on market share
Unless otherwise stated, market share refers to value share as
opposed to volume share. The market data and competitive position
classifications are taken from independent industry sources in the
markets in which Unilever operates.
Iran-related required disclosure
Unilever operates in Iran through a non-US subsidiary. In 2024, sales
in Iran were significantly less than 0.5 per cent of Unilever’s worldwide
turnover. During the year, this non-US subsidiary had approximately
€2,842,776 in gross revenues and less than €1,168,954 in net profits
attributable to the sale of personal care and home care products to
the Shahrvand Group, an entity affiliated with the Government of Iran.
Income, payroll and other taxes, duties and fees (including for utilities)
were payable to the Government of Iran and affiliated entities and
significantly less than 0.5 per cent of our total raw material purchases
were indirectly related to the Government of Iran in connection with our
operations. These two suppliers were Jovein Agriculture Industry J.S.C.
and Amlah Madani Iran, which supplied raw materials used in personal
care and home care products, including soap, shampoo and laundry
products. Our non-US subsidiary maintains bank accounts in Iran with
various banks to facilitate our business in the country and make any
required payments to the Government of Iran and affiliated entities.
While we currently continue our activities in Iran, we are continuously
evaluating such activities in light of the evolving regulatory
environment.
Property, plant and equipment
The Group has interests in properties in most of the countries where
there are Unilever operations. None of these interests are individually
material in the context of the Group as a whole. The properties are used
predominantly to house production and distribution activities and as
offices. There is a mixture of leased and owned property throughout
the Group. We are not aware of any environmental issues affecting the
properties that would have a material impact upon the Group, and
there are no material encumbrances on our properties. Any difference
between the market value of properties held by the Group and the
amount at which they are included in the balance sheet is not
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
217
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
significant. We believe our existing facilities are satisfactory for our
current business, and we currently have no plans to construct new
facilities or expand or improve our current facilities in a manner that
is material to the Group.
CYBER SECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY
Risk management and strategy
Unilever recognises the importance of cyber security and takes a risk-
based approach to the defence and resiliency of critical assets,
business operations, technology and data:
Unilever has an established Cyber Security Risk Management
Framework aligned to industry-standard methodologies and control
frameworks. We promote a company-wide culture of cyber security
awareness and vigilance, and provide regular reporting on the cyber
security risk posture of the organisation to operational and business
leaders, leadership executives and key non-executives, in order to
influence and promote continuous improvement of our risk posture.
Unilever’s Cyber Security Risk Management processes are integrated
into its broader enterprise-level risk management framework and its
associated reporting and monitoring, with cyber security risk forming
a central part of the principal risk ’Systems and Information’ on
page 56;
Unilever has an established framework of Cyber Security Policies
and Standards, which are in alignment to cyber security industry
frameworks. These apply to employees, third parties, contractors,
data and technology across Unilever. Unilever Cyber Security Policies
and Standards are subject to periodic review and modifications
based on any changes in risk;
A Cyber Security Assurance team, dedicated to risk assurance, and
the Internal Audit team, conducting independent enterprise-wide
risk reassurance, assess and report on the risk posture of our key
systems, services, data and operations. The scope and frequency of
the evaluations are risk-based, with output used to influence and
promote continuous improvement of Unilever’s resilience posture,
as well as provide insights to the governance of cyber risk by the
Audit Committee. The Cyber Security Assurance team is composed
of internal and external expertise (e.g. third-party assessors and
consultants), including penetration testing services and a bug bounty
programme;
Unilever requires prioritised third parties and contractors to complete
initial and periodic security assessments, with a dedicated team that
monitors and assesses risks associated with such service providers
and contractors;
Unilever’s Cyber Security function drives continuous improvement
initiatives, leveraging people, processes and technology to address
emerging risks. We also conduct resilience planning and recovery
testing, aiming to bolster preparedness for cyber security incidents;
and
While Unilever’s cyber risk management activities are aimed at
reducing the likelihood of a material cyber security incident
happening, they cannot guarantee a material event will not occur.
Should a material event occur, Unilever has a set of established and
rehearsed incident response procedures. These set out a structured,
phased, tiered response for the full incident lifecycle, including
coordination with other corporate functions and relevant senior
leaders (see below). Our procedures are designed to detect and
respond in a timely manner to abnormal cyber activity in order to
minimise business impact – for example, by supporting rapid
recovery of services and/or operations, enabling legal and regulatory
obligations, or reducing reputational impact.
Our internal Cyber Security function is a global team of experienced
professionals, with a multi-channelled talent pipeline, who carry
various and multiple industry credentials, led by our Chief Information
Security Officer (CISO). Our internal team is complemented by the
expertise and specialised knowledge of a range of external partners
and providers. These external providers add support across select
capabilities, all in alignment with cyber security industry good practice
frameworks.
Material cyber security risks, threats and incidents
Unilever has experienced and continues to experience cyber-attacks
regularly. However, during the year ended 31 December 2024, no known
cyber security incidents have materially affected or are reasonably likely
to materially affect Unilever.
Governance
Board Oversight
The Board of Directors oversees cyber security risk as part of its overall
risk management framework, with specific oversight provided by the
Audit Committee.
Management, primarily the Chief Enterprise Technology Officer (CETO)
and the CISO, provide cyber security briefings to the Audit Committee
on a regular (typically quarterly) basis, covering a range of topics
including:
status of ongoing cyber security controls and risk posture, and
continuous improvement initiatives;
operational metrics, and reports and learnings, as applicable,
from any cyber security events;
cyber security risk management frameworks, and regulatory trends
and requirements; and
ongoing awareness of external threat landscape and trends.
The Audit Committee’s role in cyber security risk oversight is further
supported by our Internal Audit function, which provides independent
re-assurance of the effectiveness of Management’s cyber security risk
handling including internal controls systems.
Management role in cyber security risk management
Ownership of cyber security risk at Unilever sits with the Chief Financial
Officer (CFO) (until the end of 2024, this was jointly with the Chief
Business Operations Officer), who is a member of Unilever’s executive
leadership team. They receive regular, routine cyber security briefings
as well as ad hoc updates as needed. The broader executive leadership
team members are informed of the cyber security risk posture of
Unilever and participate in periodic education and awareness sessions.
The CETO and CISO report into the CFO, and are responsible for
managing and assessing Unilever’s cyber security risk. The CISO has
over 20 years of executive-level experience in information technology
and cyber security, through leadership roles in various companies.
Her background includes: strategy- and architecture-focused roles;
technical experience; and expertise in material cyber incident response.
The CETO has 25 years of experience of leading global business service
and IT organisations across multiple major multinationals, with
oversight of cyber security in multiple roles.
Outputs from the cyber security risk management process, threat
detection capability, vulnerability lifecycle management, and
assurance and re-assurance activities drive enterprise-wide visibility
and reporting of company performance on cyber security risk posture,
influencing and prioritising continuous risk mitigation activities across
the enterprise.
To make transparent and track the continuous risk mitigation activities
across the enterprise, a council of senior individuals and executives
meets regularly and forms the membership of the Information
Protection Council (IPC). This Council (jointly chaired by the CISO and
Chief Privacy Officer) has expertise in cyber security, information
technology, enterprise risk, privacy, legal, physical security and internal
audit. The IPC actively reviews enterprise-wide cyber security risk
management prioritisation, progress and initiatives, providing key
operational unlocks and risk prioritisation decisions. These senior
individuals have significant experience and expertise across multiple
industries, with special expertise in developing and executing cyber
security strategy, driving digital transformation, managing information
technology, overseeing and embedding data protection and data
privacy good practices, the embedding and oversight of financial
controls, and operating within complex regulatory and compliance
environments. The members of the IPC then drive, as appropriate to
their role and responsibilities, first and second line of defence risk
reduction activities, providing a whole-of-Unilever approach to the
governance of cyber security risk, the embedding of cyber security
controls, assurance of those controls and risk posture, and independent
re-assurance of our cyber security risk posture.
TAXATION
The comments below in relation to United Kingdom and United States
taxation are based on current United Kingdom and United States
federal income tax law as applied in England and Wales and the United
States respectively, and HM Revenue & Customs (’HMRC’) and Internal
Revenue Service (’IRS’) practice (which may not be binding on HMRC
or the IRS) respectively, in each case as at the latest practicable date
before the date of this document save that in relation to the United
Kingdom it is assumed that the Finance Bill, as ordered to be printed by
the United Kingdom government on 7 November 2024, will be enacted
without amendments.
This discussion does not address any United States or United Kingdom
tax consequences to shareholders and ADS holders of the separation
of the Ice Cream business, which may depend on certain details of the
separation and such tax consequences are not yet known at this time.
Taxation for US persons holding shares or American
Depositary Shares in PLC
The following notes are provided for guidance, but they do not consider
the specific circumstances of any particular shareholder or ADS holder,
nor do they address all the consequences that may be relevant to
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
shareholders or ADS holders subject to special rules. US persons should
consult their local tax advisers, particularly in connection with potential
liability to pay US taxes on disposal, lifetime gift or bequest of their
shares or American Depositary Shares (’ADSs’). A US person is a US
individual citizen or resident, a corporation organised under the laws
of the United States, any state or the District of Columbia, or any other
legal person subject to US Federal Income Tax on its worldwide income.
United Kingdom taxation on dividends
Under United Kingdom law, income tax is not withheld from dividends
paid by most United Kingdom companies, including PLC. Shareholders
of PLC, whether resident in the United Kingdom or not, receive the full
amount of the dividend actually declared.
A non-UK resident shareholder or ADS holder holding their shares
or ADSs otherwise than in connection with any trade, profession
or vocation carried on through a branch, agency or permanent
establishment in the UK will not generally be subject to UK tax in
respect of dividends paid by PLC.
United States taxation on dividends
If you are a US person, the distribution up to the amount of PLC’s
earnings and profits for US Federal Income Tax purposes will be
ordinary dividend income.
Any portion of the distribution that exceeds PLC’s earnings and profits
is subject to different rules. This portion is a tax-free return of capital
to the extent of your basis in PLC’s shares or ADSs, and thereafter is
treated as a gain on a disposition of the shares or ADSs. PLC does not
maintain calculations of its earnings and profits in accordance with US
Federal Income Tax accounting principles. You should therefore assume
that any distribution by PLC with respect to the shares will be reported
as ordinary dividend income. You should consult your own tax advisers
with respect to the appropriate US Federal Income Tax treatment of any
distribution received from us.
Dividends received by an individual will be taxed at a maximum rate of
15% or 20%, depending on the income level of the individual, provided
the individual has held the shares or ADSs for more than 60 days during
the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date, that
PLC is a qualified foreign corporation and certain other conditions are
satisfied. PLC is a qualified foreign corporation for this purpose. In
addition, an additional tax of 3.8% will apply to dividends and other
investment income received by individuals with incomes exceeding
certain thresholds. The dividend is not eligible for the dividends received
deduction allowable to corporations. The dividend is foreign source
income for US foreign tax credit purposes.
For US Federal Income Tax purposes, the amount of any dividend paid
in a non-US currency will be included in income in a US dollar amount
calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date the
dividends are received by you or the depositary (in the case of ADSs),
regardless of whether they are converted into US dollars at that time.
If the non-US currency is converted into US dollars on the day they are
received, you generally will not be required to recognise foreign
currency gain or loss in respect of this dividend income.
UK taxation on capital gains
Under United Kingdom law, when you dispose of shares or ADSs you
may be liable to pay United Kingdom tax in respect of any gain accruing
on the disposal.
However, if you are either:
an individual who is not resident in the United Kingdom for the year
in question; or
a company which is not resident in the United Kingdom when the
gain accrues
you will generally not be liable to United Kingdom tax on any gains
made on disposal of your shares or ADSs.
There are exceptions to this general rule, two of which are: if the shares
or ADSs are held in connection with a trade or business which is
conducted in the United Kingdom through a branch, agency or
permanent establishment; or if the shares or ADSs are held by an
individual who becomes resident in the UK having left the UK for a
period of non-residence of five years or less and who was resident for
at least four of the seven tax years prior to leaving the UK. In such cases,
you may be liable to United Kingdom tax in respect of the disposal of
shares or ADSs.
United States taxation on capital gains
If you are a US person, generally you will recognise capital gain or loss
for US Federal Income Tax purposes equal to the difference, if any,
between the amount realised on the sale and your adjusted tax basis
in the shares or ADSs, in each case as determined in US dollars.
You should consult your own tax advisers about how to determine the
US dollar value of any foreign currency received as proceeds on the sale
of shares or ADSs and the treatment of any foreign currency gain or loss
upon conversion of the foreign currency into US dollars. The capital gain
or loss recognised on the sale will be long-term capital gain or loss if your
holding period in the shares or ADSs exceeds one year. Non-corporate US
persons are subject to tax on long-term capital gain at reduced rates. The
deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. The rules governing
foreign tax credit are complex and US persons should consult their own
tax advisers regarding the US Federal Income Tax consequences in case
non-US taxes (if any) are imposed on disposition gains.
UK inheritance tax
Under the current estate and gift tax convention between the United
States and the United Kingdom, shares or ADSs (regardless of whether
they are situated in the United Kingdom for inheritance tax purposes)
held by an individual shareholder who is:
domiciled for the purposes of the convention in the
United States; and
not for the purposes of the convention a national of the
United Kingdom
will generally not be subject to United Kingdom inheritance tax:
on the individual’s death; or
on a gift of the shares during the individual’s lifetime.
Where shares or ADSs are held on trust, they will generally not be
subject to United Kingdom inheritance tax where the settlor at the
time of the settlement:
was domiciled for the purposes of the convention in the United
States; and
was not for the purposes of the convention a national of the
United Kingdom.
An exception is if the shares or ADSs are part of the business property of
a permanent establishment of the shareholder in the United Kingdom
or, in the case of a shareholder who performs independent personal
services, pertain to a fixed base situated in the United Kingdom.
Where shares or ADSs are subject to United Kingdom inheritance tax
and United States federal gift or federal estate tax, the amount of the
tax paid in one jurisdiction can generally be credited against the tax
due in the other jurisdiction. However, the rules governing the
creditability of United Kingdom inheritance tax and United States estate
taxes are complex, and shareholders and ADS holders should consult
their own advisers regarding the application of these rules in their
particular circumstances.
Where a United Kingdom inheritance tax liability is prima facie not
payable by virtue of the convention, that tax can become payable if
any applicable federal gift or federal estate tax on the shares or ADSs
in the United States is not paid.
Where shares are dealt with through a clearing system or in the form
of ADSs, the situs of the shares may not be determinative of the situs
of the interests held by holders through such system or of such ADSs for
United Kingdom inheritance tax purposes. Where shares are dealt with
through Euroclear Nederland, there are arguments that the interests of
participants in Euroclear Nederland will be situated outside the United
Kingdom for the purposes of United Kingdom inheritance tax so long
as Euroclear Nederland maintains the book-entry register of such
participants’ interests outside the United Kingdom, although HMRC
may not accept this analysis. Similarly, there are arguments that ADSs
registered on a register outside the United Kingdom will be situated
outside the United Kingdom for the purposes of United Kingdom
inheritance tax, although again HMRC may not accept this analysis.
Shareholders to whom this may be relevant should consult an
appropriate professional adviser.
If the ADSs or the shares dealt with through Euroclear Nederland or
both are not situated in the United Kingdom, a gift of such ADSs or
such shares by, or the death of, an individual holder of such assets
who is:
Prior to 6 April 2025, neither domiciled nor deemed to be domiciled
(under certain rules relating to long residence or previous domicile)
in the United Kingdom; or
From 6 April 2025, a Long-Term UK Resident (an LTR) for UK
inheritance tax purposes (see below) will not generally give rise to
a liability to United Kingdom inheritance tax regardless of whether
the estate and gift tax convention between the United States and the
United Kingdom applies. Under the rules applicable from 6 April 2025,
generally, any individual who is resident in the UK for at least 10 of
the previous 20 years will be an LTR for UK inheritance tax purposes.
Special rules may also apply to such ADSs or such shares dealt with
through Euroclear Nederland that are held on trust.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
219
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
UK stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax
The statements in this section are intended as a general guide to the
current United Kingdom stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax (’SDRT’)
position. Special rules apply to certain transactions such as transfers
of the shares to a company connected with the transferor and those
rules are not described below. Investors should also note that certain
categories of person are not liable to stamp duty or SDRT and others
may be liable at a higher rate or may, although not primarily liable for
tax, be required to notify and account for SDRT under the Stamp Duty
Reserve Tax Regulations 1986.
ISSUE OF SHARES
No stamp duty or SDRT will arise on the issue of shares by PLC.
TRANSFER OF SHARES
Except in relation to clearance services and depositary receipt systems
(to which special rules outlined below apply), stamp duty at the rate
of 0.5 per cent (rounded up to the next multiple of £5) of the amount
or value of the consideration given will generally be payable on an
instrument transferring PLC shares. A charge to SDRT will also generally
arise on an unconditional agreement to transfer PLC shares (at the rate
of 0.5 per cent of the amount or value of the consideration payable).
However, if within six years of the date of the agreement becoming
unconditional, an instrument of transfer is executed pursuant to the
agreement, and stamp duty is paid on that instrument, any SDRT
already paid will be refunded (generally, but not necessarily, with
interest) provided that a claim for repayment is made, and any
outstanding liability to SDRT will be cancelled. The liability to pay stamp
duty or SDRT is generally satisfied by the purchaser or transferee.
SHARES HELD THROUGH CLEARANCE SERVICES
INCLUDING EUROCLEAR NEDERLAND
Special rules apply where shares are issued or transferred to, or to a
nominee or agent for, a person providing a clearance service. In such
circumstances, SDRT or stamp duty may be charged at a rate of 1.5 per
cent (the ’1.5% Charge’), with subsequent transfers within the clearance
service then being free from SDRT and stamp duty (except in relation to
clearance service providers that have made an election under section
97A(1) of the Finance Act 1986 which has been approved by HMRC, to
which the special rules apply).
However, the 1.5% Charge does not arise in respect of (i) transfers of
shares into clearance services where such transfers are in the course
of a capital-raising arrangement (being arrangements pursuant to
which securities are issued by a company for the purpose of raising new
capital), or instruments which effect such transfers; and (ii) transfers
of shares in to clearance services where such transfers are in the course
of arrangements for the first listing of the shares of a company on a
recognised stock exchange and where such arrangements do not affect
the beneficial ownership of the shares, or instruments which effect such
transfers. Accordingly, specific professional advice should be sought in
relation to the application of the 1.5% Charge.
There is an exception from the 1.5% Charge on the transfer to, or to
a nominee or agent for, a clearance service where the clearance
service has made and maintained an election under section 97A(1)
of the Finance Act 1986, which has been approved by HMRC. In these
circumstances, SDRT at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of
the consideration payable for the transfer will arise on any transfer
of shares in PLC into such an account and on subsequent agreements
to transfer such shares within such account.
Any liability for stamp duty or SDRT in respect of a transfer into a
clearance service, or in respect of a transfer within such a service, which
does arise will strictly be accountable by the clearance service system
operator or their nominee, as the case may be, but may, in practice, be
payable by the participants in the clearance service system.
SHARES HELD IN ADS FORM
There should be no stamp duty or SDRT on an issuance of shares into a
depositary receipt system. A transfer of shares into a depositary receipt
system may be subject to SDRT, or stamp duty may be charged at a rate
of 1.5 per cent, with subsequent transfers of depositary receipts then
being free from SDRT. However, this 1.5% Charge does not arise in
respect of (i) transfers of shares into depositary receipt systems where
such transfers are in the course of a capital-raising arrangement (being
arrangements pursuant to which securities are issued by a company for
the purpose of raising new capital), or instruments which effect such
transfers; and (ii) transfers of shares into depositary receipt systems
where such transfers are in the course of arrangements for the first
listing of the shares of a company on a recognised stock exchange and
where such arrangements do not affect the beneficial ownership of the
shares, or instruments which effect such transfers. Accordingly, specific
professional advice should be sought in relation to the application of
this 1.5% Charge.
Any liability for stamp duty or SDRT in respect of a transfer of shares into
a depositary receipt system that does arise will strictly be accountable
by the depositary receipt system operator or its nominee but may, in
practice, be payable by the relevant holder of the depositary receipts.
An issue of ADSs by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as
depositary in respect of the ADSs will not be subject to stamp duty or
SDRT. An agreement for the transfer of ADSs should not be subject to
SDRT but a charge to stamp duty will technically arise on the transfer of
ADSs if it is executed in the UK or relates to any property situated, or to
any matter or thing done or to be done, in the UK. However, the only
sanction for failing to pay such stamp duty is that the instrument of
transfer cannot be produced as evidence in a UK court. Therefore, no
UK stamp duty should in practice be payable on the acquisition or
transfer of existing ADSs or transfer of beneficial ownership of ADSs.
US backup withholding and information reporting
Payments of dividends and other proceeds with respect to ordinary
shares or ADSs by a US (or US connected) paying agent or a US (or US
connected) intermediary will be reported to you and to the IRS as may
be required under applicable regulations. Backup withholding may
apply to these payments if you fail to provide an accurate taxpayer
identification number or certification of exempt status or fail to comply
with applicable certification requirements. Some holders are not subject
to backup withholding. You should consult your tax adviser as to your
qualification for an exemption from backup withholding and the
procedure for obtaining an exemption.
Disclosure requirements for certain US holders
US individuals and certain US entities that hold certain specified non-US
financial assets, including stock in a non-US corporation, with values in
excess of certain thresholds are required to file Form 8938 with their US
Federal Income Tax return. Such Form requires disclosure of information
concerning such non-US assets, including the value of the assets.
Failure to file the Form when required may subject you to penalties. An
exemption from reporting applies to non-US assets held through a US
financial institution generally including a non-US branch or subsidiary
of a US institution and a US branch of a non-US institution. Investors
are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisers regarding the
possible application of this disclosure requirement to their investment
in the shares or ADSs.
Description of securities other than equity securities
Deutsche Bank serves as the depositary (Depositary) for PLC’s American
Depositary Receipt Programme.
Depositary fees and charges for PLC
Under the terms of the Deposit Agreement for the PLC American
Depositary Shares (ADSs), an ADS holder may have to pay the following
service fees to the depositary bank:
Issuance of ADSs: up to US 5¢ per ADS issued.
Cancellation of ADSs: up to US 5¢ per ADS cancelled.
Processing of dividend and other cash distributions not made
pursuant to a cancellation or withdrawal: up to US 5¢ per ADS held.
An ADS holder will also be responsible for paying certain fees and
expenses incurred by the depositary bank and certain taxes and
governmental charges such as:
fees for the transfer and registration of shares charged by the
registrar and transfer agent for the shares in the United Kingdom
(i.e. upon deposit and withdrawal of shares);
expenses incurred for converting foreign currency into US dollars;
expenses for cable, telex and fax transmissions and for delivery of
securities;
taxes and duties upon the transfer of securities (i.e. when shares
are deposited or withdrawn from deposit);
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the delivery or
servicing of shares on deposit; and
fees incurred in connection with the distribution of dividends.
Depositary fees payable upon the issuance and cancellation of ADSs
are typically paid to the depositary bank by the brokers (on behalf of
their clients) receiving the newly issued ADSs from the depositary bank
and by the brokers (on behalf of their clients) delivering the ADSs to
the depositary bank for cancellation. The brokers in turn charge these
transaction fees to their clients.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
Note that the fees and charges an investor may be required to pay
may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary
bank. Notice of any changes will be given to investors.
Depositary payments – fiscal year 2024
Deutsche Bank has been the depositary bank for its American
Depositary Receipt Programme since 1 July 2014. Under the terms of the
Deposit Agreement, PLC is entitled to certain reimbursements, including
processing of cash distributions, reimbursement of listing fees (NYSE),
reimbursement of settlement infrastructure fees (including DTC feeds),
reimbursement of proxy process expenses (printing, postage and
distribution), dividend fees and program-related expenses (that include
expenses incurred from the requirements of the US Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002). In relation to 2024, PLC received $5,084,322 from
Deutsche Bank.
DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND
DELINQUENCIES
Defaults programme
There has been no material default in the payment of principal,
interest, a sinking or purchase fund instalment or any other material
default relating to indebtedness of the Group.
Dividend arrearages and delinquencies
There have been no arrears in payment of dividends on, and material
delinquency with respect to, any class of preferred stock of any
significant subsidiary of the Group. 
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
Lapse of distributions
Any PLC dividend unclaimed after 12 years from the date of the
declaration of the dividend by PLC reverts to PLC. Any unclaimed
dividends may be invested or otherwise applied for the benefit of PLC
while they are claimed. PLC may also cease to send any cheque for any
dividend on any shares normally paid in that manner if the cheques in
respect of at least two consecutive dividends have been returned to
PLC or remain uncashed.
Unilever N.V., the former parent company of the Unilever Group
alongside PLC, was merged in to PLC and dissolved in November 2020
(Unification). The time periods for the right to claim cash dividends
or the proceeds of share distributions declared by Unilever N.V. before
Unification will remain at 5 and 20 years, respectively, after the first day
the dividend or share distribution was obtainable from Unilever N.V.
Any such unclaimed amounts will revert to Unilever PLC after the expiry
of these time periods.
Redemption provisions and capital call
Outstanding PLC ordinary shares cannot be redeemed. PLC may make
capital calls on money unpaid on shares and not payable on a fixed
date. PLC has only fully paid shares in issue.
Modification of rights
Modifications to PLC‘s Articles of Association must be approved by
a general meeting of shareholders.
Modifications that prejudicially affect the rights and privileges of a class
of PLC shareholders require the written consent of three-quarters of the
affected holders (excluding treasury shares) or a special resolution
passed at a general meeting of the class at which at least two persons
holding or representing at least one-third of the paid-up capital
(excluding treasury shares) must be present. Every shareholder is
entitled to one vote per share held on a poll and may demand a poll
vote. At any adjourned general meeting, present affected class holders
may establish a quorum.
Required majorities
Resolutions are usually adopted at the Company‘s General Meetings by
an absolute majority of votes cast, unless there are other requirements
under the applicable laws or the Company‘s Articles. For example,
there are special requirements for resolutions relating to the alteration
of the Articles of Association and the liquidation of the Company. A
proposal to alter the Articles of the Company can be made either by the
Company‘s Board or by requisition of shareholders in accordance with
the UK Companies Act 2006. Unless expressly specified to the contrary in
the Company‘s Articles, the Company‘s Articles may be amended by a
special resolution. The Company‘s Articles can be found on our website.
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Share purchases during 2024
Please also refer to the ‘Shares’ section on page 79.
In 2024, 27,368,909 PLC ordinary shares or ADSs were purchased
by or on behalf of PLC or any ‘affiliated purchaser‘, as defined in
Section 10b-18(a)(3) of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 20-F.
The following table shows details of such purchases of shares made
by the Company during 2024:
2024
Total Number of Shares
purchased
Average Price Paid Per Share
(EUR)
Total Number of Shares
Purchased as Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or Programs
Maximum Number (or
Approximate Euro Value)
of Shares that May Yet be
Purchased Under
the Plans or Programs
January
February
March
April
17 May - 31 May
3,476,252
50.16
3,476,252
3 June - 28 June
3,838,784
51.84
3,838,784
1 July - 31 July
3,950,852
51.81
3,950,852
1 August - 30 August
2,171,813
56.16
2,171,813
13 September - 30 September
4,487,000
58.35
4,487,000
1 October - 31 October
7,559,263
57.05
7,559,263
1 November - 5 November
1,884,945
56.62
1,884,945
December
Total
27,368,909
54.8
27,368,909
The Company announced its share buyback programme of up to €1.5 billion on 8 February 2024, and completed the programme on 5 November 2024.
Under the First Tranche, which was announced on 17 May 2024, a total of 13,437,701 ordinary Unilever PLC shares were purchased with an
aggregate market value equivalent of €700,101,906.
Under the Second Tranche, which was announced on 13 September 2024, a total of 13,931,208 ordinary Unilever PLC shares were purchased with
an aggregate market value equivalent of €799,897,969.
On 13 February 2025, the Company announced a further share buyback of up to €1.5 billion. As at 21 February 2025 (the latest practicable date for
inclusion in this report), 4,101,196 ordinary Unilever PLC shares had been bought back under this new share buyback programme.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US LISTING PURPOSES
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
In accordance with the requirements of Section 404 of the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the following report is provided by management in
respect of the Group’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in rule 13a–15(f) or rule 15d–15(f) under the US Securities Exchange Act
of 1934):
Unilever’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Group;
Unilever’s management has used the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) framework (2013) to
evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Management believes that the COSO framework (2013) is a suitable
framework for its evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting because it is free from bias, permits reasonably consistent qualitative
and quantitative measurements of internal controls, is sufficiently complete so that those relevant factors that would alter a conclusion about
the effectiveness of internal controls are not omitted and is relevant to an evaluation of internal control over financial reporting;
Management has assessed the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of 31 December 2024 and has concluded that such
internal control over financial reporting is effective. Management’s assessment and conclusion excludes K18, Inc as this entity was acquired on
1 February 2024. This entity is included in our 2024 consolidated financial statements, and constituted 0.17% of our total assets as at 31
December 2024 and 0.19% of total turnover for the year ended 31 December 2024; and
KPMG LLP, who have audited the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2024, have also audited the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as at 31 December 2024 and have issued an attestation report on internal control over
financial reporting.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Our independent registered public accounting firm is KPMG LLP, London, United Kingdom, Auditor Firm ID: 1118
€ million
2024
€ million
2023
€ million
2022
Audit fees(a)
32
23
23
Audit-related fees(b)(c)
16
1
1
Tax fees(d)
All other fees(d)
(a) Amount payable to KPMG in respect of services supplied to associated pension schemes was less than €1 million individually and in aggregate (2023: less than
€1 million individually and in aggregate; 2022: less than €1 million individually and in aggregate).
(b) Includes other audit services, which comprise audit and similar work that regulations or agreements with third parties require the auditors to undertake.
(c) 2024 includes fees payable for reporting accountant services on the historical financial information of the Ice Cream business and CSRD assurance reporting services.
(d) Amounts paid in relation to each type of service are individually less than €1 million. In aggregate, the fees paid were less than €1 million (2023: less than €1 million,
2022: less than €1 million).
GUARANTOR STATEMENTS
On 26 July 2023, Unilever Finance Netherlands B.V. and Unilever Capital Corporation (UCC) filed a US Shelf registration, which was unconditionally
and fully guaranteed by Unilever PLC (PLC) and Unilever United States, Inc. (UNUS).
In relation to the US Shelf registration, US$10.95 billion of Notes were outstanding at 31 December 2024 (2023: US$11.2 billion; 2022: US$10.75
billion) with coupons ranging from 1.375% to 5.900%. These Notes are repayable between 22 March 2025 and 12 August 2051.
All debt securities issued by UCC are senior, unsecured and unsubordinated and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several
basis, by PLC and UNUS.
UCC and UNUS are 100% subsidiaries of Unilever PLC and are consolidated in the financial statements of the Unilever Group. In addition, there are
no material assets in the guarantor entities apart from intercompany investments and balances. Therefore, as allowed under Rule 13-01 of
regulation S-X, we have excluded the summarised information for each issuer and guarantor.
The guarantees provide that, in case of the failure of the relevant issuer to punctually make payment of any principal, premium or interest, each
guarantor agrees to ensure such payment is made when due whether at the stated maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption
or otherwise. The guarantees also provide that the Trustee shall be paid any and all amounts due to it under the guarantee upon which the debt
securities are endorsed.
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Sustainability
Statement
General Information
Environmental Disclosures
Social Disclosures
Governance Disclosures
KPMG LLP’s Independent Assurance Report
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
General Information
GENERAL BASIS FOR PREPARATION
Overview
We have prepared a sustainability statement for Unilever PLC and its
subsidiary undertakings (Unilever) in accordance with the European
Sustainability Reporting Standards (the ESRS) as issued by Delegated
Regulation (EU) 2023/2772 on 31 July 2023.
The sustainability statement presents information about Unilever’s
material impacts, risks and opportunities in relation to environmental,
social and governance matters. The statement comprises four sections:
General Information – summarises our basis of preparation for the
sustainability statement, including the governance of our
sustainability strategy and our assessment of our material impacts,
risks and opportunities (IROs).
Environmental Disclosures – provides a consolidated view of our
processes to identify our material IROs and overarching policies that
govern our responses to these matters across our own operations
and value chain. This also includes our actions, metrics and targets
related to Climate, Pollution, Water, Biodiversity and Ecosystems, and
Resource Use and Circular Economy. Climate disclosures consolidate
our Task Force on Climate Disclosures (TCFD) and Climate Transition
Action Plan (CTAP) progress report.
Social Disclosures – provides a consolidated view of our processes to
identify our material IROs and our holistic approach to human rights
across our operations and value chain. This also includes our actions,
metrics and targets related to Own Workforce, Workers in the Value
Chain, Affected Communities and Consumers and End-Users.
Governance Disclosures – provides an overview of Unilever’s business
conduct and Speak Up processes across our own operations and
value chain.
Scope
We define Unilever PLC and its subsidiary undertakings as our own
operations for the purpose of these disclosures which is consistent
with the scope of our consolidated financial statements. We have no
operational control1 over our associates and joint ventures; therefore,
they are not included in our sustainability statement as part of our own
operations. The reporting period for this statement is consistent with the
reporting period of the consolidated financial statements which is
12 months from 1 January to 31 December 2024.2
We have not excluded any information corresponding to intellectual
property, know-how or results of innovation on the basis of commercial
sensitivity.
Upstream and downstream value chain
The scope of the sustainability statement is extended to include our
upstream and downstream value chain, to the extent that they are
connected to Unilever’s material impacts, risks and opportunities.
Generally referred to as our business partners, Unilever defines its
upstream and downstream value chain as:
Upstream value chain – We procure a large number of raw materials
for the manufacture and sale of our products, including many different
crops and packaging materials. Our global supply chain works with
over 50,000 Tier 1 suppliers across 150 countries. Tier 1 suppliers are
defined as those who invoice Unilever for goods and services. We also
consider suppliers that perform work subcontracted by a Tier 1 supplier
in our upstream value chain. In addition, we partner with third parties
where we outsource the manufacturing and packaging of certain
products, referred to as collaborative manufacturing.
Downstream value chain – Around 3.4 billion people use our products
every day. To ensure our products are accessible to our customers, we
partner with distributors and large and small retailers across different
trading environments and channels. We also consider companies that
distribute or sell on behalf of Unilever as part of our downstream value
chain including agents, franchisers and importers.
We have only included narrative and metric disclosures about direct
1. Defined by Annex II of the July 2023 delegated act as the situation where the
undertaking has the ability to direct the operational activities and relationships
of the entity, site, operation or asset.
2. For the year ending 31 December 2024, no Unilever European subsidiaries are
required to prepare separate ESRS statements.
and indirect business relationships in our upstream and downstream
value chain where such information is readily available to us. This
includes omitting value chain data from metrics unless stated
otherwise.
Comparative information
For the first year of reporting, the ESRS does not require us to include
comparative information. Therefore, we have not included any
comparators except for where the information was already disclosed
in prior-year financial reports.
It is Unilever’s policy to restate a metric in the following cases, where
accurate and reliable data is available to enable us to recalculate or
estimate the impact and where the impact is material:
An error resulting from incorrect data or calculation;
A change in reporting requirements;
Better assumptions or more accurate data being available; or
Where we have assessed a disposal as a discontinued operation.
Baseline values, base years and targets
The disclosure of targets within the sustainability statement is fully
aligned with Unilever’s 15 external sustainability goals across four
priority areas: Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. Targets are set
based on several factors, including bottom-up roadmaps, reasonable
ambition, and industry standards where relevant. We will review the
need for further targets in line with our strategy.
It is Unilever’s policy to review the baseline values, base years and
targets when we identify a material change such as significant
acquisitions, disposals, structural changes or assumptions updates
(a 5% review threshold will be applied) and when accurate and reliable
data is available. We have made no adjustments in the reporting period
for acquisitions or disposals.
Sources of estimations and outcome uncertainty
Metrics are prepared in accordance with the definitions as set out in
the ESRS, unless stated otherwise. Any Unilever-specific definitions
are included where applicable. The data and assumptions used in the
sustainability statement are consistent with the corresponding financial
data and assumptions used in our 2024 consolidated financial
statements.
Where we have not been able to directly measure metrics, we have
estimated them using internal and external data from a variety of
sources. This includes, but is not limited to, indirect sources such
as supplier invoices, publicly available benchmarks, or scientific
research. For any metric that is subject to a high level of measurement
uncertainty, we have disclosed the source of uncertainty and the key
assumptions, approximations and judgements made to arrive at
that estimate.
Measurement of the 2024 metrics has not been validated by an external
body other than the assurance provider. Measurement of 2023 and
2022 metrics were subject to independent limited assurance by
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP where relevant, based on plans
approved by the Audit Committee. KPMG LLP’s Independent Assurance
Report is detailed on page 293 and previous PwC assurance reports are
published in the Sustainability Reporting Centre on unilever.com.
GOVERNANCE
Oversight of sustainability matters
The accountability for managing Unilever’s material sustainability
impacts, risks and opportunities aligns to Unilever’s overarching
governance structure. While the Board takes overall accountability for
the management of all material impacts, risks and opportunities, the
CEO supported by the ULE is ultimately responsible for oversight of any
material sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities.
The Board identity, composition and employee representation as at
31 December 2024 is covered in our Corporate Governance statement
and Report of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
detailed on pages 66 to 85. This includes the relevant skills and
expertise to oversee sustainability matters, and how they relate to
Unilever’s impacts, risks and opportunities.
Role of supervisory bodies
The reporting lines between the Board, Board subcommittees and ULE
are detailed in our Corporate Governance statement on page 65. The
terms of reference of each Committee is documented in the Governance
of Unilever and published on our website.
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Board delegates sustainability matters to the following Board
subcommittees:
The Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees the development
and progress of Unilever’s sustainability agenda, including
performance against our sustainability goals. The Committee
also reviews sustainability-related impacts, risks and opportunities
and associated reputational matters (see page 92). This includes
a standing agenda item from the Chief Corporate Affairs and
Sustainability Officer (CSO).
The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness
of our risk management processes, including the double materiality
assessment. In addition, the Committee oversees the non-financial
disclosures in our Annual Report and Accounts which encompasses
disclosures under the ESRS, and reviews any internal and external
assurance activities obtained over the disclosures (see page 88).
The Compensation Committee supports the delivery of the
sustainability strategy through the alignment of Unilever’s long-term
incentive plan (Performance Share Plan) to the sustainability agenda
and priority areas (see page 102).
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible
for ensuring that the composition of the Board includes sufficient
skills and experience in sustainability matters to effectively deliver
on the sustainability agenda (see page 82).
Role of management bodies
In 2024, the ULE discussed and approved our refocused sustainability
strategy and the 15 external goals across the four priority areas:
Climate, Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. Our priority areas help inform
the identification of our material impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs).
Each IRO is owned by a ULE member and detailed mitigation plans
are documented with action owners and timelines. Unilever’s policies
and standards define mandatory requirements across a number
of specialist areas, which are key in mitigating these risks. At least
quarterly, the ULE discuss key strategic matters relating to our four
sustainability priorities and progress against our targets.
Unilever’s global Sustainability function is led by our CSO and is divided
into three core areas:
Dedicated Business Group Sustainability teams, reporting directly
into the CSO, who work closely with the relevant Business Group
teams and leadership, to ensure that sustainability impacts, risks
and opportunities are embedded into their strategies, and that
progress against actions and targets is monitored.
A specialist Sustainability Corporate Centre team that develops
our sustainability strategy and policies while also driving
transformational change across markets through advocacy and
partnerships.
Country Sustainability teams who translate the global strategy into
local plans, engage with local stakeholders to drive transformational
change and work with partners to deliver shared priorities.
Our Supply Chain and Procurement functions are critical to supporting
our Business Groups on the delivery of our 15 goals within our
manufacturing operations, and through extensive collaboration with
our suppliers and other value chain partners. They are primarily
responsible for our impact measurement capability as well as the
systems and data to support the sustainability metrics we report.
Our Business Groups, Supply Chain and Procurement teams are
supported by a team of experts in Research & Development (R&D) and
Finance corporate functions who are focused on innovation, investment
business cases, scope and calculation methodologies for our metrics
and sustainability reporting.
We regularly engage with our investors on a wide range of
sustainability matters including our climate strategy. In April 2024,
our updated Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) was endorsed by
an advisory vote at our AGM.
Sustainability performance and incentives
We continue to formally link remuneration for management employees,
including the ULE, to performance against our sustainability goals.
The long-term Performance Share Plan (PSP) is linked to financial
and sustainability performance, guided by our Sustainability Progress
Index (SPI), which accounts for 15% of the total PSP award. The SPI is an
assessment made jointly by the Corporate Responsibility Committee
and the Compensation Committee.
In 2024, we determined the SPI by considering performance against
four sustainability targets related to each of our priority areas: Climate,
Nature, Plastics and Livelihoods. For further information on SPI
outcomes for 2024, see page 105 and for the SPI targets for the PSP
2025–2027, see page 102. In addition, the ULE and the Board discuss
progress against the four metrics of our SPI tied to our reward quarterly.
Sustainability due diligence
Unilever’s approach to responsible business embeds human rights
and environmental matters into our due diligence processes. The
mechanisms to identify, mitigate and account for how we address
actual and potential negative environmental and human rights impacts
is detailed throughout our sustainability statement. The table below
provides a mapping of the core elements of our due diligence approach.
Core elements
Paragraphs in the sustainability statement
Embedding due diligence in our governance,
strategy and business model
In this section under Governance and Strategy and business model.
Climate disclosures page 235, Biodiversity and Ecosystem disclosures page 254, and Social
disclosures page 267.
Engaging with affected stakeholders
In this section under Interests and views of stakeholders and Double materiality.
Engaging on human rights impacts page 270, Own workforce engagement 272, Value chain workers
engagement page 279, Affected communities engagement page 282, and Consumer and end-users
engagement page 284 and 286.
Identifying and assessing adverse impacts
In this section under Double materiality.
Environmental IROs page 230, Social IROs page 267 and Governance IROs page 287.
Further details are included in each topical standard. For page references, see Index page 295.
Taking actions to address those adverse impacts
Actions sections from each topical standard. For page references, see Index page 295.
Tracking the effectiveness of these efforts and
communicating the results
Targets and Metrics sections from each topical standards. For page references, see Index page 295.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Sustainability reporting controls
We have established processes to assess and manage risks related
to the integrity of the information disclosed in our sustainability
statement. This assessment identified that completeness, accuracy
and availability of the sustainability information are key reporting risks
to be considered when preparing the sustainability statement.
Unilever's Group Controller oversees our sustainability statement as a
whole, and is responsible for managing these risks. For each of the 10 ESRS
topics we are reporting on, a ULE Topical Owner is in place and appoints
owners for the narrative and metrics elements of those disclosures.
Metrics owners are responsible for developing and documenting the
Basis of Preparation (BoP) for each metric, which provides the key
Unilever definitions and scope, as well as an explanation of how the
data is collected and calculated and any key assumptions made.
Narrative owners are responsible for the collection and preparation
of narrative disclosures. Each narrative and metric is signed off by the
respective owner and subject to management assurance to check that
the ESRS disclosure requirements are addressed, claims are supported
by evidence and that metrics align to the BoPs.
The Audit Committee oversees the reporting of ESRS information and
reviews the processes and controls that are the basis for its preparation.
It is supported by the Disclosure Committee, which oversees the
accuracy, materiality and timeliness of the sustainability statement,
and evaluates the adequacy of Unilever’s disclosure processes and
controls including in relation to the ESRS information. Independent
limited assurance is performed by KPMG.
STRATEGY AND BUSINESS MODEL
Our strategy and business model are described in our Strategic Report
on pages 2 to 5. We produce and sell consumer goods across our five
Business Groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods,
and Ice Cream.3 With a global footprint, we operate over 250 factories
worldwide and employ over 120,000 employees.4
For over two decades, we have been driving an ambitious sustainability
agenda. In April 2024, we launched our new Growth Action Plan (GAP).
This included a refreshed approach to our sustainability leadership to
ensure we are more focused on resource allocation, more urgent in
delivering our long-term priorities through short-term goals, and more
systemic in delivering the greatest impact to our stakeholders. This was
supported by the launch of our updated Climate Transition Action Plan
in May 2024, which gained 97.5% of shareholder votes.
At an external event on 8 May 2024, we announced four long-term
sustainability priority areas: climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods.
The priority areas are underpinned by 15 voluntary goals. At this event,
we consulted with a wide range of external stakeholders for feedback
on our strategy. In addition, in December 2024, we relaunched the
Unilever Sustainability Advisory Council, made up of a group of
independent sustainability experts, who help guide our strategy.
Progress against the 15 goals is detailed in the relevant target sections.
Our sustainability strategy leverages our global value chain, working
in partnership with our stakeholders to reach our long-term goals
together. The sustainability strategy is embedded into overall business
performance and each Business Group is responsible for delivering
against our actions and targets.
Alongside our four sustainability priorities, we remain fully committed
to operating as a responsible business by respecting human rights,
advancing diversity and inclusion, doing business with integrity and
ensuring the safety of people.
INTEREST AND VIEWS OF STAKEHOLDERS
Unilever identifies six stakeholder groups as critical to our future
success: shareholders, our people, consumers, customers, suppliers
& business partners, and planet & society. These stakeholders are
selected because they are individuals or groups of individuals affected
by our operations (e.g. affected communities and consumers), as well
as the users of our sustainability statement (e.g. prospective investors).
Our Governance report, on page 74, details how we consider and
engage with each of the six stakeholder groups. This includes their
interests and views as they relate to our strategy and business model,
to the extent that they were analysed during our due diligence and
double materiality assessment processes. Additionally, we engage with
these stakeholders to identify and manage our material impacts, risks
and opportunities in relation to environmental, social and governance
sustainability matters. Engagement processes and results for each
stakeholder group are discussed during Board meetings, with outputs
for 2024 summarised on page 72.
DOUBLE MATERIALITY
Overview
The ESRS require that we report on sustainability matters in which we
have or could have a material impact on people or the environment,
both positive and negative in nature, as well as where they present
risks and opportunities to our business success. Those material impacts,
risks and opportunities (IROs) can arise from our own operations or
through actors in our value chain. Impacts are not limited by proximity
or contractual relationship, but may occur at any stage of our upstream
or downstream value chain, as a result of our operations, or as a result
of the use or disposal of our products.
Our double materiality assessment (DMA) has been designed to help us
identify our material IROs and therefore which sustainability matters we
should report on. The material IROs are reviewed on an ongoing basis,
and formally by senior management, the Corporate Responsibility
Committee and the Audit Committee at least once a year.
Double materiality assessment process
We followed a four-step process to identify our material IROs:
Step 1: Identification of potentially relevant IROs. The outputs
of existing engagement channels and previous risk assessments,
along with targeted interviews and questionnaires with key internal
sustainability experts, were used to collate a complete list of all
potentially relevant IROs. This approach ensured that the perspectives
of all key stakeholder groups, including affected communities, were
considered during the assessment process. Positive impacts and
financial opportunities resulting from the mitigation of negative
impacts or risks were considered during the identification step but it
was decided these would be included as actions within each topical
standard rather than as individual IROs.
Step 2: Impact Materiality Assessment to identify material impacts we
are connected to. An impact is the effect an undertaking has or could
have on the environment and people to which it is connected through
its own operations or its value chain. Impacts can be positive or
negative in nature. We undertook an initial assessment of each
potentially relevant impact to consider whether the matter identified
had an actual or potential impact on the world. The potentially relevant
impacts were then scored using a scale of 1–5 with consideration of
scale, scope and remediable character (to calculate an average
severity score) and likelihood (where an actual impact was scored 5).
A quantitative threshold was applied to each potentially relevant
impact to determine whether it was material.
Step 3: Financial Materiality Assessment to identify our material risks
and opportunities. We undertook an assessment of each potentially
relevant risk or opportunity identified, including the connection of
impacts and dependencies, to determine whether it was financially
material to Unilever. Using our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
methodology, the potentially relevant risks and opportunities were
scored using a scale of 1-5 with consideration of magnitude (impact on
turnover/operating profit) and likelihood. A quantitative threshold was
applied to each potentially relevant risk or opportunity to determine
whether it was material. For climate- and plastic-related risks,
consideration was given to the potential financial effects calculated
through our scenario analysis, as detailed on pages 235 and 262. The
assessment also considered our existing Enterprise Risk Management
(ERM) processes and Principal Risk definitions, as set out on page 51,
to support in the prioritisation of the risks and opportunities.
Step 4: Validation and disclosure requirement mapping. The output of
the DMA was validated with each sustainability expert with oversight
from our Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, Chief Supply
Chain Officer, Chief People Officer and Group Controller. The double
materiality assessment was reviewed at year-end and approved by the
Audit Committee to ensure the conclusions remained appropriate. We
evaluated our material IROs against the disclosure requirements of
each ESRS to identify which disclosure requirements apply.
IROs were assessed on a gross basis (assuming no mitigating action
has been taken to reduce the risk) at both a consolidated and Business
Group level. Where relevant, scoping information is included in the IRO
descriptions. Our methodology considered whether the IRO would occur
in the short, medium and/or long term. The time horizon for each IRO
has been reflected through relevant policies, actions and targets
described in our topical disclosures.
3. For segmental information, see Financial Statements – note 2 on page 145.
4. For headcount by geographical area, see Own Workforce disclosures on page 274.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Interaction with strategy and business model
In April 2024, we updated our sustainability strategy as part of our
new GAP. No changes were made to our strategy or business model
in response to the material IROs identified through the DMA process.
The Directors assess Unilever’s resilience through the going concern
assessment on page 120 in our Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities
(one-year time horizon) and viability statement (three-year time
horizon) on page 60 in our Strategic Report. For more information on
our resilience regarding material climate and biodiversity IROs, refer
to the relevant topical disclosures.
Our actions to address our material IROs are embedded in the strategy
of our five Business Groups and therefore not all costs are separately
identifiable. In 2024, where we could separately identify costs, none
of the costs met our definition of significant operational or capital
expenditure based on a quantitative materiality threshold.
We have excluded anticipated financial effects of the undertaking’s
material risks and opportunities on its financial position, financial
performance and cash flows over the short, medium and long term.
However, for Climate and Plastic where we have performed a scenario
analysis, we have calculated the potential financial impacts under
different scenarios. In addition, we have not identified any material
current financial effects related to our IROs on our operations, value
chain, strategy and decision-making.
We provide more detailed information about the interaction of our IROs
with the strategy and business model in our topical disclosures.
Our 2024 material impacts, risks and opportunities
A summary of our material IROs is included below; further detailed
descriptions are included at the start of each topical section. IROs that
require entity-specific disclosures, i.e. are not covered by the ESRS, are
denoted by the symbol (†).
The specific processes and detailed descriptions of our material IROs are
disclosed in the Environmental IROs section on page 230, the Social IROs
section on page 267 and the Governance IROs section on page 287.
CLIMATE
Material impact, risk or opportunity
GHG emissions in our operations and our value chain
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Changing climate and extreme weather events
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Carbon tax
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Land use pressures and regulation
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Energy transition
Risk
Own Operations
Product regulations and claims: composition and sourcing transparency
Risk
Own Operations
POLLUTION
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Pollution of air, soil and water (excluding plastic pollution)
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Non-biodegradable substances †
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
WATER
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Water withdrawal from our own operations and upstream value chain
actors leading to water shortages
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Reducing product demand due to consumer awareness of water scarcity
and water shortages
Risk
Value Chain
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Ecosystem degradation and ecosystem service failures
Negative Impact
Value Chain
Ecosystem degradation leading to reduction of crop yields in key
sourcing locations
Risk
Value Chain
Systemic risk of biodiversity collapse
Risk
Value Chain
Increased activism, legal or non-compliance costs resulting from
biodiversity degradation and loss
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
†  Entity-Specific Disclosure
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RESOURCE USE AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Plastic pollution
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Hazardous waste
Negative Impact
Own Operations
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for packaging and other
plastic-related taxes †
Risk
Own Operations
OWN WORKFORCE AND WORKERS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Talent
Risk
Own Operations
Capability building across our value chain to improve livelihoods †
Positive Impact
Value Chain
Salient human rights issues
Bullying and harassment
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Discrimination
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Forced labour
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Fair wages and income
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Working hours
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Health
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Freedom of association and collective bargaining
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
AFFECTED COMMUNITIES
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Salient human rights issues
Land rights, including Indigenous rights
Negative Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
CONSUMERS AND END-USERS
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Safe products
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Marketing to children
Negative Impact
Value Chain
Nutritional product quality †
Risk
Value Chain
Product innovation as a response to changing demand †
Opportunity
Value Chain
BUSINESS CONDUCT
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Business integrity and ethical conduct
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Anti-bribery and corruption
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Use of non-animal safety science
Positive Impact
Value Chain
Changing regulatory landscape †
Risk
Own Operations; Value Chain
Advocacy
Positive Impact
Own Operations; Value Chain
Supplier payments and relationships
Risk
Own Operations
†  Entity-Specific Disclosure
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
POLICIES ADOPTED TO MANAGE SUSTAINABILITY
MATTERS
Our Code of Business Principles (the Code) and Code Policies apply to
all material sustainability matters identified by Unilever. The Code and
supporting 24 Code Policies govern the behaviour of our employees,
suppliers, distributors and other third parties who work with us. They
set out the standards of behaviour that we expect all employees to
adhere to globally. They also play a key role in setting out how we
ensure compliance with laws and regulations, protect our brands
and reputation, and prevent harm to people or the environment. The
Code is underpinned by our values of integrity, respect, responsibility
and pioneering.
The Board’s Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees Unilever’s
conduct and reviews our Code of Business Principles to ensure that
these remain fit for purpose. Our CEO is responsible for the
implementation of the Code and Code Policies and is supported by
the Global Code and Policy Committee, chaired by the Chief Legal
Officer. Day-to-day responsibility is delegated to senior management,
supported by cross-functional Business Integrity Committees. We
require our employees to submit an annual pledge to confirm they
have understood, commit to, and adhere to, the Code.
As mandated by the Code, our employees are also required to report
any actual or potential breach of the Code and Code Policies. We
have set out the available reporting channels within our Code Policies
and we also highlight these during Business Integrity training and in
our communications. This includes our non-retaliation policies and
guidelines, which apply to all employees who raise issues.
Further policies that govern our material impacts, risks and
opportunities are disclosed in the Environmental policies section on
page 232, the Social policies section on page 270 and the Business
Conduct policies section on page 287.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Environmental Disclosures
ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIAL IMPACTS, RISKS
AND OPPORTUNITIES
Assessing and identifying our material impacts, risks and opportunities
(IROs) is informed by our double materiality assessment as outlined in
our general information on page 226.
When identifying IROs across all our Environmental topics, we used
a number of sources including:
For each principal risk, including Climate and Nature (covering
biodiversity and water scarcity) and Plastic Packaging (covering
circular economy), we reviewed the risk management frameworks
detailing risk descriptions and mitigating controls in place. These
frameworks are updated annually and monitored throughout the
year to identify changes in the risk profile.
We evaluated our manufacturing sites using Unilever’s Environmental
Care Framework Standards (ECFWS), based on the ISO 14001
standard for environmental management systems. The ECFWS
outlines how we identify and manage environmental impacts and
risks. Key findings were considered as part of the DMA.
For non-manufacturing sites, such as offices and our logistics
network, we reviewed all available environmental data from our
operations to identify any potential impacts and risks. This was
substantiated by our subject matter experts.
We performed a climate scenario analysis to identify additional
sub-risks, their potential financial effects and to gauge the resilience
of our strategy and business model against these risks. This analysis
included a review of both physical and transition risks that could
arise by 2050, considering drivers across the evolving physical
climate, policy and market landscapes.
We conducted a top-down analysis of Unilever’s nature-related
dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities. This assessment
covered both actual and potential impacts on biodiversity and
ecosystems within our own operations and throughout our value
chain, including those related to pollution. Additionally, we
conducted a detailed impact assessment on over 600 Unilever-
owned, managed or leased sites with known geographic coordinates.
We reviewed our material physical, transition and systemic nature
related risks under two nature scenarios for the first time to help
inform our nature strategy and the resilience of the business against
the risk identified. We also used this process to quantify the potential
financial effects of our plastic packaging-related risks, which are
closely linked to nature. We will continue to develop our
understanding of the implications of these different nature scenarios
for future reporting periods.
For water, we incorporated inputs from the World Resources Institute
Aqueduct tool, an open-source platform that maps and analyses
current and future water risks across various locations. This was
supplemented by site-specific factors and localised water risks where
identified. For our upstream value chain, we use the Water Footprint
Network Assessment tool, which integrates information from the
Global Water Footprint Standard and WaterStat. Additionally, we
conduct annual surveys with our ingredient buyers to assess crop
risks and evaluate the resilience of our farmed ingredients and forest-
based supply chains in water-stressed areas.
When evaluating the environmental impact of our products, we
conduct risk assessments for all ingredients before they are
introduced to the market and for all new ingredients before they are
utilised. We perform annual assessments to evaluate the combined
environmental exposure from the use of individual ingredients across
our product portfolio, ensuring safety based on total usage.
We have detailed our engagement with stakeholders, including
affected communities, in our general information on page 226. While
consultations with affected communities regarding shared biological
resources have not yet been completed as part of our risk
assessments, Unilever recognises the importance of this engagement
and will incorporate it into future local assessments.
We considered opportunities relating to environmental topics as part
of our overall strategy and business model, including innovation and
product assessments.
The output of our 2024 DMA is included below:
CLIMATE
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
GHG emissions in our
operations and value chain
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Our operations emit greenhouse gases (GHG) primarily from the generation of
electricity and heat, and loss of refrigerants. However, 98% of our GHG emissions come
from Scope 3 emissions within our upstream and downstream value chain.
Changing climate and extreme
weather events (physical risk)
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Extreme weather and sustained increases in temperature could lead to water
shortages, floods, droughts and reduced crop yields. Extreme weather events are likely
to disrupt our supply chain causing commodity delays, shortages and/or increased
prices of raw materials. In addition, customer and consumer demand could shift or
erode from the resulting macroeconomic pressure linked to rising adaptation costs.
Carbon tax
Risk
(VC)
Taxes associated with greenhouse gases (GHG) could impact the price of raw
materials, resulting in increased costs and a potential reduction in profit.
Land use pressure and
regulation
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Reforms to regulation and changing land use patterns, could reduce land availability
for the production of food, biomass/feedstock and reduce crop outputs leading to a
potential increase in our raw material costs.
Energy transition
Risk
(VC)
Petrochemical prices are expected to rise across scenarios, largely driven by mandates
for sustainable practices in policy-heavy transitions, and rising oil prices in higher-
warming scenarios. This risk affects our upstream value chain across all regions and
impact our ability to financially plan, forecast and manage our business performance.
Product regulations and claims:
composition and sourcing
transparency
Risk
(OO)
New regulations may restrict how we source raw materials leading to higher costs.
Pressure to adopt sustainable supply chains could impact business performance
if not addressed promptly. Increased global regulation also means more scrutiny
of sustainability claims, potentially raising costs and harming revenue due to
reputational damage.
OO  Own Operations
VC    Value Chain
†      Entity-Specific Disclosure
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POLLUTION
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Pollution of air, soil and water
(excluding plastic)
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Pollution (excluding plastic pollution) of air, soil and water caused by our own
operations and value chain has the potential for negative impacts. Localised pollution
from our own operations and pollution in the upstream value chain, which can occur
from the use of agrichemicals, may negatively impact communities and catchments.
Non-biodegradable
substances †
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Our product formulations may contain substances that can be slow or resistant to
biodegradation. There are concerns that those substances could build up in the
environment and potentially cause adverse impacts on water resources.
WATER
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Water withdrawal from our
own operations and upstream
value chain leading to water
shortages
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Consumption of water through our own operations and from our upstream value
chain actors, for example agricultural commodities, could result in water shortages
specifically in areas of high-water stress.
Reducing product demand due
to consumer awareness of
water scarcity and water
shortages
Risk
(VC)
Growing consumer awareness of water scarcity and water shortages may reduce
demand for high water usage products, especially in areas of high-water stress. This
may conversely create new revenue opportunities for products requiring less or no
water.
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Ecosystem degradation and
ecosystem service failures
Negative Impact
(VC)
Unilever relies on intensive agricultural practices, which can pose threats to biodiversity
and ecosystem services and could lead to ecosystem collapse (localised or across
many locations). This impacts water availability, soil health, and terrestrial and aquatic
biodiversity ecosystems. Deforestation and land conversion is also caused by
agricultural expansion and can contribute to biodiversity loss, disrupt communities
and negatively impact climate change mitigations.
Ecosystem degradation leads
to reduction of crop yields in key
sourcing locations
Risk
(VC)
Agricultural practices (use of fertilisers, freshwater, agricultural chemicals and
monocultures) and rising temperatures lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem
degradation, which in turn reduce crop yields in key sourcing locations, including the
US, Brazil, Argentina, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Côte d'Ivoire.
Systemic risk of biodiversity
collapse (systemic risk)
Risk
(VC)
Ecosystem degradation or biodiversity loss and ecosystem service failures can escalate
over the medium to long term into shock events that affect the commodities and
financial markets we depend on.
Increased activism, legal or
non-compliance costs resulting
from biodiversity degradation
and loss
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Our actions or those of actors in our value chain that can cause harm to biodiversity
and ecosystems, could lead to increased public scrutiny, legal claims or non-
compliance incidents resulting in fines and penalties and potential loss of market
share impacting long-term profitability.
RESOURCE USE AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Plastic pollution
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
The use of plastics in our packaging could cause harm to biodiversity and ecosystems.
This includes impacts from the production of virgin plastic packaging derived from
fossil fuels and from the improper disposal of plastic packaging downstream which
can result in leakage to the environment and the generation of microplastics.
Hazardous waste
Negative Impact
(OO)
Hazardous waste resulting from the manufacture, transport, use or disposal of our
products may not be properly handled or disposed of. This could lead to environmental
contamination, public health issues and regulatory non-compliances.
Extended producer
responsibility (EPR) schemes for
packaging and other plastic-
related taxes †
Risk
(OO)
EPR schemes can help to improve recycling systems by ensuring that money is invested
into waste management and packaging innovation and holding businesses to account
for the packaging choices they make. Compliance with EPR schemes could lead to
higher expenses for waste management and packaging redesign. There is also a risk
that bans and/or taxes are applied to certain types of plastic packaging and single-use
plastics reducing market access or requiring increased investment in new packaging.
OO  Own Operations
VC    Value Chain
†      Entity-Specific Disclosure
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
As set out in our general information on page 229, Unilever’s Code and
Code policies apply to all material sustainability matters. Our material
IROs relating to environmental matters, including Climate, Pollution,
Water, Biodiversity and Ecosystems, and Resource Use and Circular
Economy are managed through several additional environmental
policies, as set out below.
Given the maturity of our sustainability agenda, these policies were
established prior to our double materiality assessment. Policies are
continuously reviewed and periodically updated where relevant, to
ensure they reflect our strategy and key sustainability matters.
Unilever’s Environmental Policy updated in January 2025, governs our
approach to environmental issues and applies to our own operations.
For partners in our value chain that are outside of our direct control, we
encourage them to apply the same requirements. This policy commits
Unilever to:
Ensure the Board and Unilever Leadership Executive are accountable
for implementing the Environmental Policy, overseeing our
environmental strategy and the management of key environmental
impacts, risks and opportunities, including the effectiveness of our
risk management and internal control systems.
Comply with relevant environmental legislation and internal Unilever
standards in our operations.
Continuously enhance our environmental management systems and
processes to improve performance, setting internal targets and
public goals with clear metrics.
Report all incidents and near misses according to reporting
requirements, including thorough investigation, follow-up and
communication of lessons learned.
Monitor and report transparently on our annual progress against
public goals.
Engage employees on environmental issues, goals, plans and
metrics.
Ensure those responsible for this policy and our environmental goals
have the necessary skills and competencies to lead and support our
agenda.
Collaborate with others to promote environmental care, increase
understanding of environmental issues, and share best practices.
Monitor and respond to external issues and public concerns related
to the environment.
Unilever’s Environmental Care Framework Standards (ECFWS) apply to
all our operations and environmental aspects of our organisation, and
mandate that the Environmental Policy is implemented at all Unilever
sites. Each site must create and document a customised environmental
policy aligned with the Environmental Policy, which is authorised and
communicated to all employees. The ECFWS requires sites to identify
potential serious environmental incidents or emergencies and establish
comprehensive plans to prevent or mitigate their likely consequences.
Our manufacturing sites undergo Environmental Compliance Audits
and are reviewed by Corporate Audit to assess the robustness of their
ECFWS implementation.
There are three policies that focus on the environmental impact of
our business partners:
Unilever’s Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) and its Fundamental
Principles applies not only to direct suppliers, but also includes
expectations for suppliers to cascade equivalent requirements within
their own supply chain. It sets out the mandatory requirements
suppliers must meet and the mandatory management systems they
should have in place to identify and manage issues that present
significant environmental risks to their operations. Requirements are
divided into three pillars: Business Integrity & Ethics, Human Rights, and
Planet. Specifically, the principles and requirements relating to our
material Environmental IROs are:
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: Reduce GHG emissions in line
with the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well
below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels. This includes complying
with all legal requirements and holding necessary permits for GHG
emissions management and reduction.
Water consumption and management: Reduce water usage,
especially in high-water stress areas, and manage wastewater
discharge (pollution of water) appropriately. This includes complying
with water-related laws and permits.
Nature protection: Conduct business in a way that protects,
preserves and regenerates nature (including biodiversity), and
ensures no deforestation or conversion occurs. This includes
ensuring suppliers provide deforestation- and conversion-free
materials. Future requirements will also address the biodegradability
of organic ingredients.
Plastic use and waste: Reduce plastic use and waste to help create
a transparent and circular economy for plastics. This includes
complying with legal requirements with respect to plastic feedstock
sourcing, plastics production, storage, transport and end-of-life
management.
Waste generation: Reduce waste generation and achieve net zero
waste to landfill. This includes ensuring waste is stored, handled,
transported and disposed of in a manner that protects health, safety
and the environment.
We verify alignment to and achievement of our RPP’s Mandatory
Requirements and Mandatory Management Systems through the use
of self-declaration, due diligence scanning, online assessments and
independent verification by third-party audits in high-risk sites.
Unilever’s People & Nature Policy is a cross-commodity policy
supported by policy guidelines that set out our requirements to Direct
Suppliers of In-Scope Materials. The policy sets out four principles that
these suppliers are required to comply with:
Protecting natural ecosystems from deforestation and conversion:
We are committed to ensuring that the In-Scope Materials entering
our supply chain will not originate from deforested land or converted
natural ecosystems.
Respecting and promoting human rights: We are committed to
respecting and advancing the human rights of all people in line with
the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Transparency and traceability: We are committed to transparency
and traceability in sourcing, governance and reporting to enable us
to drive continuous improvement.
Being a force for good for people and planet: We are committed to
working through partnerships to protect natural ecosystems within
our supply chain, encouraging legal recognition of customary rights,
implementing regenerative agricultural land use practices, and
finding ways to restore damaged landscapes.
We seek to implement and independently verify the policy requirements
over time with all our suppliers.
Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code (SAC) provides the basis for our
sustainable sourcing programme and helps suppliers and farmers of
our agricultural raw materials implement the principles of sustainable
agriculture. In September 2024, we published the Sustainable
Agricultural Principles (SAPs), which will replace the SAC fully in Q1
2025 and we are currently supporting suppliers with this transition. The
SAPs are a collection of good practices designed to codify important
aspects of sustainability in farming, plantation and supply chain
management, with the goal to positively transform agricultural
practices for people, nature and climate. They are made up of six core
principles which set out that the benchmarked standards should:
Promote agricultural and business practices that ensure integrity and
accountability in a way that is transparent and traceable.
Contribute to an agricultural supply chain that maintains and
regenerates soil health, supports appropriate land use, conserves
and regenerates natural resources, reduces waste and pollution, and
avoids the introduction of invasive species.
Encourage agricultural practices that minimise greenhouse gases,
improve energy efficiency, and accelerate decarbonisation across the
agricultural supply chain, while building climate resilience and
adaptation.
Cover the respect and advancement of required human rights
principles and ensure that these are implemented in line with the UN
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Safeguard the welfare of all livestock including good animal
husbandry practices that adhere to appropriate guidelines on animal
housing, feeding, health and breeding.
Promote an agricultural supply chain with suppliers and farmers who
are committed to continuous improvement to advance sustainable
agricultural practices within the sector.
The continued and growing use of SAP-benchmarked external
standards by our suppliers will enable us to source agricultural
materials sustainably on an ongoing basis.
Our ULE governs the Unilever Environmental Policy and Environmental
Care Framework Standard. The Chief Supply Chain Officer governs the
Responsible Partner Policy, People & Nature Policy, Sustainable
Agriculture Code and Sustainable Agriculture Principles.
Our policies underpin our approach to sustainable business. We make
key Unilever policies (including the Unilever Environmental Policy, RPP
and SAC) publicly available on our website to ensure that we are
transparent in our approach, providing access to all our stakeholders.
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Climate
GOVERNANCE
Sustainability performance and incentives
We continue to formally link remuneration for management employees, including the ULE, to performance against our sustainability goals.
We have outlined the details of this in the general information section on page 225 and the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 102 to 106.
Within this framework, progress against our climate goal in 2024 is measured on the reduction of our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions.
Climate Transition Action Plan
Our second Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) received Board approval in January 2024 and shareholder approval in May 2024 through a non-
binding, advisory vote. The CTAP outlines our 2030 climate targets and the mitigation, adaptation and advocacy actions we will take to achieve
them. These actions are integrated into the annual three-year strategic planning cycle of each Business Group. The CTAP sets out our long-term
ambition to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2039.
Climate targets
We have set near-term climate targets to reduce absolute GHG emissions from our operations (Scope 1 and 2) and our value chain (Scope 3).
Our Scope 1 and 2 target was set versus a 2015 baseline using the market-based approach and was validated in 2017 by the Science Based Targets
initiative (SBTi) as compatible with a 1.5°C pathway in line with the Paris Agreement. In 2024, SBTi validated that our proposed Scope 3 targets
conform with the SBTi Criteria and Recommendations (Criteria version 5.1). We selected a more recent baseline date of 2021 for our Scope 3 targets,
for which we have more accurate data. We regularly review our approach with SBTi.
Scope of target
Target
Timeline
Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our operations
100% reduction
By 2030, against a 2015 baseline
Scope 3 energy and industrial GHG emissions from purchased goods and
services (associated with ingredients, packaging), upstream transport
and distribution, energy and fuel-related activities, direct emissions from
use of sold products (associated with HFC propellants), end-of-life
treatment of sold products, and downstream leased assets (associated
with ice cream retail cabinets)
42.0% reduction
By 2030, against a 2021 baseline
Scope 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions from
purchased goods and services (associated with ingredients)
30.3% reduction
By 2030, against a 2021 baseline
Climate mitigation actions
We have identified the following decarbonisation levers and actions that will contribute to the delivery of our climate targets across our operations
and our value chain:
Decarbonisation lever
Key action
Details
Scope 1 and 2 (Our operations)
Thermal and electrical energy
Improving efficiency and using
alternative sources
Improving thermal and electrical efficiency. Introducing more
solar thermal technology, electrifying thermal processes,
transitioning to sustainably sourced biofuels.
Renewable power
Increasing on-site and enabling
off-site renewable energy
generation
Exploring increased on-site renewable electricity generation and
enabling off-site generation through large-scale, physical and
virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Refrigeration
Reducing emissions from
refrigeration
Phasing-out high-impact systems and training teams to identify,
report and prevent leaks from existing systems.
Scope 3 (Our value chain)
Supplier Climate Programme
Scaling the programme
Co-funding supplier access to expert support services, sharing
best practices, assistance in setting GHG reduction targets and
creating innovation partnerships with select suppliers. Actively
engaging with industry-wide initiatives to drive standardisation
and scale up approaches to climate action and transparency.
Reformulating products
Using innovative ingredients
Developing lower GHG products including the use of low GHG
ingredients and packaging, and reducing palm oil usage in soap
bars.
Forest-risk commodities
Investing in our value chain
Building supply chain infrastructure to meet deforestation-free
requirements, enrolling more suppliers and smallholder
farmers in our direct sourcing programmes and smallholder
development hubs, and driving improvements in the processing
of forest-risk commodities.
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Decarbonisation lever
Key action
Details
Regenerative agriculture
Scaling up adoption
Scaling up adoption of regenerative agriculture in our Foods
business, expanding our lower-carbon dairy programme,
working across shared supply chains with other businesses that
share our suppliers to amplify the impact of programmes.
Chemical ingredients
Reducing GHG intensity
Reducing the GHG intensity of soda ash production by scaling up
the use of renewable energy sources.
Reducing the GHG intensity of LAS production through increased
use renewable energy.
Packaging
Reducing material use
Designing new product packaging formats, transitioning to
recycled and renewable feedstocks, and designing packaging
for recycling. Supporting the development of waste
management infrastructure.
Logistics
Improving efficiency
Redesigning our network, increasing utilisation of intermodal
transport, scaling up electric and alternative fuel vehicles.
Ice cream cabinets
Increasing energy efficiency
Renewing cabinet fleet with more energy-efficient models and
transitioning to renewable energy.
Aerosol propellants
Developing alternatives
Using less GHG-intensive propellants.
Climate adaptation actions
Some of our planned mitigation actions described above include an
element of adaptation, which will help our business respond to the
current and expected physical impacts of climate change.
Examples of this include:
Programmes to end deforestation and scale up regenerative
agriculture can help communities adapt to climate change and
increase the resilience of our supply chains through healthier soils,
which are better able to cope with more extreme weather patterns.
Reducing overall packaging material use and investing in collection
and processing partnerships will help to reduce plastic pollution,
which can contribute to flooding.
We are taking some other, more specific, adaptation actions outside of
our Climate Transition Action Plan.
Examples of this include:
Flexible production between manufacturing sites.
Water stewardship programmes in water-stressed sites.
Developing supplier strategies for alternative and sustainably
sourced materials to build supply chain resilience.
Leveraging new climate-driven consumer trends, such as plant-based
alternatives and fabric cleaning products that work at lower
temperatures.
Climate advocacy actions
To maximise the impact of Unilever’s mitigation and adaptation actions
and to create a level playing field, we advocate for policies that drive
the global transition to net zero.
Our cross-cutting advocacy plans aim to:
Raise the ambition of national climate strategies and plans in key
markets to align with a 1.5°C pathway.
Ensure carbon is priced at levels necessary for the delivery of the Paris
Agreement goals.
Scale up renewable energy capacity and secure the rapid phase-out
of fossil fuels, including fossil fuel subsidies.
Support forest protection and nature restoration.
Encourage the evolution of the GHG Protocol’s standards to
incentivise faster emissions reduction actions in value chains.
Our full Climate Transition Action Plan is published on our website. We
have set out the progress we have made in 2024 in implementing our
CTAP in Actions and resources in relation to climate change policies on
page 240.
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Interaction of material impacts and risks with strategy and business model
Our material Environmental impacts, risks and opportunities resulting from the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by which
these were identified are detailed on page 230. No climate-related opportunities were identified during the DMA process.
We further conducted a scenario analysis in 2024, to assess the potential financial effects under different climate scenarios of these risks and
opportunities assuming we take no action (gross risk) and assuming we take action (net risk) to mitigate the risks. This exercise helps us
understand the resilience of our strategy and business model to climate change.
As part of this process, each risk was categorised as a physical or transition risk across three time horizons – near term (2030), medium term (2039)
and long term (2050), in line with our climate target goals. Each risk was considered under two lower temperature scenarios of 1.5ºC and <2ºC and
two higher temperature scenarios of <3ºC and >4ºC.
We believe the four climate scenarios selected as part of this exercise cover a comprehensive range of plausible risks and uncertainties.
The 1.5ºC and <2ºC scenarios contain critical assumptions about the transition to a lower-carbon and resilient economy. The <3ºC and >4ºC high
warming scenarios were selected to test the resilience of the business to the more extreme physical impacts of climate change.
The scenarios described in the table below align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC’s) Sixth Assessment report and use
the upper end of the likely temperature ranges (in terms of probability of occurrence), to better account for acknowledged uncertainty in climate
modelling. This approach allows us to test a range of plausible but challenging physical risks within the time boundaries of our scenario analysis to
2050. The key forces and drivers across the changing physical climate, policy and market landscape that we considered in modelling the effects of
each scenario are set out on page 248.
Scenarios
1.5°C
<2°C
<3°C
>4°C
Transition scenario
Transition scenario
Physical scenario
Physical scenario
IPCC alignment
C1: SSP(a)1-1.9
C3: SSP(a)1-2.6
C6: SSP(a)2-4.5
C8: SSP(a)5-8.5
Scenario description
Global average
temperature rises are
limited to 1.5°C by 2100
(>50%(b)) with no or limited
overshoot.
Global temperatures
continue to increase but
remain below 2°C by 2100
(>67%(b)).
Global temperatures
continue to increase and
are limited to 3°C (>50%(b))
by 2100.
Global temperatures
continue to increase and
exceed 4°C (>50%(b)) by
2100.
This is achieved via
immediate and
coordinated global policy
and action.
This is achieved through
globally coordinated
climate policies, although
significant action only
begins after 2030.
There is no globally
coordinated climate policy;
climate mitigation policies
and actions are limited to
those already in place.
There is no new globally
coordinated climate policy
and irreversible tipping
points are at increasing
risk of being crossed.
Net zero CO2e achieved by
2050.
Net zero CO2e achieved by
approximately 2070.
Net zero not reached by
2100, although CO2e levels
decline from mid-century.
CO2e levels continue to
rise throughout the 21st
century.
(a) Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs).
(b) Probability of occurrence.
We used the selected scenarios to validate the output of our double
materiality assessment (DMA). This involved a review of risks that may
emerge in the period to 2050, based on the drivers of the scenarios
(including Shared Socioeconomic Pathway descriptions), a review of other
literature, and analysis of peers. The risks and opportunities identified in the
DMA were broken down into sub-risks and opportunities and were assessed
based on a high-level analysis of potential financial impact.
For each risk and opportunity identified, we conducted a feasibility
analysis to determine the appropriateness of either quantitative or
qualitative scenario analysis methods. The criteria used for this were:
availability of internal and external data, and maturity of modelling
approaches. This process included the development of driver trees to
understand the relationship between external scenario drivers and
potential financial effects. These driver trees considered variables that
influence gross and net risk.
We gathered key internal and external data, including from interviews
with internal subject matter experts. When data was unavailable, we
tested and agreed on reasonable proxies. Additionally, we identified
relevant drivers of sub-risks and opportunities for each scenario.
Our analysis does not specifically model the effect of reaching climate
tipping points (such as the melting of Greenland ice sheets) but such
events could exacerbate both climate and related financial impacts.
The analysis is conducted on a national or regional data level and
excludes geography-specific breakdowns of temperature increase
and drought forecasts/crop yield declines.
We created a forward-looking view of our revenue, cost of goods sold
(COGS) and operating profit as a baseline against which to compare
gross risks in each scenario. This included assumptions about how our
business could change from 2024 to 2050, such as:
Revenue growth at a consistent rate, based on prior trends over five
years.
Volume growth at a consistent rate, based on the relationship with
revenue over five years.
Emissions growth in line with volumes.
Adjustments for the demerger of the Ice Cream business from 2026.
No further progress against sustainability targets compared to
present day.
This baseline enabled consistent assessment of the potential financial
effects of gross risks. To estimate the potential financial effects of net
risks, we incorporated the achievement of our sustainability goals as
the primary lever. Additional key assumptions included:
Alternative supply strategies for key commodities; and
Considering the impact of possible hedging strategies.
We structured our approach to be able to quantify the potential
financial effects of our risks over time to revenue, COGS, and operating
profit, relative to the baseline described above. The models considered
the impact for gross and net risks, in absolute monetary value and as
a percentage of net revenue (turnover). The results are not a forecast,
rather they are an exploration of a range of possible futures. A
limitation of the approach of quantitative modelling is that not every
action we take to manage the identified risks can be easily captured
within a quantitative model. For example, the balance of our portfolio
of affordable household staples compared to premium alternatives
provides relative resilience to the risk of aggregate demand shocks,
which we were not able to capture, due to modelling complexity.
In scenarios that consider transition risks, where strict regulation is
adopted on land use and product sourcing transparency, our analysis
considers the material impacts that will be faced in 1.5ºC and <2ºC
scenarios. It is assumed that these regulations will not have been
adopted in higher temperature scenarios of <3ºC and >4ºC and hence,
no impacts were assessed. Where quantitative modelling for a risk was
not possible, a qualitative assessment was made using driver trees,
which provided a structured framework for analysing how each sub-risk
may create financial implications for the business.
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The tables below set out the material climate-related risks that have been assessed.
Changing climate and extreme weather events (physical risk)
Rising temperatures and increasing drought frequency reduce crop outputs and increase commodity prices
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
Extreme weather events
such as sustained high
temperatures increase the
probability of crop failures
and reduced crop yields.
Gross risk
By 2050, palm prices increase by
13% (1.5ºC) – 31% (4°C) and other
commodities by an average of
17% (1.5°C) – 40% (4°C).
By 2050, extreme weather causes
a 0.7% (1.5ºC)- 1.1% (4°C) loss in
revenue due to reduced crop
availability.
Assumes 0% pass-through of costs
to customers.
Net risk
A share of crop prices is fixed via
hedging instrument.
1.5°C
Gross
-0.8 (-1.3%)
-1.2 (-1.5%)
-1.9 (-1.7%)
Net
-0.8 (-1.3%)
-1.2 (-1.5%)
-1.8 (-1.7%)
<2°C
Gross
-0.9 (-1.5%)
-1.4 (-1.8%)
-2.3 (-2.1%)
Net
-0.9 (-1.4%)
-1.4 (-1.7%)
-2.2 (-2.0%)
<3°C
Gross
-0.9 (-1.5%)
-1.6 (-2.0%)
-2.9 (-2.6%)
Net
-0.9 (-1.4%)
-1.6 (-1.9%)
-2.7 (-2.5%)
>4°C
Gross
-1.0 (-1.6%)
-2.0 (-2.5%)
-3.8 (-3.4%)
Net
-1.0 (-1.5%)
-1.9 (-2.4%)
-3.6 (-3.3%)
Changing climate and extreme weather event (physical risk)
Aggregate demand shocks
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
Extreme weather events
increase adaptation costs
globally, resulting in increased
macroeconomic pressure,
falling GDP and reduced
consumer disposable income.
This is most felt in markets that
are less prepared for extreme
weather events.
Gross risk
Scenario-related GDP loss due to
climate change modelled using
RCP 2.6 and 6.0 impacts.(a)
Global GDP impact due to climate
change in 2050 by -6.8% (1.5°C) to
-16% (4°C).
Income elasticity coefficients applied
to GDP losses to model how a fall in
global income leads to reduced
consumer spending.
Income elasticity coefficients used for
premium (1.44) and non-premium
(1.00) categories to model rates of
spending decline by product type.
Net risk
No mitigations were modelled
quantitatively.
1.5°C
Gross
-0.7 (-1.2%)
-1.8 (-2.2%)
-3.8 (-3.4%)
<2°C
Gross
-0.8 (-1.3%)
-1.9 (-2.4%)
-4.2 (-3.8%)
<3°C
Gross
-0.9 (-1.4%)
-2.4 (-2.9%)
-7.4 (-6.7%)
>4°C
Gross
-0.9 (-1.5%)
-2.7 (-3.3%)
-8.9 (-8.1%)
(a) Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs).
Changing climate and extreme weather events (physical risk)
Increased manufacturing and supply disruption
Description
Assumptions
Risk type
Description
Increased physical effects
of climate change disrupt
commodity supplies, cause
plant outages or disrupt our
distribution infrastructure,
causing delays and supply
shortages and increasing
uncertainty in financial
planning for key commodities.
Given the volatility-driven,
and therefore unpredictable,
nature of this risk, a
quantitative analysis is not
feasible.
Gross risk
Climate change-driven increase in
extreme weather disrupts supply
chains, increasing delays, shortages
and costs.
Net risk
Alternative sourcing strategies
alleviate commodity shortages;
insurance reduces costs from
damages, delays and shortages;
hedging fixes a share of commodity
and energy prices.
Gross
In 1.5°C and <2°C scenarios, rising temperatures
intensify extreme weather and market volatility,
increasing commodity/energy and procurement
costs. However, in <3°C and >4°C scenarios, greater
temperatures rises drive more extreme weather
(a 4°C rise quadruples extreme weather versus 1.5°C),
thereby increasing costs.
Net
In 1.5°C and <2°C scenarios, mitigation actions reduce
commodity/energy and procurement costs. However,
in <3°C and >4°C scenarios, extreme weather is more
likely, increasing mitigation costs (e.g. insurance and
hedging) and narrowing the gap between gross
and net costs.
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Carbon taxes (transition risk)
Carbon taxes levied on suppliers increasing raw material costs
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
Carbon taxes impact the price
of raw materials.
Gross risk
1.5°C: Carbon price increases from
USD 70/T in 2025, reaching USD 250/T
by 2050, based on the IEA’s(a) Net Zero
2050 Scenario..
<2°C: Carbon price increases from USD
0/T in 2030, reaching USD 200/T by
2050, based on the IEA’s Announced
Pledges Scenario.
Carbon tax mechanisms are
implemented in all regions uniformly.
Both carbon taxes and carbon
removals costs are paid from 2039.
Net risk
We achieve 90% reduction in
emissions versus our 2021 baseline by
2050; carbon removals are purchased
from 2039 to 2050 to neutralise
residual emissions; cost of carbon
removals is USD 83/T by 2050 in all
scenarios.
Excludes impacts on household
purchasing power due to carbon taxes.
1.5°C
Gross
-5.3 (-8.4%)
-9.0 (-11.1%)
-14.2 (-12.9%)
Net
-2.6 (-4.2%)
-3.9 (-4.8%)
-1.0 (-0.9%)
<2°C
Gross
0.0 (0.0%)
-7.1 (-8.8%)
-11.3 (-10.3%)
Net
0.0 (0.0%)
-3.4 (-4.3%)
-0.9 (-0.8%)
(a) International Energy Agency (IEA).
Land use pressure & regulation (transition risk)
Impact of changing land use regulation on crop prices
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
Regulations and changing
land use patterns reduce land
available to meet increasing
demand for food crops and
biomass/feedstock and
reduce crop outputs.
Gross risk
1.5°C:
Cropland growth of 0.2% CAGR and
crop demand growth of 0.7% CAGR,
as per academic sources.
Implied annual crop price growth
of 0.5%.
<2°C:
Zero cropland growth and crop
demand growth of 0.7% CAGR,
as per academic sources.
Implied annual crop price growth
of 0.7%.
Net risk
No mitigations have been modelled,
due to complexity and lack of data.
We maintain our deforestation-free
target for key forest-risk commodities
and implement our sustainable
sourcing programmes.
1.5°C
Gross
-0.7 (-1.0%)
-0.8 (-1.0%)
-1.1 (-1.0%)
<2°C
Gross
-0.7 (-1.2%)
-1.0 (-1.3%)
-1.6 (-1.4%)
Product regulations and claims: composition and sourcing transparency (transition risk)
Increased scrutiny of sustainability claims
Description
Assumptions
Risk type
Description
Introduction of anti-
greenwashing regulation
globally increases the scrutiny
of sustainability claims.
Gross risk
Higher costs associated with
increased compliance.
Potential revenue decline due
to reputational damage should
investigations be opened to review
our claims.
Net risk
We achieve our sustainability targets,
which credibly substantiate our
sustainability claims, and align our
sustainability marketing across
brands for consistency.
Gross
1.5°C: In the short term, countries worldwide follow
Europe’s lead by formalising anti-greenwashing
regulation. Regulators monitor and scrutinise
sustainability claims more rigorously.
<2°C: Regulatory scrutiny becomes more rigorous from
2030, increasing the potential for action against us in
the shape of claims reviews.
Net
External audit, internal controls and verification
processes support our sustainability claims, reducing
the risk of negative impacts on our reputation and P&L.
Increased brand and marketing spend to effectively
communicate our claims across brands.
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Product regulations and claims: composition, sourcing transparency and labelling (transition risk)
Impact of increasing sourcing transparency requirements on commodity prices and operating costs
Description
Assumptions
Risk type
Description
Growing regulatory
requirements increase
scrutiny of, and sustainability
requirements for, commodity
supply chains increasing
commodity and compliance
costs.
Gross risk
Regulations (e.g. CSDDD, EUDR)
become more stringent and
prevalent, increasing due diligence
requirements for raw material
sourcing, labour standards and
manufacturing processes, and fines
for non-compliance. Initially affecting
Europe, expanding to all regions
from 2030.
Net risk
We maintain our deforestation-free
target for forest-risk commodities
and comply with EUDR to avoid fines;
we invest in sustainable supply
chain technology and compliance
capabilities; we re-design products
to alleviate dependency on less
sustainable inputs.
Gross
1.5°C: Commodity costs rise due to sourcing from
compliant suppliers and higher labour costs, while
due diligence compliance costs and potential fines
increase operating expenses.
<2°C: Costs are deferred, as policy action is delayed to
2030 and applies primarily within the EU.
Net
Implementation of our sustainable sourcing
programmes limits cost exposure, and implementation
technology and training to ensure compliance with
regulations (e.g. EUDR) reduces the risk of fines.
Energy transition (transition risk)
Rising cost of petrochemicals
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
Petrochemical prices rise
driven by policy interventions
targeting the energy transition
away from fossil fuels and
rising oil prices.
Gross risk
By 2050, petrochemical prices
increase by 0.9% (1.5°C) to 1.9% (>4°C)
CAGR to 2050 driven by policy
interventions.
Market prices for key petrochemicals
ingredients used to set baseline.
Forecast market price growth rate
scaled using NGFS.(a)
0% pass-through of increased costs
to customers.
Net risk
Sustainable alternatives assumed
to substitute a share of volumes.
Hedging used to fix a share of
petrochemical prices.
1.5°C
Gross
-0.3 (-0.5%)
-0.5 (-0.6%)
-0.8 (-0.7%)
Net
-0.3 (-0.5%)
-0.5 (-0.6%)
-0.8 (-0.7%)
<2°C
Gross
-0.4 (-0.6%)
-0.7 (-0.9%)
-1.4 (-1.3%)
Net
-0.4 (-0.6%)
-0.7 (-0.9%)
-1.3 (-1.2%)
<3°C
Gross
-0.5 (-0.8%)
-1.0 (-1.2%)
-2.1 (-1.9%)
Net
-0.4 (-0.7%)
-0.9 (-1.1%)
-1.9 (-1.8%)
>4°C
Gross
-0.5 (-0.8%)
-1.0 (-1.2%)
-2.1 (-1.9%)
Net
-0.4 (-0.7%)
-0.9 (-1.1%)
-1.9 (-1.8%)
(a) Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
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In preparing our 2024 Unilever consolidated financial statements, we
have considered the impact of both physical and transition climate
change risks, as well as our mitigation plans and our CTAP, on the
current valuation of our assets and liabilities. We do not believe
there is a material impact on the financial reporting judgements and
estimates arising from these considerations. As a result, the valuations
of our assets and liabilities have not been significantly impacted as at
31 December 2024.
Refer to note 1 of the consolidated financial statements for further
information on page 142.
Resilience of our strategy and business model to
climate change
The outcomes of our scenario analysis provide us with insights into
potential business and financial risks and are an important input into
our strategic planning processes over the medium- to long-term
horizons.
The analysis indicates that physical climate risks may impact us in all
scenarios, especially at <3°C and >4°, becoming more pronounced over
time. Under these scenarios, physical climate risks impact our supply
chain, causing damage and disruption, reducing crop yields and
driving up commodity prices. Rising temperatures and extreme weather
increase adaptation and mitigation costs, depress GDP growth, and
may reduce demand for our products, especially for premium products
and in more climate-affected regions. To mitigate these risks, we are:
Building resilience in our supply chain: We are implementing
deforestation-free and sustainable sourcing programmes to help
suppliers adopt resilient practices and develop alternative sourcing
strategies. Our supply chain resilience and procurement teams work
together to address resilience issues through detailed action plans,
using a proactive and digital-driven approach. In 2023, we started a
transformation programme in Foods to address climate change supply
chain disruptions, and we expanded this to other Business Groups in
2024. In addition, we have invested in Unilever Oleochemicals Indonesia
(UOI) to produce palm derivatives for various regions and secure our
long-term supply of product (including future sustainable product).
Continually evolving our portfolio towards more sustainable products:
While the ability to predict and respond to demand shocks may be
limited, we will be positioned to leverage the diversity of our portfolio
and the strength of our affordable core brands to mitigate some of the
impact. For example, we are developing products that can be used with
less water.
Hedging against commodity price rises: We forward-buy traded
commodities and use other similar mechanisms to hedge against price
rises in the short term. The Global Commodities team monitors market
insights and risks for all key commodities on an ongoing basis to
develop hedging proposals. In addition, we monitor changing weather
patterns and integrate weather system modelling into our forecasting
process.
Transition risks are more significant and may impact us sooner in 1.5°C
and <2°C scenarios. Earlier implementation of global carbon taxes,
evolving sustainable supply chain regulations (e.g. EUDR or CSDDD)
and changes to land use regulations (e.g. to increase protected areas)
could increase costs. Stricter sustainability claims regulations could
make it harder and more expensive to commercialise the benefits of
our sustainability investments. To mitigate these risks, we are:
Reducing our GHG emissions: We are taking action to reduce our
most material GHG emissions, as set out in our CTAP, and mitigate
the potential financial impact of carbon taxes. The scenario analysis
identifies the transition risk associated with carbon taxes as the risk
with the largest potential financial effect to our business. Our actions
include product redesign strategies to replace petrochemical based
ingredients with more sustainable alternative ingredients.
Sourcing our commodities responsibly: We remain focused on
maintaining our deforestation-free target for key forest-risk
commodities and continuing to implement our sustainable sourcing
programme to increase the transparency of our sourcing decisions.
Investing and upskilling: We are investing in technology and workforce
upskilling, to ensure compliance with current and future legislation.
Significant uncertainties remain about the extent and exact nature,
timing, and geographic location of both physical and transition climate
risks to our business.
While the potential financial effects of carbon taxes, in the scenarios of
limiting warming to 1.5C or <2C, may be significant to our business, high
warming (<3°C and >4°C) scenarios would pose profound challenges
to global economic stability and thus even greater uncertainty for our
business. As a result, we continue to advocate externally to ensure
carbon is priced at levels necessary to achieve the Paris Agreement
goals. This will be key to meeting our 2030 targets and net zero
ambition. Our wider climate advocacy agenda is not just critical to
supporting the achievement of our climate targets but is also key to
driving systemic global initiatives to limit the possible impacts of the
climate scenarios.
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IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Policies
Unilever’s climate policies, which include policies related to our own
operations and our value chain, are disclosed in our Environmental
policies section on page 232. The table below demonstrates our policy
positions on addressing our material climate-related impacts and risks.
GHG
emissions(a)
Land use
regulation
Product
regulations
and claims
Energy
transition
Unilever Environmental
Policy
Responsible Partner Policy
People & Nature Policy
Sustainable Agriculture
Code and Sustainable
Agriculture Principles
Hedging Policy(b)
(a) Includes GHG emissions in our own operations and value chain, and impacts
relating to changing climate and extreme weather events and carbon taxes.
(b) Unilever's hedging policy is provided in note 16 of the Financial Statements on
page 174. This forms part of the Treasury standards ultimately owned by the CFO.
Actions
The key actions we have taken in 2024 against each decarbonisation
lever identified in our CTAP are set out below.
Our operations (Scope 1 and 2)
Reductions in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions are expected to account
for approximately 1% of our targeted GHG emissions reductions to
2030. An increasing number of sites are electrifying thermal energy
production by using heat pumps and electric boilers, and in 2024 we
installed our first industrial-scale electric boiler at our Nepal factory.
Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions include the impact of the GHG
emissions from our significantly expanded operations at our Unilever
Oleochemicals Indonesia (UOI) refinery. To help manage this impact,
UOI has invested in sourcing biomethane, which is being produced from
a waste product of the palm oil production process, from two palm mills
to supply its energy needs. A roadmap is in place to do this for six other
mills over the next three years and we plan to significantly increase our
use of this renewable fuel by 2030.
Our focus in the coming years remains on implementing large-scale
electrical and thermal energy efficiency initiatives, electrifying thermal
processes, and sourcing sustainable biofuels. Each of our Business
Groups has developed detailed roadmaps, considering the most
appropriate low-carbon technologies and energy sources for our
diverse range of manufacturing technologies and site locations.
Our value chain (Scope 3)
The table set out on page 242 demonstrates the contribution of our
identified Scope 3 decarbonisation levers towards our targeted GHG
emissions reductions to 2030.
Supplier Climate Programme
Our Supplier Climate Programme, launched in 2021, is focused on
accelerating the transition of key suppliers to a position of climate
leadership. We define this as suppliers setting their own science-based
GHG reduction targets, publicly reporting progress against their targets,
and having the capacity and capability to provide us with a Product
Carbon Footprint (PCF) for the materials we buy.
In 2024, we engaged with 291 suppliers to accelerate their climate
action and capabilities. These suppliers represent approximately 42%
of Unilever’s Scope 3 emissions from raw materials, packaging and
collaborative manufacturing. Out of the 291 suppliers we approached,
181 are actively participating in the programme to date. In total, we
have received almost 700 PCF data sets from suppliers, which form the
basis for identifying, planning and delivering emissions reductions.
Where these PCFs have been validated by our internal teams to be
calculated in line with the PACT (Partnership for Carbon Transparency)
methodology, they have been used in 2024 as part of our Scope 3
GHG emissions calculation. In 2024, we also focused on upskilling
on climate action within our Procurement function.
Separately, our Business Groups have led the identification of strategic
suppliers with whom we can create innovative and high-impact
partnerships to reduce emissions. For example, Personal Care has
established workstreams with two aerosol can suppliers to further
explore GHG reduction opportunities through recycled and low-carbon
aluminium.
In 2025, the focus for the Supplier Climate Programme will be to
scale the initiative further, drive emission reduction plans for priority
portfolios through decarbonisation roadmaps with suppliers, and to
embed climate into key commercial processes and documents,
including supplier contracts.
Reformulating products
This is one of our biggest opportunities to reduce emissions without
compromising on product performance or consumer experience. In
2024, our Business Groups deployed several reformulated products
with demonstrated GHG reductions in market. These products included
Sunlight’s 100% plant-based RhamnoClean technology and Persil’s
Wonder Wash detergent in our Home Care Business Group. Our
Personal Care Business Group successfully launched soap bars with
reduced fatty matter content delivering a superior consumer experience
across two key brands in India, with plans to roll out to other markets
from 2025 onwards.
Our Business Groups have now established detailed reformulation
roadmaps across their portfolios to 2030, which will form the basis
of innovation plans beyond 2024 to deliver superior products while
reducing GHG emissions.
Forest-risk commodities
The GHG emissions from the production of our key forest-risk
commodities (i.e. palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa) arise
from land use change (e.g. deforestation), agricultural practices and
downstream processing. In 2024, we set a goal to maintain a 95%
deforestation-free supply chain of these commodities in 2024.
Palm oil is the most material forest-risk commodity in our supply chain.
To address this, we enrolled over 20 independent palm oil mills and
tier two suppliers into our sustainability programme in 2024. We are
making progress on our Good Palm strategy, which enrols new
suppliers into our programme, including those we partner with to
remediate past deforestation. We have mapped the locations of over
32,000 smallholder farms and are active in three palm oil smallholder
development hubs with SNV, Widya Erti Indonesia (WEI) and the World
Resources Institute (WRI). To drive improvements in the processing of
forest-risk commodities and lower GHG emissions in the future, 336
palm oil mills in our supply chain now have methane capture in place.
Regenerative agriculture
In 2024, we raised our ambitions, committing to scale up regenerative
agriculture practices across 1 million hectares by 2030 and
implemented 17 new regenerative agriculture projects, bringing our
total to 23 active projects covering a cumulative total of over 129,000
hectares since 2021. For further information on our regenerative
agriculture programmes, refer to page 255 within our Biodiversity
and Ecosystems disclosure.
Chemical ingredients
Two key chemical ingredients contribute a significant proportion of our
Scope 3 GHG emissions: linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) and soda
ash. To meet our Scope 3 reduction targets, we must reduce the GHG
intensity of both LAS and soda ash production.
In 2024, we worked closely with our suppliers of these ingredients to
reduce the GHG footprint of their LAS production and contracted for
additional volumes of low-GHG soda ash. The latter includes lower-GHG
synthetic soda ash manufactured with carbon capture of CO2 emissions
from processing, as well as natural soda ash. We will continue to scale
these programmes in the period 2025-2027.
Packaging
Emissions from packaging predominantly arise from packaging
production and at end of life through incineration or landfill. In 2024, we
reduced our use of virgin plastics for the packaging of our products by
23% versus a 2019 baseline. We reported 57% of our plastic packaging
to be reusable, recyclable or compostable, and that we collected and
processed plastic waste equivalent to 93% of our plastic packaging
sold. The focus of our future packaging plans will be to further increase
recyclability, increase PCR inclusion and accelerate absolute virgin
plastic reduction in all formats including flexibles.
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Logistics
We use logistics and distribution networks across the world to transport
our raw materials and products, resulting in GHG emissions from fossil
fuel use. In 2024, we achieved a 2% reduction in CO2e per sold tonne
compared to 2023. This improvement was primarily driven by reduced
kilometres travelled due to operational efficiencies in North America.
We also made good progress in our Ice Cream business in Turkey where
we are using solar power for our fleet, which now includes 47 electric
vehicles.
Ice cream cabinets
Ice Cream has a global cabinet fleet of close to 3 million point-of-sale
ice cream freezers, all of which use electricity with associated GHG
emissions. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that were purchased in
2023 to offset a proportion of electricity used by these cabinets in Turkey
and Indonesia were not renewed for 2024. The impact of this decision is
reflected in our total 2024 Scope 3 GHG emissions.
In March 2024, Unilever announced the planned separation of the Ice
Cream Business Group in 2025. As a result, a revised climate strategy for
the standalone business will be developed in 2025.
Aerosol propellants
Outside of the US and Canada, Unilever uses natural hydrocarbon
gases for these spray formats which are not classified as GHGs.
However, in part due to historic restrictions in the US and Canada
regarding volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations, our spray
formulas in these markets use hydrofluorocarbon propellant which
is classified as a GHG.
In 2024, we made further progress towards our key milestones
on innovating for alternative propellant systems to replace
hydrofluorocarbon propellants, with ongoing efforts focused on
technology readiness and proposition testing ahead of product
launches in future years.
Climate & Nature Fund
Our Climate & Nature Fund (CNF) supports the delivery of our
sustainability goals and in 2024, our total CNF commitments since the
Fund’s launch in 2020 increased from €0.3 billion in 2023 to €0.7 billion.
We added €0.4 billion in 2024 related to our upstream value chain
investments, which contribute to Unilever's future fit operations and
sustainability goals, including our NDPE palm value chain investments
in UOI. In addition, we invested €23 million in a partnership with
Nufarm, through which we are aiming to develop a variety of sugar
cane to extract lower GHG intensity plant-based oils for use in cleaning
ingredients. Cumulative spend by the Fund since 2020 is €0.4 billion.
Our wider influence on society
Policy advocacy
In 2024, we made progress on many of our climate policy advocacy
priorities. Key actions included:
Nationally Determined Contributions: We published a report on the
importance of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in raising
national climate ambition to align with a 1.5°C pathway, including via
the implementation of robust carbon pricing mechanisms. It was
promoted via social media and was the subject of a Climate Week
event in New York, co-hosted with the Brazilian government.
Renewable energy capacity and fossil fuel phase-out: As members
of RE100, WBCSD and at global events such as Climate Week New
York, Unilever has actively supported the global campaign to triple
renewable energy capacity. In 2024, we joined the Asia Clean Energy
Coalition (ACEC) and have been active in the Indonesia Working
Group, co-developing research and a government engagement plan.
GHG Protocol standards to incentivise emissions reduction actions in
value chains: Through our participation in relevant WBCSD working
groups and the Value Change Initiative, we are working
collaboratively to tackle the challenge of quantifying the GHG
emissions impact of interventions in our land-based value chain,
and how to count that impact towards our sustainability goals.
Chemical ingredients: We are engaged in two issues teams within
Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, focused on market
pull measures to support sustainable feedstocks, and a WBCSD
working group established to drive alternative chemical feedstocks.
Unilever now also chairs a cross-industry working group on the topic
in India.
Trade associations and industry partnerships
In March 2024, we published our first Climate Policy Engagement
Review, which included an independent review of the positions and
engagement activities of our main industry associations, to determine
whether they are consistent with Unilever’s priority policy areas. We
received a 100% (14/14) score for our disclosures on climate policy
engagement from InfluenceMap, a global think tank providing open-
source data on corporate influence on climate change to investors
and other stakeholders.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
Our near-term 2030 targets to reduce our GHG emissions have been set in accordance with a cross-sector emissions pathway and the draft GHG
Protocol Land Sector and Removals guidance and align with the near-term time horizon of 2030 considered in our resilience analysis. Our targets
that relate to the risks associated with land use pressure and regulation and product regulations and claims are addressed within Biodiversity and
Ecosystems on page 256.
We set our climate targets for the entities and activities that fall within the boundaries of our GHG inventory, as disclosed in our total GHG
emissions on page 244. As part of our critical assumptions for setting our GHG emission reduction targets, our 2030 modelled outcomes include our
2030 growth trajectories and reflect the expected technology advances, product formulation changes and portfolio shifts in the period. Our GHG
emissions for 2015 (Scope 1 and 2) and 2021 (Scope 3) were considered as representative of Unilever’s typical GHG emissions profile and form the
baselines for our targets.
The table below sets out our baseline emissions, the scope of our baseline emissions covered for each target and the absolute 2030 GHG emissions
target value.
Climate targets (million tonnes CO2e)
Baseline year
Total baseline
emissions
Emissions in
scope of 2030
target %
Baseline
emissions in
scope of target
Total emissions
target
reduction
factor
2030 target
absolute
reduction
Scope 1 and 2
2015
2.1
95.6%(a)
2.0
100.0%
2.0
Total Scope 3
2021
55.3
71.8%
39.8
39.5%
15.7
Total Scope 3 FLAG
2021
10.2
81.9%(b)
8.4
30.3%
2.5
Total Scope 3 E&I
2021
45.1
69.6%(b)
31.4
42.0%
13.2
(a) Exceeds minimum coverage required by SBTi of 95%.
(b) Exceeds minimum coverage required by SBTi of 67.5%.
To meet our targets, our actions must deliver the planned reduction in our baseline emissions as well as 100% reduction in additional emissions
from product volume growth between the baseline year and 2030. We have plans in place to cover 100% of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions in scope
of our Scope 1 and 2 target through three priority decarbonisation levers of thermal and electrical energy, renewable power and refrigeration.
The actions we have identified to reduce our Scope 3 emissions only partially address the total emissions in scope of our Scope 3 target. We have
identified a scaling and innovation gap to reach our target which underscores the need to continually search for new solutions and ways to scale
existing ones faster than is currently possible. Of the identified plans, we expect the most material reductions to come from Scope 3 FLAG and E&I
emissions related to raw materials and ingredients.
The table below demonstrates the contribution of our identified decarbonisation levers towards reducing both our Scope 3 baseline emissions and
our forecasted Scope 3 GHG emissions from volume growth in the period to 2030.
Scope 3 Decarbonisation lever
% contribution of targeted reductions
(baseline plus growth)
Supplier Climate Programme
14%
Reformulating products
13%
Forest-risk commodities
10%
Regenerative agriculture
4%
Chemical ingredients
6%
Packaging
3%
Logistics
2%
Ice cream cabinets
19%
Aerosol propellants
7%
Sub total
78%
Scaling and innovation gap(a)
22%
Total(b)
100%
(a) The scaling and innovation gap represents the amount of GHG emissions for which we need to develop new or scale existing solutions.
(b) Represents 15.7m CO2eT of total reductions by 2030 vs. 2021 baseline plus additional reductions to cater for emissions from growth in the period 2021–2030.
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Scope 1 and 2 target performance
The percentage change in Scope 1 and 2 market-based GHG emissions is the difference between the current reporting period and the 2015
baseline period (1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015). Gross Scope 1, 2, 3 and total GHG emissions calculation methodology is disclosed on
page 244.
Exclusions: All emissions from biogenic fuels and owned or leased vehicles controlled by Unilever are excluded from the target scope in line with
the SBTi minimum scope requirement.
Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions – Unilever operations (million tonnes CO2e)
2030 target
% reduction
2015
baseline
2024
% change
vs. 2015
baseline
2023
% change
vs. 2015
baseline(a)(b)
2022
% change
vs. 2015
baseline(a)(c)
Reduce absolute operational GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 100% by 2030
from a 2015 baseline 
-100%
2.01
-72%
-70%
-63%
(a) 2023 and 2022 measured for 12-month period ended 30 September.
(b) Restated from 74% in 2023 due to change in measurement methodology (see below).
(c) Restated from 68% in 2022 due to change in measurement methodology (see below).
In 2023, we improved our GHG measurement methodology, with a more complete and accurate measurement of emissions categories previously
deemed immaterial. In 2024, to comply with SBTi guidelines, some of these emission categories (e.g. small offices and small warehouses), have
been included in our SBTi target emissions coverage, including our 2015 baseline, resulting in a restatement of performance for prior years.
The 2% improvement in our target performance is driven by good progress on our Scope 1 emissions in 2024 related to continued energy efficiency
measures, electrifying thermal energy production at several sites and our first industrial-scale electric boiler at our Nepal factory.
Our Sustainability Progress Index (SPI) climate goal (Scope 1 and 2) performance, for internal remuneration purposes, was 76.5% as detailed on page 105.
Scope 3 target performance
Scope 3 Energy and Industrial GHG target – 42% absolute reduction in SBTi Scope 3 E&I GHG emissions by 2030
The percentage change in Scope 3 Energy and Industrial (E&I) GHG emissions is the difference between the current reporting period and the 2021
baseline period (1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021).
Emissions are categorised according to the GHG Protocol Corporate standard and include those from ingredients and packaging purchased by
Unilever, ingredients and packaging from collaborative manufacturing in India, fuel and energy activities, upstream transport and distribution,
hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) propellants in sold products, end-of-life treatment of sold products manufactured by Unilever and by collaborative
manufacturers in India, and downstream leased assets.
Exclusions: E&I emissions associated with collaborative manufacturers outside India, purchased goods and services outside of ingredients and
packaging, capital goods, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, downstream transport and distribution,
processing of sold products, use of sold products (water purifiers only), franchises and investments.
Scope 3 Forest, Land and Agriculture GHG target – 30.3% absolute reduction in SBTi Scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions by 2030
The percentage change in Scope 3 Forest Land and Agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions is the difference between the current reporting period and
the 2021 baseline period (1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021).
FLAG emissions relate to GHG Protocol Category 1 – ingredients purchased by Unilever and collaborative manufacturers in India.
Exclusions: FLAG emissions associated with collaborative manufacturers outside of India.
Gross Scope 1, 2 and 3 and total GHG emissions calculation methodology is disclosed on page 244.
Scope 3 GHG emissions – Unilever value chain (million tonnes CO2e)
2030 targets
2024
emissions
2021
baseline
2024
% change
vs. 2021
baseline
Reduce absolute Scope 3 energy and industrial (E&I) GHG emissions from purchased goods
and services (associated with ingredients, packaging), upstream transport and distribution,
energy and fuel-related activities, direct emissions from use of sold products (associated with
HFC propellants), end-of-life treatment of sold products, and downstream leased assets
(associated with ice cream retail cabinets) by 42% by 2030, from a 2021 baseline.
-42.0%
29.0
31.4
-8%
Reduce absolute Scope 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions from purchased
goods and services (associated with ingredients) by 30.3% by 2030, from a 2021 baseline.
-30.3%
7.2
8.4
-14%
In 2024, there were significant increases in emission factors across global databases for fossil-fuel-related materials and processes (e.g. plastics,
chemicals, energy), which are reflected in our 2024 GHG emissions reporting and our Scope 3 E&I and FLAG target performance. Changes to
emission factors of this nature are not within our control and over time will be adjusted in our target baselines so that we can report the impact
of the actions we are taking. We included 512 supplier specific product carbon footprint (PCF) data points within our Scope 3 GHG measurement for
the first time in 2024, which is a significant milestone towards improving the accuracy of our GHG data.
Scope 3 E&I: The reduction in E&I emissions since 2021, primarily relates to overall product volume decline including divestments in the period and
logistics operational efficiencies. As set out in our CTAP, we expect progress against our E&I target to be more challenging given the significant
contribution of chemicals from our Home Care business group. We are making progress to work with our suppliers to develop and increase the
supply of lower GHG alternatives for these chemicals, the impact of which will be reflected in future years as we scale these programmes.
Scope 3 FLAG: The good progress we have made in reducing our FLAG emissions since 2021 is primarily driven by significant efforts to source
deforestation-free palm and improved data from our suppliers through the Supplier Climate Programme. The impact of these programmes to date
is a reduction of approximately 1.2 million tonnes CO2e and has been reflected in our GHG emissions measurement in 2024. The most material
change in PCF data reflects our sourcing of soy from regions with a lower GHG impact.
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Gross Scope 1, 2 and 3, and total GHG emissions
Total GHG emissions are calculated using the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and relate to the activities reported in our consolidated
accounting group (parent and subsidiaries). We do not have material emissions related to associates, joint ventures or unconsolidated
subsidiaries and contractual arrangements where we have operational control. Total GHG emissions are the sum of Scope 1 and 2 activities
within our operations and Scope 3 activities, covering upstream and downstream value chain.
Total GHG emissions include all seven greenhouse gases as required by the GHG Protocol standard, combined into a single CO2-equivalent
(CO2e) unit using Global Warming Potential (GWP) values from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report for Scope 1 and 3, and market-based factors from
the IEA (2021) for Scope 2. Data collection is from both internal and external sources, based on industry-accepted standards where available.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Scope 1 and 2 emissions are calculated as the sum of GHG emissions from energy used, energy sold and refrigerant use, reported in tonnes for all
manufacturing sites and the majority of logistics and office sites.
Energy used and energy sold: Data is collected from meter readings and invoices for each site in GJ and includes combustion of fossil fuels (Scope
1), as well as purchased, generated and sold electricity, heat and steam (Scope 2). Carbon emission factors are used to convert energy (GJ) into
greenhouse gases (GHG). Scope 1 factors are provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Scope 2 factors are based
on Renewable Energy Attribute Certificates or supplier data, following the GHG Protocol's Scope 2 Market-Based method. When Energy Attribute
Certificates (EACs) are applied, electricity consumption is reported as renewable with an emission factor of zero.
Refrigerant use: HFC consumption data is taken from site maintenance records for each site, including Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors
for each refrigerant type, which are converted from refrigerant losses (kg) to GHG emissions. GWP factors for HFC refrigerants are provided by
the IPCC.
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions from high voltage equipment: Amount of SF6 leaked from electrical insulators is calculated using an
estimate of amount of SF6 across our sites and an average SF6 equipment leakage rate based on IPCC Guidelines multiplied by the GWP factors.
For logistics and office sites not reporting in Unilever systems, Scope 1 and 2 emissions are estimated based on measured sites and site
headcount or pallet position.
Exclusions: CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass; the capturing of CO2 by the vegetation during growth is considered to offset
emissions from combustion.
Scope 3 emissions
The two most material categories of emissions are Category 1 – Purchased goods and services, and Category 11 – Consumer Use of Sold
Products, which were estimated as follows.
Category 1 – Purchased goods and services
Ingredient and packaging emissions are calculated by multiplying the volumes of ingredients and packaging purchased by Unilever and
collaborative manufacturers production volumes by emission factors.
Ingredients and packaging purchased by Unilever include emissions generated from production and transportation from ’cradle to
gate’ (farming/mining of raw materials to delivery at Unilever). We categorise transportation emissions from suppliers to Unilever under Category
1, instead of Category 4 as recommended by the GHG Protocol, as we cannot separate these from other transportation emissions. Emissions not
directly related to raw material production, such as head office and marketing, are excluded.
Emissions from packaging materials are assumed to be E&I. Ingredient emissions are further categorised into:
FLAG: Emissions from agricultural raw materials related to land use change and land management up to ’farm gate’.
E&I: Emissions from converting or processing agricultural raw materials into purchased materials, from farm to Unilever site.
Emission factors for ingredients and packaging purchased by Unilever are obtained from two external sources:
1. Supplier product carbon footprint data: received annually directly from suppliers participating in the Supplier Climate Programme and
internally validated.
2. ’Cradle to gate’ emissions factors in kgCO2e per kg of material: calculated using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) software, Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
databases such as Ecoinvent and the World Food Life Cycle database, supplemented with other models and supplier-specific data where
available. Where no emission factors are available for specific ingredients or packaging materials, an average of known emission factors
is used. Where emission factors do not include transport from the supplier to Unilever, these are separately estimated and added to total
emissions.
Emission factors for ingredients and packaging purchased from collaborative manufacturers are calculated from the average emissions of the
relevant product category and derived from Unilever’s annual product footprint assessment covering 13 countries.
FLAG and E&I emission factors for relevant materials are obtained from the eQosphere database where available (provided by Quantis). Where
not available, SEAC calculates and categorises relevant emission factors as FLAG and E&I based on external LCI data and assuming that
emissions up to the ’farm gate’ are FLAG (i.e., all land use change, land management, and all other production activities associated with
agriculture and raw material extraction), with all remaining emissions assumed to be E&I.
Annual water consumption (m3): Data is extracted from internal systems or estimated based floor area (m2) for logistics sites or head count for
office sites and is multiplied by emission factors in kgCO2e per m3 of water consumed obtained from the UK government’s Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Indirect procurement: Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from purchased goods and services not for resale, such as media placement and IT services. We
exclude emissions relating to trade spend, rent, employee salaries, memberships, tax, interest and depreciation. Annual spend by category is
mapped to spend categories in the Extended Environmental Input Output (EEIO) model and multiplied by the relevant emission factor in kgCO2e
per £1,000 spend by category in the EEIO model to calculate total emissions. The EEIO tool estimates carbon emissions based on spend using
country- and sector-specific carbon conversion factors that combine economic trade data and national industry-level carbon emission data.
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Category 11 – Use of sold products
HFC propellant volumes for aerosol products produced by Unilever and collaborative manufacturers are multiplied by emission factors in kgCO2e
per kg of HFC propellant obtained from the IPCC AR6 report. The quantity of water purifiers sold in India for the period to 30 October (date of sale
of Pureit) is multiplied by lifetime electricity consumption in kWh per unit, obtained from an LCA study, and by the grid emission factor in kgCO 2 e
per kW of electricity for India, obtained from IEA.
Indirect consumer use emissions are calculated for a representative sample of products, based on grouping of similar products within 13 key
countries. Consumer use (i.e. the consumed amount per individual portion, single use or serving of a Unilever product by one person) is
determined based on: consumer habits studies, on-pack recommendations or internal expert opinion. Consumer use is applied to the primary
product e.g. dishwashing tablets, hence ancillary products are considered to have no impact. This data is consolidated and extrapolated across
the sales of unclustered products at a category and country level to calculate total emissions of the 13 countries. The total Unilever emissions for
indirect consumer use are calculated per Business Group by extrapolating total emissions of the 13 countries based on total sales per Business
Group.
Other key assumptions
For subsidiaries that do not report in Unilever systems, we calculate total emissions (tCO2e) for purchased goods and services per Business Group
divided by total Unilever turnover per Business Group (excluding these entities), multiplied by turnover for these entities.
Exclusions: Scope 3 activities are estimated for 13 emission categories. Emission category 10 (Processing of sold products) and Emission category
15 (Investments) are not reported as they are not material.
Emissions (million tonnes CO2e)
2024(a)
2023(a)
2022(a)
% change vs.
2023
Total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (market-based)
0.69
0.75
0.87
-8%
Gross Scope 1 GHG (b)(c)
0.48
0.57
0.64
-14%
Gross market-based Scope 2 GHG emissions (b)
0.21
0.18
0.23
16%
Gross location-based Scope 2 GHG emissions (b)
1.26
1.16
1.26
9%
Scope 3 GHG emissions in scope of our net zero ambition(c)(d)
53.80
52.13
52.82
3%
Purchased goods and services
41.79
41.47
41.15
1%
Raw materials and ingredients
26.88
27.53
28.03
-2%
Packaging materials
6.37
5.60
5.84
14%
Indirect procurement
8.54
8.34
7.28
2%
Upstream transportation and distribution (logistics)
1.61
1.57
1.81
3%
Downstream leased assets (ice cream cabinets)
2.79
2.30
2.93
21%
Use of sold products (HFC propellants)
1.60
1.48
1.46
8%
End of life treatment of sold products
3.70
3.25
3.32
14%
Others(e)
2.31
2.06
2.15
12%
Total Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions in scope of net zero ambition (market-based)
54.49
52.88
53.69
3%
Scope 3 GHG emissions – indirect consumer use(f)
51.35
47.07
57.54
9%
Total Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions (market-based)
105.84
99.95
111.23
6%
Total Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions (location-based)
106.89
100.93
112.26
6%
(a) 2023 and 2022 measured for 12-month period ended 30 September, and include minor corrections to site data.
(b) Scope 1 emissions regulated by trading schemes amounted to 4.2% in 2024, 3.8% in 2023 and 4.18% in 2022.
(c) Biogenic emissions of CO2 from the combustion or bio-degradation of biomass in our own operations are not reported as part of Scope 1 and 2 or Scope 3 emissions
in line with GHG protocol. In 2024, Scope 1 and 2 emissions amounted to 468,432 tonnes CO2 (Scope 1 and 2).
(d) 2.8% of our Scope 3 emissions have been calculated from primary data obtained from suppliers or other value chain partners.
(e) Others include capital goods, fuel and energy-related activities, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, downstream transport and
distribution and franchises.
(f) Relates to emissions that typically arise from the heating of water needed to use our shampoos and shower gels. Excluded from the scope of our Net Zero ambition in
line with GHG Protocol and SBTi guidelines.
The 6% increase in our total Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions in 2024 from prior year is partially driven by product volume growth in the period but
primarily by the impact of changing emission factors across global databases for fossil-fuel-related materials and processes in 2024. This impacted
our purchased goods and services, ice cream cabinets, end-of-life treatment of sold products, and indirect consumer use emission categories the
most. The increase in emissions from ice cream cabinets further reflects our decision to discontinue the purchase of RECs in 2024. Use of sold
product emissions from HFC propellants increased in 2024 reflecting product volume growth of aerosols in North America. The increase in our total
Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions from 2023 is net of reduced emissions in the period from our FLAG raw materials and ingredients and the roll-out of
reformulated products with a lower GHG intensity.
GHG intensity per net revenue
Total GHG emissions calculated on a location-based and market-based methodology are divided by total turnover for Unilever as disclosed in the
financial statements on page 138. Total turnover equates to net revenue.
GHG intensity per net revenue (tonnes CO2 e/€ million)
2024
Total GHG emissions (market-based) per net revenue
1,742
Total GHG emissions (location-based) per net revenue
1,759
The variability in geographical regions, business sectors and brands in our business limits the relevance of using a single global measure such as
GHG intensity per net revenue (turnover) as required by the ESRS.
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Energy consumption and mix
Energy sourced from within the organisational boundary is not counted under ’purchased or acquired’ energy. We consider 100% of our energy to
be related to high climate impact sectors (manufacturing, transportation and storage), as listed in Sections A to H and Section L of Annex I to
Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1288.
For sites reporting energy consumption in Unilever systems, consumption is calculated by consolidating data from fossil, nuclear and renewable
sources based on meter readings and invoices, converted to common units of energy.
Unilever purchased Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) are matched against electricity consumption and reported as renewable, following RE100
Reporting Guidance 2021. EACs are market-based instruments that authenticate the proportion of energy generated from renewable sources
procured by consumers, including Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), International Renewable Energy Certificates (IRECs), and European
Guarantees of Origin (GOs). EACs are purchased in Q1 2025 once 2024 electricity consumption is complete.
For logistic and office sites not reporting energy consumption in Unilever systems, consumption is assumed to be non-renewable and is
estimated for each utility type and regional cluster based on energy consumption per pallet position (storage capacity) and per headcount using
consumption data from similar sites that do report in Unilever systems. For sites where pallet positions (storage capacity) and headcount data is
not available, the average energy consumption reported in Unilever systems for logistics and office sites is used as a proxy for each site.
A small number of manufacturing sites generate electricity, heat and steam, which is classified as renewable energy if it is from a renewable
source. This is classified as consumption of self-generated non-fuel renewable energy. Renewable energy generated which is sold to and used by
a third party is not subtracted from energy generated or offset against energy consumption.
Exclusions: Our own operations does not include sites that are under commissioning and sites where decommissioning has started. Excludes
energy consumption from collaborative manufacturers.
Energy consumption and mix (thousands MWh)
2024
Fuel consumption from coal and coal products
0
Fuel consumption from crude oil and petroleum products
461
Fuel consumption from natural gas
1,445
Fuel consumption from other fossil sources
0
Consumption of purchased or acquired electricity, heat, steam and cooling from fossil sources
775
Total fossil energy consumption
2,681
Share of fossil sources in total energy consumption (%)
41%
Consumption from nuclear sources
0
Share of consumption from nuclear sources in total energy consumption (%)
0%
Fuel consumption from renewable sources including biomass (also comprising industrial and municipal waste of biologic
origin), biofuels, biogas and hydrogen from renewable sources
1,349
Consumption of purchased or acquired electricity, heat, steam and cooling from renewable sources
2,396
Consumption of self-generated non-fuel renewable energy
56
Total renewable energy consumption
3,801
Share of renewable sources in total energy consumption (%)
59%
Total energy consumption
6,482
Energy intensity
Energy intensity is calculated as total energy consumption in MWh for the reporting period divided by total turnover for Unilever as disclosed in
the financial statements on page 138. Total turnover equates to net revenue.
Energy intensity per net revenue (MWh/€ million)
2024
Total energy consumption from activities in high climate impact sectors per net revenue from activities in high climate
impact sectors(a)
107
(a) Total energy consumption excludes energy consumption from collaborative manufacturing. Net revenue includes net revenue from the sales of products produced for
Unilever by collaborative manufacturers. This limits the relevance of this metric.
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Analysis of renewable and non-renewable electricity in our operations
Renewable electricity (% of MWh)
2024
On-site renewable self generation
2%
Purchased renewable electricity
83%
On-site Purchase Power Agreements
0%
Off-site Purchase Power Agreements
9%
Green energy products from an energy supplier (green tariffs/bundled RECs)
14%
Green energy purchased in markets with greater than 95% renewable grid
0%
Unbundled RECs bought in market
60%
Total renewable electricity
85%
Non-renewable electricity (% of MWh)
2024
On-site non-renewable electricity generation (e.g. gas-fired on-site CHP)
8%
Purchased non-renewable electricity (e.g. non-grid transfer of CHP)
5%
Unbundled RECs bought in an adjacent market
2%
Total non-renewable electricity
15%
GHG removals and GHG mitigation projects financed through carbon credits
Our 2030 plans to reach our climate targets include limited removals within our value chain such as soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration
through our regenerative agriculture programmes, which will be counted towards achieving our 2030 Scope 3 GHG (FLAG) reduction targets in line
with SBTi criteria. In addition, while the focus of our CTAP is on emissions reductions within our value chain, we will seek to balance any unabated
emissions within the scope of our Net Zero 2039 ambition, with the same volume of purchased carbon removals from 2039.
No GHG removals nor carbon credits are reported for 2024 and we do not currently have plans to retire carbon credits in the future. Two of our
Prestige brands made consumer-facing claims with reference to carbon credits in 2024.
Internal carbon pricing
We believe the practice of internal carbon pricing can be important in signalling support for carbon pricing as a policy instrument. In practice,
however, as not many of our operations are particularly energy-intensive, our Scope 1 and 2 GHG reduction targets act as a more significant
decision factor than the shadow carbon price.
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Scenario analysis – supporting information
The selection of the most relevant key forces and drivers across the changing physical climate, policy and market landscape are outlined in the
table below for each scenario considered in the scenario analysis.
Scenario
1.5°C
<2°C
<3°C
>4°C
Temperature: best estimate
by 2100
Limit warming to 1.5°C
(>50%) with no or limited
overshoot
Limit warming to below
2°C (>67%)
Limit warming to 3°C
(>50%)
Warming exceeds 4°C
(>50%)
Temperature: very likely
range by 2100
1.0-1.8°C
1.3-2.4°C
2.1-3.5°C
3.3-5.7°C
Global policy coordination
Globally coordinated
policies with immediate
action.
Globally coordinated
climate policies with
delayed action (i.e. after
2030).
No globally coordinated climate policy with current
national mitigation efforts.
Emissions
Reach net zero CO2
emissions by approx. 2050.
Reach net zero CO2
emissions by approx. 2070.
CO2 levels don’t peak until
mid-century, and net zero
not achieved before 2100.
CO2 emissions
approximately double by
2050.
Energy mix
Substantial energy system changes including use
of carbon capture and storage, widespread
electrification, use of alternative fuels such as
hydrogen and sustainable biofuels, and improved
energy efficiency.
Without additional
policies, there is little
change to the energy mix
from present day.
Global energy mix
prioritises fossil fuels,
with an uptake of coal
compared to present day.
Land use
The protection, improved management, and
restoration of forests, peatlands, coastal wetlands,
savannas and grasslands reduce emissions.
Agriculture systems change from cropland and
grassland to soil carbon management, agroforestry,
use of biochar, improved rice cultivation, and livestock
and nutrient management, etc.
Present day trends in land use continue, including
deforestation rates and use of land for animal protein
production.
Consumption
Low material growth and lower resource- and energy-
intensive consumption and lifestyles.
Gradual decrease in
resource- and energy-
intensive consumption
and lifestyles.
Continued exploitation of
fossil fuel resources, which
supports an increase in
resource- and energy-
intensive consumption
and lifestyles globally.
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Pollution
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Environmental impacts, risks and opportunities resulting
from the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by
which these were identified are detailed on page 230.
Non-biodegradable substances is identified as a material topic,
and disclosures and metrics relating to biodegradability have been
included accordingly. Unilever considers microplastics in our products
to be a subset of substances which can be slow to biodegrade or are
resistant to biodegradation, and not material on a standalone basis.
Consideration of microplastics resulting from our packaging is detailed
in our Resource Use and Circular Economy disclosures on page 258.
Unilever’s ingredient portfolio includes some substances classified as
substances of concern. However, we evaluate consumer, worker and
environmental exposures through our ingredient and product safety
risk assessments, alongside relevant hazard characterisation data,
ensuring that our products and the ingredient levels we use are safe by
design. Our evaluation approach is grounded in science and risk-based
assessments, following the principle that exposure determines the safe
use of hazardous materials. We update our ingredient and product
standards, as well as our safety risk assessments, to reflect new
scientific data and changes in regulatory positions. Our ingredient
stewardship and product innovation programmes also enable us to
identify, review and replace substances of concern when there are
concerns about potential effects on human health or the environment.
Substances of concern is therefore not identified as a material topic
and no further disclosures have been included. For disclosures relating
to product safety refer to page 284.
Policies
Unilever’s environmental policies, which include those related to
pollution, are disclosed on page 232. The table below demonstrates
how these policies address our material impacts in relation to pollution.
Pollution of air,
water and soil
Non-
biodegradable
substances
Unilever Code and Code Policies
Unilever Environmental Policy
Environmental Care Framework Standard
Responsible Partner Policy
Sustainable Agriculture Code and
Sustainable Agriculture Principles
In relation to substances that can be slow to biodegrade or resistant to
biodegradation, our Responsible Innovation Code Policy outlines our
commitment to conducting responsible, safe and sustainable research
and innovation. This ensures that risks to consumer safety, occupational
safety and the environment are properly assessed and managed. The
implementation of this policy is supported by a standard that defines
the approach to safety risk assessments, ensuring consumer,
occupational, and environmental safety by design, which includes an
understanding of biodegradability. We have set out further information
regarding Unilever’s Code and Code Policies on page 229.
Unilever’s Environmental Care Framework Standards (ECFWS) requires
sites to assess the potential for serious environmental incidents or
emergency situations and implement comprehensive plans to prevent
or mitigate the associated likely consequences. We do not have specific
policies in relation to incidents and emergency situations in our value
chain. However, our Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) requires our
partners to put in place appropriate policies, processes and procedures
to address environmental issues.
Actions
Within our own operations, Unilever drives continual improvement
in relation to pollution through the ECFWS. For our manufacturing
organisation, the Unilever Manufacturing System (UMS) provides an
operational framework that supports the implementation of the ECFWS.
It requires sites to follow a process to identify and implement actions
addressing pollution-related impacts.
Each year, sites develop action plans to enhance compliance with
the ECFWS, including pollution control. These plans are monitored
throughout the year. We seek to minimise pollution by monitoring
relevant pollutants to air, water and soil, and implementing both
normal operating and emergency control measures, such as
preventative maintenance and monitoring, alarm systems, and
dedicated and secured secondary containment.
We require suppliers in our upstream value chain to meet or exceed
the Mandatory Requirements of the RPP by implementing appropriate
policies, management systems and practices. Unilever verifies
compliance with the RPP’s Mandatory Requirements and management
systems through self-declarations, due diligence scanning, online
assessments and third-party audits in high-risk sites.
We promote sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices in
our supply chain, through the implementation of the Sustainable
Agriculture Code (SAC), Sustainable Agriculture Principles (SAP) and
regenerative agriculture projects. The SAC and SAP set out requirements
for suppliers regarding water management, water quality, soil
management and pollution control. We also require suppliers to
have management plans for irrigation, pesticide and fertiliser use
to avoid contamination and prevent damage to soils, ecosystems
and waterways.
To manage potential pollution impacts caused by environmental
exposure to ingredients following consumer use of our products, we
conduct environmental risk assessments for all ingredients before they
are marketed and for new ingredients prior to use. Each year, we assess
the combined environmental exposure from individual ingredients
across our product portfolio to ensure safety. Our commitment to
producing environmentally safe products is core to our decision-making
on product ingredients.
At a minimum, we ensure our products comply with regulations, such as
restrictions on synthetic polymer microparticles, and monitor prohibited
substances in regulatory lists, taking necessary actions as required. In
some areas, our standards exceed regulatory requirements based on
our environmental safety assessments or in regions where regulations
are weak or poorly enforced.
We also consider evolving societal preferences in our ingredient
management decisions. For example, we understand that consumers
want more reassurance about the impact of our products on the
environment, including on water and aquatic systems. After their use by
consumers, 93% of organic ingredients in our products that enter water
systems biodegrade within hours/days/weeks. We are focusing on the
small volume of ingredients that are slower to biodegrade and working
with suppliers to identify alternatives without compromising product
performance.
In 2014, we were one of the first companies to stop using small plastic
scrub beads, replacing them with alternative exfoliating ingredients
such as apricot kernels, cornmeal, ground pumice, silica and walnut
shells. We are now in the process of removing other solid polymers that
are slow to biodegrade and replacing them with natural or more
biodegradable alternatives.
Our actions on ingredient use are supported by the expertise of our
Safety, Environmental & Regulatory Science group – our global centre
of excellence in safety and sustainability science – as well as our
Regulatory Affairs team.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
Unilever does not have formal targets for pollution emissions defined at a global level. Our approach is to monitor emissions from our sites
at a local level to ensure compliance with local legal requirements and permits. We record any exceedance of local permit limits centrally,
and put plans in place to remediate. As mentioned above, our manufacturing sites are also reviewed through Environmental Compliance
Audits and audited by Corporate Audit, including assessing the robustness of their implementation of the ECFWS.
While Unilever has actions in place in relation to biodegradability, there is no formal target. However, we monitor the proportion of our ingredient
portfolio that meets the Unilever Biodegradability Standard, as we seek to develop formulations with less environmental impact while continuing to
deliver superior performance.
Pollution of air, water and soil in our own operations
Pollutants emitted are those contained in outflows from our operations, that may relate to pollutants generated from Unilever operations and/or
chemical components that may enter our operations, such as chemical components already in the water or raw materials used in operations.
Each year, Unilever reviews the emissions volumes of pollutants listed in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 to ensure those near or above
threshold levels are sampled and tested or estimated. For each manufacturing site where sampling and testing is conducted, pollutant emissions
to air, water and soil are calculated using internal or certified external laboratories. For sites without sampled data, estimates are based on proxy
data from sampled sites using statistical modelling reviewed by external experts or, for air pollutants from energy combustion, on published
emission factors.
Emissions per pollutant per site are compared to Annex II threshold values of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006. Only sites exceeding these thresholds
are consolidated and reported.
We have used direct measurement and periodic measurement i.e. sampling, to calculate pollutant emissions where possible, however in the first
year of reporting, this has been constrained by the availability and capacity of suitable sampling capabilities. Where data was unavailable via direct
measurement and sampling, we have employed representative data and a number of mathematical methods designed to produce a reasonable
estimate. Emissions of hydrochlorofluorocarbons to air and asbestos to soil,  via direct measurement, and emissions of Chemical Oxygen Demand,
via sampling, are reported based on actual data only. Estimations make up circa 94% of the remainder of reported pollutant emissions. We aim to
reduce the level of estimation, and hence the level of uncertainty in our data over time, as we continue to build our reporting capabilities.
Emissions are reported irrespective of any further downstream processing at treatment plants, such as municipal water treatment or certified
waste management. For example, emissions of asbestos are directed to specialised waste landfills.
Emissions to air by pollutant
Pollutant volumes (kg/year)
2024
Carbon monoxide (CO)
9,146,961
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
725
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
144,961
Non - methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC)
839,375
Particulate matter (PM10)
192,336
Sulphur oxides (SOx)
150,855
Emissions to water by pollutant
Pollutant volumes (kg/year)
2024
Arsenic and compounds (as As)
Cadmium and compounds (as Cd)
11
Copper and compounds (as Cu)
Lead and compounds (as Pb)
166
Mercury and compounds (as Hg)
21
Nickel and compounds (as Ni)
2,843
Phenols (as total C)
8,615
Total organic carbon (TOC) (as total C or COD/3)
4,181,794
Zinc and compounds (as Zn)
2,461
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Emissions to soil by pollutant
Pollutant volumes (kg/year)
2024
Arsenic and compounds (as As)
596
Asbestos
32,176
Cadmium and compounds (as Cd)
355
Chlorides (as total Cl)
Chromium and compounds (as Cr)
19,973
Copper and compounds (as Cu)
28,421
Fluorides (as total F)
416,766
Lead and compounds (as Pb)
483
Mercury and compounds (as Hg)
10
Nickel and compounds (as Ni)
1,129
Total nitrogen
2,629,554
Total phosphorus
16,692
Zinc and compounds (as Zn)
5,117
Biodegradation
Biodegradability is assessed based on internationally recognised tests (OECD, ISO). The Unilever Biodegradability Standard classifies
ingredients as 'Readily and Ultimately' and 'Inherently and Ultimately' biodegradable based on OECD 301, 310 and 302 tests. These classifications
indicate that ingredients either completely biodegrade within water systems in hours/days (readily and ultimately) or days/weeks (inherently
and ultimately).
Sales volumes and biodegradable volumes for the period 1 October to 31 December are extrapolated by ingredient, using the average quarterly
volumes from 1 January to 30 September.
Exclusions: Inorganic ingredients that are not relevant for biodegradation; propellants that do not enter the water system after use; and products
that are consumed by consumers, such as foods, vitamins, minerals and supplements; and products sold by businesses that are not fully
integrated into Unilever’s systems.
Metric
2024
Percentage of organic ingredients contained in products sold that are biodegradable
93%
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Water
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Environmental impacts, risks and opportunities resulting
from the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by
which these were identified are detailed on page 230. Given the nature
of our business, we do not consider marine-related resource
commodities as a material topic.
Policies
Unilever’s environmental policies, which include water-related policies,
are disclosed on page 232. The table below demonstrates how these
policies address water withdrawal from our own operations and
upstream value chain leading to water shortages. These policies
encompass water management and water consumption.
Water withdrawal leading
to water shortages
Unilever Environmental Policy
Environmental Care Framework Standard
Responsible Partner Policy
Sustainable Agriculture Code and Sustainable
Agriculture Principles
There are no specific policies in place relating to product demand
due to consumer awareness of water scarcity and water shortages,
including product design (services are not applicable to Unilever).
We consider product innovation as part of our business strategy,
including innovations related to sustainability topics, which are
supported by our Research & Development (R&D) science and
technology programmes. For example, innovating water-smart
products that help consumers use less water is considered as part
of our Business Group R&D strategies.
Actions
Water consumption
Within our manufacturing operations, we drive continuous improvement
through the implementation and monitoring of site-level water
management plans. We seek to minimise water abstraction per tonne
of production from shared resources, including reusing and recycling
freshwater wherever practical. In 2024, we invested in rainwater
harvesting facilities and other projects to reduce freshwater withdrawal
at our sites.
Our business partners in our value chain are required to comply with the
mandatory requirements of the RPP. This includes our water-related
requirements. We verify RPP alignment through self-declarations
upon registration, annual re-registration to our systems, routine due
diligence and risk-based audits. We require business partners to create
a Corrective Action Plan to address any issues identified during third-
party audits and we encourage suppliers to contact the Unilever team
for guidance where they face challenges in meeting our requirements.
We continue to implement water stewardship programmes in water-
stressed areas where we have manufacturing sites, which aim to
improve water security through collective action with other
stakeholders in the shared water catchment:
In 2024 we implemented eight additional water stewardship
programmes, bringing our total to 21 active programmes in Brazil,
Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. These
programmes are run in line with the Alliance for Water Stewardship
Standard, an external global framework, or the Prabhat approach,
our community development initiative in India. Each programme has
its own time horizons and associated activities, informed by river
basin studies (with four new studies completed in 2024) and local
knowledge from regional implementation partners, such as DKM in
Turkey and NBI in South Africa.
In 2025, we will continue to onboard new sites in support of our target
to implement water stewardship programmes in 100 locations
in water-stressed areas by 2030.
Reducing product demand
To help our consumers conserve water and use our products in water-
scarce conditions, we invest in water-smart products and formulations
that deliver superior performance even in such environments. For
example, many of our hair care products now have fast-rinse
technology as standard. We also seek to minimise the impact of our
products on water and aquatic systems by using ingredients that meet
our Biodegradability Standard, as detailed in our Pollution disclosures
on page 249.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
We do not have formal targets on water withdrawal in our own operations and we do not define targets for our upstream value chain or on water-
smart product design. Water withdrawal from our own operations and water-smart product design are addressed through our manufacturing
processes and product innovation plans, rather than through global targets. Within our upstream value chain, we manage water risk through our
RPP and verify compliance with the RPP’s Mandatory Requirements and management systems through self-declarations, due diligence scanning,
online assessments and third-party audits in high-risk sites.
Unilevers target is to implement water stewardship programmes in 100 locations in water-stressed areas by 2030, in line with our Environmental Policy.
These stewardship programmes involve working with others to address shared water challenges within water-stressed areas where Unilever has
manufacturing operations. This is a voluntary target and ecological thresholds and allocations of impacts to Unilever have not been applied when
setting the target. Our target of water stewardship programmes in 100 locations represents all of our manufacturing sites in water-stressed areas.
Implement water stewardship programmes in 100 locations in water-stressed areas by 2030
Locations refer to Unilever manufacturing sites.
Water-stressed areas are those with ’high’ or ’extremely high’ baseline water stress, as determined based on the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk
Atlas Tool, or, by exception, based on Unilever’s additional review of site-specific factors and localised water risks to complement the WRI data
and ratings.
Programmes must be implemented within the catchment of a Unilever water-stressed location, operate in line with either the Alliance for Water
Stewardship Standard or the Prabhat approach, and be approved by a Unilever authority. Programmes must also consist of a material Unilever
commitment and be created, facilitated or provided by Unilever or by a third party under a contractual commitment with Unilever.
Programmes must be implemented between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2024, with activities either ongoing or completed during the
reporting period, and at least six months having elapsed since the contract was signed. Locations are not counted in the metric if programme
activities were completed in prior periods and have not been extended or renewed.
Water target
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Implement water stewardship programmes in 100 locations in water-stressed areas
by 2030 (number of water stewardship programmes)
100
21
13
8
Water consumption in our own operations
Water consumption is calculated as the difference between water withdrawal and water discharge. This is measured using invoices and/or meter
readings. For sites where this information is not collected (representing 4% of water consumption), consumption is estimated based on site
headcount, pallet positions and proxy data.
Unilever sites in areas at water risk, including areas of high-water stress, are identified using the World Resources Institute (WRI) Aqueduct Water
Risk Atlas tool. These include sites where the weighted aggregate total water risk is classified as ’high’ or ’extremely high’, as well as sites with
high or extremely high baseline water stress, or, by exception, sites may be identified based on Unilever’s additional review of site-specific factors
and localised water risks to complement the WRI data and ratings.
Water intensity is calculated as total water consumption in thousands m3 divided by turnover in € million. Total turnover equates to net revenue.
Water recycled and reused is measured via meter readings (62%) or through a water mass balance (38%) at all manufacturing sites and the
majority of logistics and other sites. Where data is unavailable, the amount of water recycled and reused is assumed to be zero given the non-
manufacturing nature of operations at these sites.
For all manufacturing sites and the majority of logistics sites with water storage capacity, the stored water is recorded as the maximum capacity
of the storage facilities. Where data is unavailable, water stored is assumed to be zero given the non-manufacturing nature of operations at
such sites.
Water consumed, recycled, reused and stored (millions m3)
2024
Total water consumption
17
Total water consumption in areas at water risk, including areas of high-water stress (based on ESRS definition)
11
Total water consumption in areas at water risk, including areas of high-water stress (based on Unilever definition)(a)
11
Total water recycled and reused
2
Total water stored
1
Water intensity ratio: water consumption per turnover (m3 /€ million)
281
(a) Includes an additional two sites based on Unilever’s additional review of site-specific factors and localised water risks.
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Biodiversity and Ecosystems
STRATEGY
Interaction of material impacts and risks with strategy
and business model
Our material Environmental impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs)
resulting from the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the
process by which these were identified are detailed on page 230.
Impacts on desertification and soil sealing were not assessed within
our value chain. No biodiversity and ecosystem-related opportunities
were identified during the DMA process.
Impacts and risks in our own operations
Our double materiality assessment concluded that our own operations,
covering more than 600 sites globally, do not collectively have a
material impact on nature. At a local level, we have identified 22 sites
that operate within or near biodiversity-sensitive areas, where Unilever
may contribute to negative effects on biodiversity. To reach this
conclusion, we identified sites within a 1km radius of biodiversity
sensitive areas to capture Unilever’s likely direct and indirect impacts
and allow for comparability across our sites.
Each site was then assessed using two indicators:
The Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII); and
Water stress assessment according to WRI Aqueduct Tool,
supplemented with Unilever’s localised water stress assessments.
We selected these indicators due to their global scope, their relevance
to Unilever’s operations and recognition by frameworks such as
Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). We then
engaged with sites to understand the local environment, our activities,
and current land and environmental classifications.
The indicators used identified potential negative impacts, but they
risk over and under-reporting due to being outdated and the inaccuracy
of global biodiversity data sets. Consequently, we are unable to directly
attribute Unilever’s operations to negative impacts on biodiversity and
ecosystems. For example, many identified sites are in industrial zones
with multiple companies. While we know threatened species exist near
our operations, we have not assessed if our operations specifically
affect them. Material impacts from desertification and soil sealing
were not identified in our operations.
Establishing and attributing negative impacts requires local analysis
and community engagement. In 2025, we will enhance our site-specific
assessment capabilities with new datasets, indicators, and guidance
to evaluate impacts, risks, dependencies, and identify the necessary
mitigation measures.
Impacts and risks in our value chain
Our double materiality assessment identified several nature-related
risks in our value chain. Our business both depends on and impacts
nature, including land, forests and water systems. We recognise the loss of
biodiversity within these systems as a principal risk (Climate and Nature), so
protecting them is important to ensure the resilience of our business and
the communities where we operate.
To help inform the development of our strategy, we performed a review
of our most material biodiversity and ecosystems, physical, transition
and systemic risks under two possible nature scenarios aligned with
TNFD scenarios over the medium to long term as follows:
The High Nature Degradation scenario (aligned with the TNFD ‘Sand
in the Gears’ scenario) assesses business resilience to high ecosystem
service degradation and the physical and systemic risks associated with
continued environmental decline. It assumes fragmented global efforts
and insufficient climate policies drive temperatures above 2°C by 2050,
worsening biodiversity loss and environmental decline, and escalating
risks for businesses and communities.
The High Nature Preservation scenario (aligned with the TNFD
‘Ahead of the Game’ scenario) focuses on high transition risks and the
implications of a resilient economy transitioning to a world with lower
ecosystem degradation. It assumes strong COP15-aligned policies and
coordinated global climate efforts limiting warming to well below 2°C,
reducing biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
Resilience of our strategy and business model to biodiversity
loss and ecosystem degradation
The results of the review demonstrate that a high nature degradation
scenario results in the physical risks of soil depletion and declining
yields for high-risk crops like tea and soy. Rising temperatures, water
shortages and the loss of pollinators further reduce yields, limiting
the supply of key crops. Shock events from systemic risks, such as pest
outbreaks, and extreme weather, increase in frequency and magnitude
impacting the agriculture sector directly in some regions initially and
subsequently cascade through the wider economy. This scenario
may further lead to transition risks from increased activism against
companies seen as having a negative environmental impact and
reputational damage.
Where a high nature preservation scenario is achieved, driven by public
awareness and political coordination on biodiversity, protective legal
frameworks (e.g. expansion of legislation similar to EUDR), may evolve
faster, increasing the likelihood of transition risks from nature-related
fines and litigation. Our actions or those of actors in our value chain
that may cause harm to biodiversity and ecosystems, could further lead
to increased public scrutiny, legal claims or potential non-compliance
incidents resulting in fines and penalties and loss of market share due
to negative stakeholder perception.
Our business model integrates various strategies to address these risk,
enhancing resilience and increasing the organisation's capacity to
respond as follows:
Responsible sourcing: Our regenerative agriculture and sustainable
sourcing programmes address the impact of our sourcing on ecosystem
degradation and services, particularly in key sourcing locations. Our
regenerative agriculture programmes build on our sustainable sourcing
programme, strengthening practices within the supply base of key
agricultural suppliers, and improving the resilience of agricultural
systems, which helps address our dependencies on agricultural
commodities. Our actions to stop deforestation and conversion are
also crucial for addressing the impacts and risks associated with
ecosystem degradation.
Protect and Restore: We take action to protect and restore ecosystems
within and surrounding our key sourcing locations to help address the
wider system risk of biodiversity failure and address the impact that our
sourcing has on ecosystem degradation and services.
Stakeholder engagement: We engage with a diverse range of
stakeholders, including local communities and Indigenous knowledge
holders, in our sustainability initiatives.
Given the significant potential challenges to the agricultural sector
from high nature degradation, our nature advocacy agenda is not just
critical to supporting the achievement of our nature targets but is also
key to driving systemic global initiatives to limit the possible impacts of
this scenario.
We do not have a specific nature transition plan. However, the Unilever
Climate Transition Action plan set out on page 233 recognises the
interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
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Policies
Unilever’s environmental policies, which include nature-related policies
in our own operations and our value chain, are disclosed on page 232.
The table below demonstrates how these policies address our material
nature-related impacts, risks and dependencies, which are focused
on our upstream value chain. Unilever does not have a dedicated
biodiversity and ecosystem protection policy which focuses specifically
on impacts from operational sites in or near biodiversity sensitive areas.
Ecosystem
degradation
and service
failure
Ecosystem
degradation
leading to
crop yield
reduction
Systemic
risk of
biodiversity
collapse
Increased
activism,
legal or non
compliance
costs
Unilever Code and
Code policies
Unilever Environmental
Policy
People & Nature Policy
Sustainable Agriculture
Code and Sustainable
Agriculture Principles
As described in our People & Nature Policy and the Sustainable Agriculture
Principles, we set requirements for traceability and the management of
production and sourcing to help maintain biodiversity in our upstream
value chain. We also consider the social consequences of biodiversity loss
and ecosystem-related impacts through these policies.
We do not have specific sustainable oceans/seas practices or policies.
Based on our materiality assessment, this is an area of low impact on
nature for our business, as we source only very low volumes of
commodities from the oceans/seas.
Actions
Our actions and resources are focused in four priority strategic areas
and address our material nature-related impacts, dependencies and
risks. We do not use biodiversity offsets within any of our actions.
Regenerative agriculture
In 2024, we implemented 17 new regenerative agriculture projects,
bringing our total to 23 active projects that collectively cover almost
130,000 hectares since 2021. The programme has in-field implementation
in 11 countries: Argentina, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico,
Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US. We have plans in place to increase the
implementation of our regenerative agriculture programmes to more than
200,000 hectares in 2025. Each project starts with a context analysis of the
local environment, in partnership with the participating farmers, and draws
on the expertise of local agronomists. The projects are designed to address
the most material environmental and climate issues faced by farmers,
with practices selected to fit the local context and farmer knowledge.
Every project is designed to address a range of relevant metrics covering
biodiversity, climate and other ecosystem changes via our Measure, Report,
Verify (MRV) framework, which generates output- and outcome-level data
annually.
Sustainable sourcing
In 2024, we sourced 79% of our key crops sustainably, with 63% sourced
using physically sustainable sources and 16% using sustainability
credits. Our goal is to source 95% of our key crops sustainably by 2030.
The practices codified in our Sustainable Agriculture Principles (SAP)
(previously, the Sustainable Agriculture Code (SAC)) enable us to
identify and benchmark codes, standards and assessments that meet
our sustainable sourcing requirements. This action has incorporated
local and Indigenous knowledge and nature-based solutions through
the requirements encoded within our SAP. In 2024, we updated our SAC
to lift our requirements for environmental management, human rights,
climate compliance and traceability and to introduce regenerative
agriculture practices more clearly.
Deforestation-free supply chains
In 2024, we have maintained 95% order volumes of palm oil, paper
and board, tea, soy and cocoa as deforestation-free, based on
Unilever’s requirements. Since 2021, we have supported the large-scale
transformation of our palm supply chain through investing €218 million
in Unilever Oleochemical International (UOI). This will further expand
our independent mills and direct sourcing associated with smallholder
programmes.
We have continued to invest in the verification of suppliers against our
Independent Verification Protocols, expanding the implementation
of our deforestation-free sourcing programme, addressing risk, and
ensuring the resilience of our supply chain and supporting ecosystems.
Our deforestation-free landscape strategy also includes empowerment
and inclusion of smallholders in our supply chain, which we seek to
do through direct sourcing approaches as well as working across
landscapes. In 2024, Unilever’s palm oil smallholder hub programme
trained around 12,500 smallholders in multiple provinces across
Indonesia. Complementary to the programme, Unilever is onboarding
more than 20 independent mills to ensure linkage between
smallholders to our supply chain. Local and Indigenous knowledge is
incorporated into our smallholder programme at all stages, from
programme design to smallholder engagement, to enable land
mapping and evaluation process.
In 2025, we will continue to expand our deforestation-free verification
programme to new sources and suppliers.
Protect and Restore
In 2024, we implemented three new protection and restoration
programmes closely associated with our sourcing locations. We have
implemented 13 programmes in total since 2021, covering around
425,000 hectares cumulatively. The programmes are geographically
focused in South East Asia. Our programmes incorporate Indigenous
knowledge by partnering with local communities, through activities
including but not limited to joint programme design, mapping
customary areas and supporting traditional forest management
practices.
All actions are tracked against our cumulative conservation target
of protecting and restoring 1 million hectares by 2030. We select
landscapes based on our commodity footprint, operational presence,
and need for additional support from Unilever in the area. Some of our
existing long-term landscape partnerships are located across three
provinces that are the supply bases of our palm oil processing facility
in North Sumatra. We actively support programmes in which multi-
stakeholder collaboration is leveraged to scale up efforts to protect and
restore critical ecosystems. Alongside the Rimba Collective, which is
designed to provide conservation finance and project implementation
across Indonesia, we collaborate to protect both the Leuser Ecosystem
and the Tapanuli Selatan region, which are critical forest ecosystems for
Sumatran tigers and orangutans.
Working in landscapes allows us to engage stakeholders within a
jurisdiction on sustainable development plans, considering factors
like land and labour rights. We also invest in innovations to drive
large-scale impacts.
Specific actions for 2025 include expanding protection work with forest
management units and scaling local farmer group engagement. We
have plans in place for projects of up to 600,000 hectares by 2027 that
include expanding our programming with the Rimba Collective and
Conservation International.
Advocacy
In 2024, we made progress on our nature policy advocacy priorities.
Key actions included:
Nature and biodiversity: We supported the Business for Nature
coalition’s Call to Action to governments ahead of UN Biodiversity
COP16 in Cali, Colombia, asking them to adopt, implement or
strengthen the policies and legislation needed to halt and reverse
nature loss by 2030. We reinforced our support for the Call to Action
with a joint statement with Business for Nature, which highlighted the
importance of nature to our business but laying out why voluntary
action is insufficient. We then attended the COP to advocate for
ambitious National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs),
integrated with countries’ NDCs.
Regenerative agriculture: We attended New York Climate Week and
the UN General Assembly (UNGA) 2024 to advocate for the scaling of
regenerative agriculture via the creation of a regulatory landscape
that supports farmers to transition to, and maintain, regenerative
approaches. We also attended COP29 in Baku to advocate for NDCs
that support the scaling of regenerative agriculture.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
We have set targets to reduce our impacts on and risks associated with biodiversity and ecosystems, and to help protect, restore and regenerate nature
in those locations where we have a material impact. We have updated our targets to focus on allocating resources towards our material sustainability
matters. Our sustainable sourcing and regenerative agriculture targets address the impact of ecosystem degradation, potential crop yield reduction,
and biodiversity loss or collapse within our value chain. Our protect and restore and deforestation-free targets represent a unified approach to ecosystem
intervention, aiming to address biodiversity loss risks and potential regulatory or activist challenges in areas surrounding our value chain.
In 2024, we reset our sustainable sourcing target to 95% of procured volume with third-party verification by 2030, which allows for new supplier and
programme expansion, as well as additional third-party verification. We also split our previous ‘protect and restore 1.5 million hectares of land, forest and
oceans’ target into two separate targets related to regenerative agriculture and natural ecosystem protection.
We set our targets for both our regenerative agriculture and protect and restore programmes based on exposure to land and our key crops sourcing
footprint, which we estimate at 4 million hectares. By 2030, our regenerative agriculture programme aims to cover approximately 25% of the land required
to grow the agricultural raw materials associated with our key crops, for Unilever’s products. Our protect and restore target, which focuses on ecosystems
within and around our key crops sourcing footprint, also aims to cover approximately 25% of our land footprint. After achieving our no deforestation target
in 2023, we set a new goal to maintain 95% deforestation-free sourcing for palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa. Continued implementation
of our commitment to deforestation-free sourcing aims to prevent ecosystem destruction and mitigate legal and reputational risks associated with
biodiversity degradation.
Ecological thresholds and allocations of impacts to Unilever have not been applied when setting targets. Target-setting was informed by, but not aligned
with, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and all our targets can be allocated to the avoidance, minimisation, restoration, and
rehabilitation layers of the mitigation hierarchy. Stakeholders in our value chain have not been formally involved in our target setting.
Our targets and progress against these targets are set out below:
Implement regenerative agriculture practices on 1 million hectares of agricultural land by 2030, and help protect and restore 1 million hectares
of natural ecosystems by 2030
Regenerative agriculture activities eligible for support through Unilever’s programmes must contribute to at least two of the five impact areas outlined
in our Regenerative Agriculture Principles: climate, soil, water, livelihoods or biodiversity.
Protect and restore activities eligible for support through Unilever’s programmes are those designed to either conserve areas of natural ecosystem or
improve ecosystem quality.
Eligible programmes must operate within a defined geographical area, be approved by Unilever authority, be operational between 1 January 2021 and
31 December 2024, and be run directly by Unilever or by a third party under a contractual commitment with Unilever. Where a programme is phased over
multiple years, only the share of newly operational between 1 January and 31 December 2024 will be eligible. A programme is considered operational if
at least one activity has commenced, as demonstrated by the use of budgeted financial or in-kind resources.
95% volume of key crops to be verified as sustainably sourced by 2030
Key crops include cereals and starches, cocoa, coconut oil, dairy, palm oil, paper and board, rapeseed oil, soy oil, sugar, tea, vanilla, and vegetables and
herbs, and account for over 75% of our agricultural sourcing by volume.
Sustainable sources are defined as raw materials that are either produced according to third-party certification and aligned with Unilever’s Sustainable
Agricultural Principles or purchased from non-sustainable sources but matched with credits representing verified sustainably sourced raw materials.
Examples include soy (RTRS credits), cane sugar (Bonsucro credits), and palm oil and palm kernel oil (RSPO credits).
Measuring performance against this target includes the partial use of credits to address the unavailability of physically sustainable (certified) sources in
some markets. These credits are compensatory and not associated with providing biodiversity improvements.
Exclusions: crops purchased by third parties, those used in agricultural production of other purchase materials or those included in the manufacturing
process of purchased materials, and where the volume is <1,000 tonnes.
Maintain no deforestation across our primary deforestation-linked commodities
Performance is measured as the percentage of purchase order volumes of palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa that meet Unilever's
deforestation-free requirements in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2024.
Materials are determined to be deforestation-free through one of the following means:
The materials are in compliance with the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR);
An independent third-party certification body has provided confirmation to Unilever that the supplier meets the requirements of the Unilever
Deforestation-Free Verification protocols;
The supplier has received a third-party certification from one of a list of approved certification bodies that meet Unilever's Deforestation-free
requirements; or
The materials come from locations or countries considered to have had a negligible risk of recent deforestation as per the Negligible Risk Protocol.
Exclusions: Materials purchased by third-party companies supplying finished products for Unilever, materials purchased for collaborative
manufacturing, materials included as an ingredient or used in the process of purchased materials or produced with multiple interchangeable
feedstocks, small volume materials for palm oil and small volume suppliers where the aggregated volumes are <5% of total purchased volumes.
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Nature targets
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Implement regenerative agriculture practices on 1 million hectares of agricultural
land by 2030 (millions of hectares)(a)
1m
0.13m
0.06m
0.05m
Help protect and restore 1 million hectares of natural ecosystems by 2030
(millions of hectares)(a)
1m
0.43m
0.29m
0.20m
95% volume of key crops to be verified as sustainably sourced by 2030       
(% purchased)(b)(c)
95%
79%
79%
81%
Maintain no deforestation across our primary deforestation-linked commodities
(% palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa order volumes that are
deforestation-free)(d)
95%
97%
98%
(a) These results are from projects funded by Unilever and our partners. Unilever has an agreement with our project partners that allows all parties to make public
statements on the total impacts of these projects provided they acknowledge the role of the other party.
(b) Raw materials produced according to third-party certification and aligned with Unilever’s SAP were 63% in 2024, 66% in 2023 and 71% in 2022.
(c) Raw materials purchased from non-sustainable sources but matched with credits representing verified sustainably sourced raw materials were 16% in 2024, 13% in 2023 and
10% in 2022.
(d) 2023 performance measured for all commodity volumes ordered for three-month period October to December, except for palm oil in India measured only for December.
The change to our goals in 2024 reflects our commitment to expand and stretch our sustainability requirements, and has impacted our 2024
performance on our sustainably sourced and no deforestation goals. Our updated sustainable sourcing goal requires that all materials be verified,
and we are transitioning suppliers and programmes to verification through 2024. In addition, having reached 97.5% deforestation-free sourcing
in 2023 for palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa order volumes, we set our target at 95% on an ongoing basis for the same commodities
in 2024, to ensure we can expand the scope of our programme by onboarding new suppliers and materials. This expands our deforestation-free
sourcing and provides better resilience and greater scale. The scope of this target covers more than 65% of Unilever’s impact on land used to grow
our key crops, and focuses on those commodities that are most often linked to deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems to farmland.
Impact metrics related to biodiversity and ecosystems change
The Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) contains global biodiversity datasets and derived data, including the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™, the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database of Key
Biodiversity Areas (WDKBA).
Biodiversity-sensitive areas (BSAs) are defined as the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, UNESCO World Heritage sites and Key Biodiversity
Areas (KBAs), as well as other protected areas, as referred to in Appendix D of Annex II to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2139.
A Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) is a site that contributes significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater and marine
ecosystems. Sites qualify as global KBAs by meeting one or more of 11 criteria in five categories: threatened biodiversity; geographically restricted
biodiversity; ecological integrity; biological processes; and irreplaceability.
A Protected Area (PA) is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to
achieve the long-term conservation of nature, along with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. These areas are obtained from
the WDPA.
Unilever site geo-coordinates are assessed using the IBAT to identify those within 1km of a BSA. For each site that is identified as in or within 1km
of a BSA, Unilever assess where there is a negative change in the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) and if this is greater than zero between 2017
and 2020; and a water-stressed area according to WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas Tool. For sites where there is both water stress and a negative
change in BII, Unilever includes this site in the metric and obtains the site size (in square metres) from Unilevers site surface land area reports.
Site areas reported in square metres are converted to hectares and summed to give a total area in hectares.
Sites that were initially identified as being in biodiversity-sensitive areas but are located within highly urbanised regions were excluded from the
final list, as their proximity to biodiversity-rich locations is limited.
Exclusions: Smaller offices, logistics and GBU sites that do not report in Unilever systems.
Impact metrics related to biodiversity and ecosystems change
2024
Number of Unilever sites in or near (i.e. within 1km) of biodiversity-sensitive areas, that are negatively affecting biodiversity
22
Area of Unilever sites in or near (i.e. within 1km) of biodiversity-sensitive areas, that are negatively affecting biodiversity (hectares)
322
While the indicators used may identify potential negative impacts, they risk over- and under-reporting due to outdated and inaccurate global
biodiversity data sets. Consequently, we are unable to directly attribute Unilever’s operations to negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems.
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Resource Use and Circular Economy
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Environmental impacts, risks and opportunities resulting
from the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by
which these were identified are detailed on page 230.
Policies
Unilever’s environmental policies are disclosed on page 232. The table
below demonstrates how these policies address our material risks
and impacts in relation to resource use and circular economy.
Plastic
pollution
Hazardous
waste
EPR schemes
and other
plastic-related
taxes
Unilever Environmental Policy
Environmental Care Framework
Standard
Responsible Partner Policy
Our approach to plastic packaging is embedded in our overall business
strategy and product innovation cycles. Our policies in relation to
plastic packaging encompass the reduction in our use of virgin plastics,
and our policies in relation to hazardous waste encompass waste
management.
Unilever’s policies and other disclosures regarding the sustainable
sourcing of raw materials are detailed in our Biodiversity and
Ecosystems section on page 254.
Actions
Plastic pollution, extended producer responsibility (EPR)
schemes for packaging and other plastic-related taxes
Unilever is working to end plastic pollution through reduction,
circulation and collaboration. We aim to reduce virgin plastic use
by switching to recycled plastic, designing lighter packaging, and
developing alternative packaging materials, formats and models.
We have also introduced new packaging solutions, like laundry
sheets and capsules in cardboard boxes, to reduce or remove plastic.
To help find new ways for our consumers to shop and use our products,
since 2021, we have conducted over 50 reuse-refill pilots around the
world, testing and learning from different approaches. Because we
recognise that collaboration and regulation are key to scaling reusable
packaging models, we are also participating in industry-wide initiatives
led by the World Economic Forum, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and
the Consumer Goods Forum.
To help keep plastic packaging in circulation and out of the
environment, we are developing next-generation packaging materials
that are reusable, recyclable or compostable. We split rigid packaging
from hard-to-recycle flexible packaging in recognition of the unique
challenges linked to each format and the different solutions required.
In 2024, we introduced a new recyclable pump for Vaseline bottles
in North America. Through our Future Flexibles programme, we are
exploring alternatives to plastic, such as recyclable and compostable
paper-based materials. While we develop and scale these new
materials, we are moving some of our products’ packaging to paper-
plastic solutions, such as Knorr bouillon cubes in the UK. Additionally,
we are supporting initiatives to collect and process plastic, which helps
to scale waste management systems, prevent plastic pollution in the
environment, and reduce the leakage of microplastics.
Tackling plastic pollution requires cross-industry collaboration and
policy to drive systemic change and ensure that all businesses play by
the same rules. We co-chair the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics
Treaty, campaigning for a legally binding UN plastics treaty that
addresses the full lifecycle of plastic and creates a level playing field
for all businesses. We also advocate for mandatory, well-designed
extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes to hold businesses
accountable for their packaging choices. In 2020, we endorsed the
Consumer Goods Forum’s position on EPR scheme design, and in
2021, we signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s public statement
supporting the use of EPR, alongside industry peers.
Waste management, including hazardous waste
We drive continuous improvement in waste management at our sites,
including hazardous waste, through the Environmental Care Framework
Standard (ECFWS). For our manufacturing organisation, the Unilever
Manufacturing System (UMS) provides an operational framework to
support the implementation of the ECFWS. Our sites follow a framework
to identify and implement actions addressing negative waste-related
impacts. Each year, all sites develop action plans to further enhance
ECFWS compliance, including waste management, with progress
monitored throughout the year to ensure the timely closure of actions.
In 2024, we introduced a global Waste Standard, effective 1 January
2025, mandating minimum requirements for the management of
hazardous and non-hazardous waste at all Unilever sites. The
standard mandates the application of the waste hierarchy, employee
engagement on waste management principles and regular audits of
our waste service providers. To reduce our waste footprint, the standard
also requires sites to maintain zero non-hazardous waste from
manufacturing to landfill or incineration without energy recovery,
which Unilever has maintained since 2015. In 2024, we supported this
by collaborating with governments and waste service providers in
countries where this approach is not widely available.
Within our value chain, our business partners are required to comply
with the mandatory requirements of our Responsible Partner Policy
(RPP), including our hazardous waste management requirements.
We verify RPP alignment through self-declarations upon registration,
annual re-registration to our systems, routine due diligence and risk-
based audits. We require business partners to create a Corrective Action
Plan to address any issues identified during third-party audits and we
encourage suppliers to contact the Unilever team for guidance where
they face challenges in meeting our requirements.
METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
Our plastic packaging targets focus on the areas we know will have the
most impact such as reducing our use of virgin plastic and developing
solutions for hard-to-recycle flexible plastic packaging materials, like
plastic sachets.
We aim to address plastic pollution, including microplastics pollution,
by reducing our virgin plastic usage and increasing circular plastic
packaging design. These voluntary targets are in line with Unilever’s
Environmental Policy. Ecological thresholds and allocations of impacts
to Unilever have not been applied when setting targets. Consideration
of microplastics in our products is detailed on page 249.
Making progress on our targets to address plastic packaging is relevant
to EPR schemes, taxes or bans related to packaging; however, we do
not have specific targets in place for such schemes, taxes or bans.
We do not have formal waste targets in place in our own operations.
However, waste generation and waste routes are monitored at a local
level to ensure compliance with Unilever standards and local legal
requirements. Our global Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) team
also monitors the compliance of our manufacturing sites with respect
to our aim to send zero non-hazardous waste to landfill or incineration
without energy recovery, and site-level plans are developed to
remediate any identified instances of non-compliance.
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The scope of our plastic packaging targets includes plastic packaging in 26 countries, which account for approximately 82% of Unilever’s sales.
Packaging materials comprise of a range of different plastics, including:
Rigids – plastic packaging materials that are sturdy, inflexible and maintain their shape even when empty, such as bottles, jars and tubs.
Flexibles – plastic packaging materials that can be easily moulded, folded or shaped, adapting to the product’s form, such as pouches,
sachets, overwraps and tubes.
Where packaging components are made of multiple materials, those that are predominantly plastic by weight are defined as plastic packaging.
Conversely, if plastic is not the single greatest material by weight within a packaging item, the whole item is not considered ’plastic packaging’.
Exclusions: All targets exclude plastic packaging purchased/sold (as applicable) by businesses that are not fully integrated into Unilever’s SAP
system and transport packaging, also known as tertiary packaging.
Reduce our virgin plastic footprint by 30% by 2026, and 40% by 2028, from a 2019 baseline; and Use 25% recycled plastic in our packaging by 2025
Virgin plastic packaging is derived from fossil fuels and/or bio-based sources and has not been recycled. 2024 virgin and recycled plastic
packaging volumes are recorded based on supplier invoices and product specification information. 2019 plastic packaging volumes are
estimated by country and Business Group, based on the volume of plastic purchased in 26 countries in 2023 and the ratio of 2019 and 2023 total
product sales volumes. The 2019 recycled plastic purchased is estimated based on monthly demand by region.
Other exclusions: Plastic packaging purchased by collaborative manufacturers of Unilever products is not included, representing approximately
11% of plastic packaging purchased in the 26 countries.
100% of our plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030 (for rigids) and 2035 (for flexibles); and Collect and
process more plastic packaging than we sell by 2025
Plastic packaging volumes are based on plastic packaging used in products sold. Approximately 6% of products have incomplete information,
which is extrapolated from the average of the most similar products available with complete data. To estimate the total tonnes of plastic
packaging used in products sold for the reporting year, the plastic packaging used in products sold for the 12 months to 30 September 2024 is
multiplied by the ratio of sales volumes for the 12 months to 30 September 2024 compared to the 12 months to 31 December 2024.
Recyclable plastic packaging: technically possible to recycle and has proven commercial viability for plastics processors to recycle the material
in the region where it is sold.
Reusable plastic packaging: designed to be used, then refilled more than once and used again for the same purpose; it must also be recyclable
at the end of its life and is therefore not assessed separately to recyclability.
Compostable plastic packaging: meets international standards and definitions for compostability, and local country infrastructure exists to
enable composting to take place.
Recyclability and compostability are assessed based on information gathered from various sources, such as governmental organisations
(for recycling and recovery rates), industry consortiums and packaging recycling organisations.
Plastic packaging collected for processing is calculated by country and consists of:
Post-consumer recycled plastic purchased by Unilever, recorded based on supplier invoices and product specification information.
Plastic packaging collected through activities directly funded by Unilever, tracked by country through invoices, contracts or other written
confirmation from the relevant supplier organisations. Where it is collected and processed in partnership, we will only count Unilever’s share.
The tonnes of Unilever product packaging recycled, reused or recovered in countries where Unilever funds municipal recycling through EPR
schemes are estimated using country-specific Recycling and Recovery Indices (RRI). These estimates rely on government or industry data,
or on internal expert opinions when external data is unavailable or unreliable. Bottle collection is excluded to prevent double-counting with
post-consumer recycled plastic packaging purchased by Unilever.
Plastics targets
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Reduce our virgin plastic footprint by 30% by 2026, and 40% by 2028, from a 2019 baseline(a)
-30%
-23%
-21%
-21%
100% of our plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable(b)
100%
57%
53%
55%
by 2030 for rigids (% of total tonnes of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic
packaging used)
76%
by 2035 for flexibles (% of total tonnes of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic
packaging used)
13%
Use 25% recycled plastic in our packaging by 2025 (% of total used in packaging)(c)
25%
21%
20%
18%
Collect and process more plastic than we sell by 2025 (tonnes of plastic packaging
collected and processed, % of tonnes of plastic sold)(d)
100%
93%
68%
61%
(a) Restated from -18% in 2023 and -13% in 2022 due to change in measurement methodology (see below).
(b) 2023 and 2022 measured for 12-month period ended 30 September.
(c) Restated from 22% in 2023 and 21% in 2022 due to change in measurement methodology (see below).
(d) Restated from 61% in 2023 and 58% in 2022 due to change in measurement methodology (see below).
In 2024, Unilever implemented improvements in the measurement of our virgin plastic and recycled plastic packaging, as part of our continuous
efforts to enhance the quality of our reporting. Measurement is now based on more accurate, granular and automated purchases data, and allows
for improved consistency within our calculations. We have therefore restated our 2022 and 2023 virgin plastic (including the baseline), recycled
plastic, and collect and process performance metrics to reflect these measurement improvements.
We have made progress across all our plastic goals in 2024. We increased our use of recycled plastic, driven by new innovation launches including
Dove and Lux body washes in China and Cif cream cleaner in Turkey, as well as volume growth in our Power Brands, which already use higher
levels of recycled plastic. The increase in recycled plastic use in our packaging contributed to the reduction in our virgin plastic footprint, alongside
innovation projects such as the roll out of new lightweight Rexona and Axe roll-on and stick deodorant designs in our largest deodorants markets.
The proportion of our plastic packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable increased, driven by innovations including the launch of
recyclable pumps for Vaseline bottles in North America and by the availability of more accurate data on recycling infrastructure. In 2024, we
updated our 100% recyclable, reusable and compostable goal by splitting it into rigid packaging and flexible packaging. This was in recognition
of the unique challenges linked to each format and therefore the different solutions required. Flexible plastic packaging remains an industry-wide
challenge, with collection, processing and recycling infrastructure underdeveloped in many markets. Developing alternatives to flexible plastic
packaging is our priority. This includes alternative packaging materials, formats and models. We know that alternative packaging formats and
models, like reuse-refill, will take more time and systemic change to scale, which is why we are also developing material alternatives to flexible
plastic. For this, we are increasing investment in materials science and technology, boosting our in-house expertise to develop new sustainable
packaging materials and technologies, and working with our supply chain partners to bring these solutions to market.
In 2024, we helped to collect and process 93% of our plastic packaging footprint, representing significant progress towards our 2025 goal. The
improvement was achieved through scaling up and broadening our collection and processing activities across markets, including onboarding new
waste management partners in Brazil and expanding our existing partnership on community waste banks in Indonesia. Key markets driving our
progress include Brazil, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
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Resource Inflows
Description of resource inflows
The material resource inflows used in our own operations and upstream value chain are raw materials, packaging materials, and water:
Raw materials used to produce our products include materials originating from agriculture and forestry, including palm-based oleochemicals
and food ingredients, as well as chemicals which may originate from fossil fuels, minerals or metals extracted from the earth. Unilever’s raw
materials include biological materials which are derived from or produced by living organisms (e.g. crops, animals, bacteria and fungi).
Packaging materials include plastic, paper and board, glass and aluminium, and both virgin and secondary materials (materials that are
derived from the recycling of primary materials which are reprocessed and then reused).
Water is used as an ingredient in our products and for our manufacturing processes.
Inflows of property, plant and equipment are not considered to be material.
Resource inflows metrics: Products and technical and biological materials used, including secondary materials
Measured based on tonnes of raw and packaging materials purchased for Unilever operations and collaborative manufacturing, and water
consumed in Unilever operations.
Raw and packaging materials purchased by Unilever and packaging materials purchased by collaborative manufacturers supplying Unilever’s
Business Groups, are recorded based on supplier invoices and product specification information. Where supplier invoices or product specification
information are not available for packaging materials purchased by third parties, volumes are estimated using extrapolation of existing data
(representing circa 1% of total raw and packaging materials purchased by Unilever and third parties).
For water consumption volumes, refer to Water Consumption metrics on page 253.
Resource inflows metrics: Biological materials that are sustainably sourced
Measured based on tonnes of biological raw and packaging materials purchased by Unilever. Biological material volumes are calculated based
on supplier invoices, and then mapped to tonnes of feedstock material e.g. chocolate is decomposed into x% cocoa, y% dairy and z% sugar. Water
consumed in Unilever operations is not included in the measurement.
Sustainable sources are defined as either raw materials which are produced according to third-party certification and aligned to Unilever’s
Sustainable Agricultural Principles (48%); or purchased from non-sustainable sources but matched to credits which represent verified sustainably
sourced raw materials (12%) e.g. soy (RTRS credits), cane sugar (Bonsucro credits) and RSPO credits for palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Resource inflows metrics
2024
Total weight of products and technical and biological materials used (million tonnes)(a)
32
Biological materials used that are sustainably sourced as a percentage of biological materials used (%)
60%
Total weight of secondary materials used (million tonnes)
1
Secondary material used as a percentage of total weight of products and technical and biological materials used (%)
2%
(a) Comprises 47% tonnes of raw and packaging materials purchased for Unilever operations and collaborative manufacturing and 53% water consumed in operations.
Resource Outflows
Products and materials
Description of resource outflows
Resource outflows include consumer products, the packaging materials used to contain or protect them, and waste materials. Consumer
products include food, beauty, personal care and home care products. Packaging materials include plastic, paper and board, glass and
aluminium.
Exclusions: Our products are designed to be consumed, such as food, or to deliver benefits to the consumer and then pass into wastewater,
such as shampoo or laundry detergent. As such, repairability and durability are not relevant concepts.
Product and material metrics
Measured based on tonnes of packaging materials purchased for Unilever operations and collaborative manufacturing.
Packaging materials purchased by Unilever and collaborative manufacturers supplying Unilever’s Business Groups are recorded based on
supplier invoices and product specification information. Where supplier invoices or product specification information are not available for
packaging materials purchased by third parties, volumes are estimated using extrapolation of existing data (representing circa 6% of total
packaging materials purchased by Unilever and third parties).
Recyclability is assessed using data from various sources, such as governmental organisations (for recycling and recovery rates), industry
consortiums and packaging recycling organisations. This reflects the technical potential to recycle a packaging material.
Exclusions: Product recyclability is not a materially relevant concept for our consumer products and is therefore excluded from the metric.
The percentage of our packaging that is recyclable using existing technology is set out below. Not all packaging that is technically recyclable will
actually be recycled, due to a lack of infrastructure. Our goal relating to the ‘actual recyclability’ of plastic packaging is included on page 259 and
our plastic packaging actions are outlined on page 258.
Product and material metrics
2024
Rate of recyclable content in packaging materials used by Unilever (%)
78%
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Waste
Description of waste composition
Waste streams relevant to the consumer goods sector include wastes from industrial processes, food waste and packaging waste.
Materials present in the waste generated by Unilever include raw materials used to manufacture products in various stages of processing,
such as food ingredients; packaging materials, such as plastic and paper; and waste from production processes, such as boiler ash.
Waste metrics
Waste is measured for all manufacturing sites and the majority of logistics and other sites. This is based on documentation, provided by waste
service providers, which breaks down the type of waste that has been collected, the amount, and the waste management route.
For the remaining sites, representing 5% of volumes, estimates are made for hazardous and non-hazardous waste based on measured sites and
site headcount or pallet position. It is assumed that all estimated hazardous waste is directed to disposal by incineration without energy recovery
and all estimated non-hazardous waste is directed to disposal by landfill.
Waste generated in own operations (thousands tonnes)
2024
Total waste generated
731
Hazardous waste diverted from disposal
25
For preparation for reuse
4
For recycling
11
For other recovery operations
10
Non-hazardous waste diverted from disposal
699
For preparation for reuse
196
For recycling
337
For other recovery operations
166
Hazardous waste directed to disposal
6
By incineration without energy recovery
4
By landfilling
2
By other disposal operations
0
Non-hazardous waste directed to disposal
1
By incineration without energy recovery
0
By landfilling
1
By other disposal operations
0
Non-recycled waste
183
Percentage of non-recycled waste (%)
25%
Total hazardous waste including radioactive waste
31
262
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Potential financial effects
We have considered our most material resource use and circular economy-related risks under two nature scenarios: High Nature Degradation and
High Nature Preservation. Further detail on these scenarios is set out on page 254. The approach taken to this analysis is the same as the process
set out in our climate scenario analysis on page 235, with the exception of the specific nature scenario selection.
The outcomes from this analysis are set out below.
EPR for packaging (transition risk)
Expansion of EPR schemes and plastic tax
€bn impact on net profit (as a % of net revenue)
Description
Assumptions
Scenario
Risk type
2030
2039
2050
The expansion of EPR
schemes, globally or to
countries currently considering
a scheme. Additionally, within
a High Nature Preservation
scenario, the introduction
of a global plastic tax.
Gross risk
The costs relating to EPR schemes apply
to all plastics within our packaging;
plastic tax applies to virgin plastic only.
High Nature Preservation: EPR
schemes expand to all countries by
2030 and a global plastic tax is levied
on virgin plastic production, growing
from USD 0 per tonne in 2030 to USD
1,000 per tonne in 2050.
High Nature Degradation: EPR
schemes expand only to countries
currently considering a scheme.
Net risk
Achieving our plastic goals reduces
exposure to EPR costs and the
volume of virgin plastic exposed to
a potential tax.
High Nature
Preservation
Gross
-0.5 (-0.8%)
-1.2 (-1.5%)
-2.8 (-2.6%)
Net
-0.4 (-0.7%)
-0.9 (-1.1%)
-1.9 (-1.7%)
High Nature
Degradation
Gross
-0.4 (-0.7%)
-0.7 (-0.9%)
-1.5 (-1.4%)
Net
-0.4 (-0.6%)
-0.7 (-0.8%)
-1.3 (-1.2%)
EPR for packaging (transition risk)
Increased bans on plastic packaging
Description
Assumptions
Risk type
Description
Increased bans on plastic
packaging, affecting all
markets in the High Nature
Preservation scenario and
some markets in the High
Nature Degradation scenario.
Gross risk
Plastic packaging bans are introduced
in certain markets:
High Nature Preservation: Global
initiatives to phase out and ban some
types of packaging, with viable
alternatives made available.
High Nature Degradation:
Introduction of bans for some types of
packaging before viable alternatives
exist, in countries with high plastic
pollution.
Net risk
Achieving our goals to reduce plastic
packaging use, enhance recyclability,
and improve waste collection,
recycling, and reuse infrastructure.
Gross
High Nature Preservation: Global initiatives for the
management of waste streams via EPR schemes are
implemented by 2030. From 2030 onwards, additional
global criteria to define bans for some types of
packaging are established, increasing packaging costs
where viable alternatives remain more expensive.
High Nature Degradation: Country policies are
fragmented; packaging bans are more likely in nations
affected by high plastic pollution, reducing revenues in
these markets.
Net
Both scenarios: We achieve 100% reusable, recyclable
or compostable plastic packaging goals by 2035 for
flexibles, minimising exposure to bans and protecting
revenues, while advocating for global rules and
harmonised regulation.
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EU Taxonomy Disclosures
OVERVIEW
The EU Taxonomy regulation sets out the reporting obligations to
be included in the sustainability statement. The regulation outlines
certain activities, referred to as ’eligible’ and ’aligned’ activities. For
the financial year 2024, businesses need to assess whether they have
eligible and aligned activities within each of the six environmental
objectives: i) climate change mitigation, ii) climate change adaptation,
iii) sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources,
iv) transition to a circular economy, v) pollution prevention and control,
and vi) protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.
If the eligible activities are considered to make a substantial
contribution to an objective and do no significant harm in accordance
with the criteria set out in the regulations, then they are designated as
’aligned’ as long as the business also meets a minimum set of criteria
with respect to human rights, bribery and corruption, taxation and
fair competition. Using the current list of eligible activities and the
alignment criteria, we have reviewed the Group’s turnover, capital
expenditure and operating expenditure (as defined by the EU
Taxonomy) to identify the extent of any eligible and aligned activities
within our business. The outcome of our review is presented below.
The EU Taxonomy remains a work in progress and in creating the
current list of environmentally sustainable activities, the European
Commission has not yet considered the FMCG industry in which the
Group operates, focusing instead on the more carbon-intensive
industries where it believes there is the most potential for climate
change mitigation or adaptation.
TURNOVER KPI
For the year ended 31 December 2024, none of our turnover related to
eligible activities, as detailed in our consolidated income statement on
page 138. Therefore, none of our turnover can be classified as aligned.
OPERATING EXPENDITURE KPI
As per the EU Taxonomy, operating expenditure is defined as directly
incurred, non-capitalised costs relating to research and development,
building renovations, short-term leases, or the repair and maintenance
of property, plant and equipment. For the year ended 31 December
2024, we did not identify any material operating expenditure in respect
to eligible activities. As a consequence, none of our operating
expenditure can be classified as aligned.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE KPI
For the year ended 31 December 2024, as set out in our consolidated
financial statements, 15.1% of our capital expenditure related to eligible
activities. This includes all additions to intangible assets as detailed in
note 9 on page 160 and all additions to tangible assets (both leased
and owned) as detailed in note 10 on page 163. Those additions
include those resulting from business combinations and are before
depreciation, amortisation and any re-measurements.
We have identified eligible activities that relate to i) climate change
mitigation, iii) sustainable use and protection of water and marine
resources and iv) transition to a circular economy. The majority of this
relates to the acquisition of buildings as shown in the tables below.
There are no eligible activities in respect of v) pollution prevention
and control, and vi) protection and restoration of biodiversity and
ecosystems.
We have determined that none of this eligible capital expenditure can
be classified as aligned as they do not make a substantial contribution
to climate change mitigation objective. The principal reason is that we
do not have sufficiently detailed documentation to support the criteria.
We meet the minimum set of criteria with respect to human rights,
corruption and bribery, taxation and fair competition. This has been
determined by assessing our internal policies against the minimum
criteria and reviewing any breaches or violations identified in the
reporting period.
Taxonomy-eligible but not Taxonomy-aligned activities
€ Million
Climate change mitigation
4.1 – Electricity generation using solar photovoltaic technology
5.7
4.16 – Installation and operation of electric heat pumps
1.9
4.24 – Production of heat/cool from bioenergy
1.1
5.2 – Renewal of water collection, treatment and supply systems
1.0
6.5 – Transport by motorbikes, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles
3.1
7.1 – Construction of new buildings(a)
8.6
7.2 – Renovation of existing buildings(a)
21.6
7.3 – Installation, maintenance and repair of energy efficiency equipment
6.8
7.7 – Acquisition and ownership of buildings
385.4
8.1 – Data processing, hosting and related activities
1.3
Sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources
2.1 – Water supply
1.3
Transition to a circular economy,
5.1 – Repair, refurbishment and remanufacturing
0.9
Total Taxonomy-eligible but not Taxonomy-aligned activities
438.7
(a) Capital expenditure for those eligible activities are also eligible under the objective ’Transition to a circular economy’ however they are all allocated to Climate
Change to avoid double counting.
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Proportion of capital expenditure from products or services associated with Taxonomy-aligned economic
activities – disclosure covering the year ended 31 December 2024
Financial year
2024
Substantial contribution criteria
DNSH criteria ('Does
Not Significantly Harm')
Economic activities
(1)
Code
(2)
Million
%
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
in %
E
T
A. TAXONOMY-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
A.1. Environmentally sustainable activities (Taxonomy-aligned)
Capital expenditure of
environmentally sustainable
activities (Taxonomy-aligned)
(A.1)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
Of which enabling
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
E
Of which transitional
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
T
A.2. Taxonomy-eligible but not environmentally sustainable activities (not Taxonomy-aligned activities)
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
4.1 – Electricity
generation using solar
photovoltaic
technology
CCM
4.1
5.7
0.2%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
0.6%
4.16 – Installation and
operation of electric
heat pumps
CCM
4.16
1.9
0.1%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
0.1%
4.24 – Production of
heat/cool from
bioenergy
CCM
4.24
1.1
0.1%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
0.2%
5.2 – Renewal of water
collection, treatment
and supply systems
CCM.
5.2
1.0
—%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
—%
6.5 – Transport by
motorbikes, passenger
cars and light
commercial vehicles
CCM
6.5
3.1
0.1%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
0.1%
7.1 – Construction of
new buildings
CCM
7.1,
CE
3.1
8.6
0.3%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
EL
N/EL
—%
7.2 – Renovation of
existing buildings
CCM
7.2,
CE
3.2
21.6
0.8%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
EL
N/EL
0.2%
7.3 – Installation,
maintenance and
repair of energy
efficiency equipment
CCM
7.3
6.8
0.2%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
0.4%
7.7 – Acquisition and
ownership of buildings
CCM
7.7
385.4
13.3%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
16.1%
8.1 – Data processing,
hosting and related
activities
CCM
8.1
1.3
—%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
—%
2.1 – Water supply
WTR
2.1
1.3
—%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
—%
5.1 - Repair,
refurbishment and
remanufacturing
CE
5.1
0.9
—%
EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
—%
Capital expenditure of
Taxonomy-eligible but not
environmentally
sustainable activities (not
Taxonomy-aligned
activities) (A.2)
438.7
15.1%
%
—%
%
—%
%
%
17.7%
A. Capital expenditure of
Taxonomy-eligible activities
(A.1+A.2)
438.7
15.1%
%
—%
%
—%
%
%
17.7%
B .TAXONOMY-NON-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditure of
Taxonomy-non-eligible
activities
2,464.1
84.9%
TOTAL
2,902.8
100%
Climate Change
Mitigation (5)
Climate Change
Adaption (6)
Water (7)
Pollution (8)
Circular Economy (9)
Biodiversity (10)
Climate Change
Mitigation (11)
Climate Change
Adaption (12)
Water (13)
Pollution (14)
Circular Economy (15)
Biodiversity (16)
Minimum
safeguards (17)
Proportion of taxonomy
aligned (A.1.) or eligible
(A.2.) Capex 2023 (18)
Category enabling
activity (19)
Category transitional
activity (20)
Proportion of capital
expenditure, year
2024 (4)
Capital expenditure (3)
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Proportion of operating expenses from products or services associated with Taxonomy-aligned economic
Proportion of Taxonomy
-aligned (A.1.) or -eligible (A.2.)
operating expenses 2023 (18)
activities – disclosure for the year ended 31 December 2024
Financial
year
2024
Substantial contribution criteria
DNSH criteria ('Does Not Significantly Harm')
Economic
activities
(1)
Code (2)
Operating
expenses
(3)
Proportion
of
operating
expenses,
year 2024
(4)
€ Million
%
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
%
E
T
A. TAXONOMY-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
A.1. Environmentally sustainable activities (Taxonomy-aligned)
Operating expenses
of Taxonomy-
eligible but not
environmentally
sustainable
activities (not
Taxonomy-aligned
activities) (A.2)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
Of which enabling
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
E
Of which
transitional
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
T
A.2. Taxonomy-eligible but not environmentally sustainable activities (not Taxonomy-aligned activities)
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
Operating expenses
of Taxonomy-
eligible but not
environmentally
sustainable
activities (not
Taxonomy-aligned
activities) (A.2)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
A. Operating
expenses of
Taxonomy-eligible
activities (A.1+A.2)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
B. TAXONOMY-NON-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
Operating expenses
of Taxonomy-non-
eligible activities
1,546.0
100%
TOTAL
1,546.0
100%
Climate Change
Mitigation (5)
Climate Change
Adaption (6)
Water (7)
Pollution (8)
Circular Economy (9)
Biodiversity (10)
Climate Change
Mitigation (11)
Climate Change
Adaption (12)
Water (13)
Pollution (14)
Circular Economy (15)
Biodiversity (16)
Minimum Safeguards (17)
Category enabling
activity (19)
Category transitional
activity (20)
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ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURES
Proportion of turnover from products or services associated with Taxonomy-aligned economic activities –
disclosure for the year ended 31 December 2024
Financial
year
2024
Substantial contribution criteria
DNSH criteria ('Does Not Significantly Harm')
Economic
activities
(1)
Code
(2)
Turnover
(3)
Proportion
of
turnover
2024 (4)
€ Million
%
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y; N;
N/EL
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
Y/N
%
E
T
A. TAXONOMY-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
A.1. Environmentally sustainable activities (Taxonomy-aligned)
Turnover of
environmentally
sustainable
activities
(Taxonomy-
aligned) (A.1)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
Of which enabling
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
E
Of which
transitional
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
-%
T
A.2. Taxonomy-eligible but not environmentally sustainable activities (not Taxonomy-aligned activities)
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
N/EL
Turnover of
Taxonomy-
eligible but not
environmentally
sustainable
activities (not
Taxonomy-
aligned activities)
(A.2)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
A. Turnover of
Taxonomy-
eligible activities
(A.1+A.2)
0
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
-%
B .TAXONOMY-NON-ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES
Turnover of
Taxonomy-non-
eligible activities
60,761
100%
TOTAL
60,761
100%
Climate Change
Mitigation (5)
Climate Change
Adaption (6)
Water (7)
Pollution (8)
Circular Economy (9)
Biodiversity (10)
Climate Change
Mitigation (11)
Climate Change
Adaption (12)
Water (13)
Pollution (14)
Circular Economy (15)
Biodiversity (16)
Minimum
Safeguards (17)
Proportion of Taxonomy
-aligned (A.1.) or -eligible
(A.2.) operating expenses,
2023 (18)
Category enabling
activity (19)
Category transitional
activity (20)
Nuclear and fossil gas-related activities – disclosure for the year ended 31 December 2024
Nuclear energy-related activities
1.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to research, development, demonstration and deployment of innovative
electricity generation facilities that produce energy from nuclear processes with minimal waste from the fuel cycle.
No
2.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to construction and safe operation of new nuclear installations to produce
electricity or process heat, including for the purposes of district heating or industrial processes such as hydrogen
production, as well as their safety upgrades, using best available technologies.
No
3.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to safe operation of existing nuclear installations that produce electricity or
process heat, including for the purposes of district heating or industrial processes such as hydrogen production from
nuclear energy, as well as their safety upgrades.
No
Fossil gas-related activities
4.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to construction or operation of electricity generation facilities that produce
electricity using fossil gaseous fuels.
No
5.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to construction, refurbishment and operation of combined heat/cool and
power generation facilities using fossil gaseous fuels.
No
6.
Unilever carries out, funds or has exposures to construction, refurbishment and operation of heat generation facilities that
produce heat/cool using fossil gaseous fuels.
No
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
Social Disclosures
Our business is supported by over 120,000 individuals working in
factories, offices, distribution warehouses, R&D centres and customer-
facing roles. The scope of our Social disclosures includes:
Own workforce: Unilever employees, i.e. those in a direct employment
relationship with Unilever according to national law or practice, and
non-employees, i.e. contractors working for Unilever, such as self-
employed individuals or those provided by employment agencies.
Value chain: People employed by Unilever’s business partners, as
detailed in our general information on page 224.
Affected communities: Individuals and local communities, including
Indigenous people, living or working in areas impacted by Unilever’s
operations or value chain activities.
Consumers and end-users: The 3.4 billion people who use our
products every day.
SOCIAL MATERIAL IMPACTS, RISKS AND
OPPORTUNITIES
The process for assessing and identifying our material impacts, risks
and opportunities (IROs) is informed by our double materiality
assessment as detailed in our general information on page 226.
In identifying our material IROs, we have considered all groups of
people who are in the scope of our disclosures, as set out above, and
considered all topics connected to our strategy and business model.
The Board engages regularly with our workforce and Unilever’s Supply
Chain and Procurement teams maintain communication with our
business partners, including those communities that may have been
affected by Unilever operations or value chain. This feedback provides
a key input into our double materiality assessment.
In March 2024, Unilever announced a comprehensive productivity
programme, which is expected to affect 7,500 office-based roles
globally. The programme aims to reduce complexity and drive
efficiencies through technology-led interventions, process
standardisation and centralisation. The impacts of this programme
have been considered through our double materiality assessment
as we recognise that the retention of talent throughout this period
is an important factor when considering the risks to our workforce.
For each of our principal risks, including those relating to talent and the
quality and safety of our products, we reviewed the risk management
frameworks detailing risk descriptions and mitigating controls in place.
These frameworks are updated annually and monitored throughout the
year to identify changes in the risk profile.
When reviewing the social matters that are most material to us, we
consider the concept of impact materiality to be interchangeable with
saliency. Therefore, the identification of our material IROs considers our
human rights impacts based on our salient human rights issues. These
are defined by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and
Human Rights (UNGPs) as ’the human rights that are at risk of the most
severe negative impacts through a company’s activities or business
relationships’.
In 2023, we completed an external review working with a human rights
management consultancy, in consultation with our key stakeholder
groups, including our affected communities, to assess both existing and
emerging human rights issues. This review concluded that our salient
human rights issues are:
Bullying and harassment;
Discrimination;
Fair wages and income;
Forced labour;
Freedom of association and collective bargaining;
Health;
Land rights (including Indigenous rights); and
Working hours.
Each of these issues is viewed through multiple lenses, including
gender, climate transition impacts and type of operations, to
understand the influence that these have on access to human rights.
We aim to identify, understand and assess potential and actual impacts
to people, as well as the root causes of impacts, so that these are
effectively addressed. We also work to prevent potential impacts from
becoming actual impacts, while monitoring for new and emerging
human rights issues. This is detailed further in our approach to human
rights section on page 270.
We regularly review human rights issues to ensure our approach
remains focused on saliency. While child labour is not one of Unilever’s
global salient human rights issues, it remains a key focus at a regional
and commodity-specific level, such as child labour prevention initiatives
in our cocoa supply chain in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Our Business Group strategies incorporate processes for identifying
potential impacts, risks and opportunities related to our consumers.
These strategies are supported by our Unmissable Brand Superiority
framework and the 6Ps – product, packaging, proposition, promotion,
place and pricing – which drive brand innovation. Product safety is
fundamental to our business and is governed by our Safe Product
Framework. This framework includes assessing raw materials, product
design and development, and manufacturing processes, with special
consideration for vulnerable populations where relevant. Customer,
channel (including marketing) and regulatory risks (e.g. sugar taxes)
are also identified and managed through our enterprise risk processes.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
SOCIAL DISCLOSURES
The output of our 2024 DMA for our social impacts, risks and opportunities is included below:
OWN WORKFORCE AND WORKERS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Talent
Risk
(OO)
Unilever’s success depends on our ability to attract, develop and retain diverse talent,
especially in competitive emerging markets. It is crucial to maintain a skilled and
adaptable workforce. Failure to do so could make it more difficult to manage the
business and could adversely affect operations and financial results. We recognise the
importance of cultivating a strong reputation for skills development to help position
Unilever as a top employer.
Capability building across our
value chain to improve
livelihoods †
Positive Impact
(VC)
Unilever supports people in our value chain, including smallholder farmers, to improve
their livelihoods. This includes building capability around employment practices and
income diversification.
Salient human rights issues
Bullying and harassment
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Bullying and harassment are more likely to arise where there is an imbalance of power
in a relationship or where people are in a situation of vulnerability. In addition, this may
happen where the prevailing culture, context or law discriminates against certain
groups. Bullying and harassment may occur within our own operations and value
chain, which could have a significant negative impact on an individual’s physical and
mental wellbeing, their families and the wider community.
Discrimination
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Discrimination is the absence of equality of opportunity and treatment, and occurs
when a person is treated differently on the basis of protected characteristics.1
Discrimination may occur in our own operations and value chain. In workplaces,
discrimination may occur in the processes leading up to hiring and following
termination of employment, as well as during employment. Along with significant
impacts on the individual, discrimination has wider social and economic consequences.
Forced labour
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Forced labour is defined as ‘all work or service which is exacted from any person under
the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself
voluntarily’. While some situations are immediately identifiable as forced labour (such
as being forced to work through the use of violence), others are more subtle (such as
debt bondage, retention of identity papers or involuntary overtime). Forced labour has
significant physical, mental and economic impacts on individuals and could occur in
our own operations or value chain, in particular where workers utilise the services of
recruitment agencies to secure a job.
Fair wages2 and income
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Without receiving a fair wage or income, people are unable to meet their basic needs.
Providing employees and workers in the value chain with fair wages or incomes,
including payment of a living wage, can have a significant impact on their livelihoods.
Working hours
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
The number of hours worked, the way in which they are organised, and the availability
of rest periods can significantly affect not only the quality of work, but also mental and
physical health as well as income. Workers in our own operations or our value chain
may be impacted by longer working hours. Workers in our value chain may be
particularly impacted by longer working hours, especially where wages are low and the
work is performed on an informal or seasonal basis (such as agriculture).
Health
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Everyone has the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Negative
impacts on health may occur within our own operations, value chain and communities
in which we operate, including from poor health and safety processes and unsafe
working conditions.
Freedom of association and
collective bargaining
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
All workers should be free to form or join a union of their choice, seek representation
and collectively bargain, all without the fear of intimidation, harassment or obtaining
prior approvals. Lack of freedom of association may occur within our own operations
and value chain, particularly where there are local laws restricting these rights.
1. Protected characteristics include race, age, role, gender, gender identity, colour, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, marital status, dependents, disability,
social class, political views or any other class protected by law.
2. A fair wage or income supports an individual’s right to adequate living standards. Fair wages are determined using multiple dimensions, including consideration of
OO  Own Operations
VC    Value Chain
†      Entity-Specific Disclosure
OO  Own Operations
VC    Value Chain
†      Entity-Specific Disclosure
the hours worked, the pay systems used, the information workers receive in advance about their pay, and how this information is communicated. A living wage is the
remuneration a worker receives for a standard working week in a particular location, sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and their family.
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AFFECTED COMMUNITIES
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Salient human rights issues
Land rights, including
Indigenous rights
Negative Impact
(OO) (VC)
Land is a source of livelihood for many and is also linked with people’s identities,
culture and social status, which are protected by legal or customary rights.
Communities connected to the areas where we operate, source, and conduct business
may be affected by land rights issues. Our operations or our value chain actors could
be associated with land transactions involving land appropriation or insufficient
consultations with rightsholders.
CONSUMERS AND END-USERS
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Safe products
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Unsafe products could result in financial loss as a result of:
Product formulation and packaging not meeting Unilever's safety standards;
Formulation ingredients and packaging being accidentally or maliciously
contaminated, compromising product integrity and potentially impacting the
consumer; or
Product labelling not aligning with laws and regulations, or lacking transparency,
resulting in consumers not having the relevant information to make decisions about
our products or being at risk of harm to their health.
Marketing to children
Negative Impact
(VC)
Inappropriate marketing to children can lead to children increasingly being exposed
to  advertising of foods high in sugar, fat or salt, particularly through children's
widespread use of social media. This may contribute to childhood obesity epidemic.
Nutritional product quality †
Risk
(VC)
Regulatory restrictions may be imposed on the sale and marketing of food products
that do not meet certain nutritional requirements. In many markets, consumers are
also increasingly focused on products that combine great taste and health with limited
salt, sugar, saturated fats and calories, as well as provide positive nutrition such as
proteins, vitamins and minerals, fibre and vegetables. While we are diversifying our
product portfolio to respond to new demands and increased restrictions, this could
impact our revenue growth in the short term.
Product innovation as a
response to changing demand †
Opportunity
(VC)
Consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability issues and there is a growing
demand for sustainable products that do not compromise on performance or
affordability. Unilever's Research and Development function continues to focus
on and innovate products that respond to these challenges, which provides an
opportunity to create a competitive advantage and revenue growth.
OO  Own Operations
VC    Value Chain
†        Entity-Specific Disclosure
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APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Our commitment to respect human rights extends across our
operations and value chain. Following the operational principles of the
UNGPs, we seek to identify, address and remediate potential and actual
human rights impacts.
Our human rights due diligence considers where potential or actual
impacts are most severe, and encompasses a wide range of
rightsholders including:
Our employees and workers at our own sites, including factories,
offices, warehouses and research and development laboratories
(own workforce).
Workers employed by our business partners, including manufacturing
facilities, laboratories and refineries, as well as professional service
providers (value chain).
Agricultural workers and smallholder farmers growing and
harvesting crops as ingredients in our products (value chain).
Drivers and transport operators who ensure our products reach our
customers (value chain).
Retail employees selling our products to customers (value chain).
Individuals and communities that live in and around our own sites
and those of our business partners (affected communities).
Those impacted by our brands and our products (consumers).
Human rights policies
Unilever’s Human Rights Policy Statement is a comprehensive
framework developed in line with the UNGPs, the International Bill
of Human Rights,1 and the principles concerning fundamental rights
set out in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We support the OECD
Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which provide voluntary
principles and standards for responsible business conduct, including
employment and industrial relations and guidance on effective human
rights due diligence.
Our Human Rights Policy Statement outlines our approach to
embedding respect for human rights into how we operate and
recognises the importance of engagement with rightsholders,
particularly those who may be at greater risk of negative human rights
impacts. This includes women, migrant workers, under-represented
communities and human rights defenders.
Own workforce
As detailed in our general information section on page 229, Unilever’s
Code and Code policies apply to all material sustainability matters,
including Human Rights.
Our Respect, Dignity and Fair Treatment Code policy sets out how we
will respect employees’ human rights by:
Recruiting, employing and promoting employees on the sole basis of
the qualifications and abilities needed for the work to be performed.
Not engaging in any direct or indirect behaviour that could be
construed as harassment or bullying.
Providing employees with a living wage, ensuring that they can meet
their everyday needs.
Not using any form of forced, compulsory, trafficked or child labour.
Respecting the dignity of the individual and the right of employees
to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Our Occupational Health & Safety Code policy sets out our individual
and shared responsibilities for health and safety. Team leaders have
overall operational responsibility for health and safety and must:
establish and maintain appropriate systems;
identify and manage hazards and risks;
report incidents in line with mandatory KPIs (incident reporting,
process safety incidents, fire incidents and safe travel); and
ensure appropriate communications and training is provided to our
own workforce.
We expect all employees to take responsibility for their safety and those
around them by acting in accordance with the Code.
Value chain
Unilever’s business partners are required to follow a supplier code
of conduct, outlined in the Responsible Partner Policy (RPP). This
includes meeting or exceeding integrity and ethics, human rights
and environment-related requirements, and addressing any negative
impacts that are identified. The Human Rights Principles of the RPP are
aligned with the relevant ILO Conventions and include requirements
that cover all of our salient human rights issues, including forced labour
(human trafficking), and child labour. The RPP also requires that
business partners have systems and processes in place to ensure they
are not at risk of breaching the RPP.
Business partners are mandated to cascade equivalent requirements
within their supply chain and carry out their own human rights
due diligence. In addition to the RPP, Unilever’s People & Nature Policy
requires in-scope third parties to:
Conduct human rights due diligence (HRDD) within their own
operations and supply chains.
Develop and embed effective management systems to meet the
requirements of the RPP and People & Nature Policy.
Demonstrate compliance with the policy’s principles through
independent verification.
Further information on the policies that apply to our business partners
is included in our Environmental policies section on page 232.
Affected communities
The RPP sets out our expectations of business partners regarding
the rights and title to the property and land of individuals and local
communities, including Indigenous peoples. Our People & Nature Policy
outlines our recognition of Indigenous peoples and local communities,
and our support for open dialogue and communication channels
enabling all voices to be heard.
In 2023, we published our Principles in Support of Human Rights Defenders
(HRDs), acknowledging their important role, particularly those active in the
communities where we operate and source from. These principles recognise
the vulnerability of HRDs to potential and actual impacts and the need for
safe and meaningful dialogue with them.
Human rights governance
Our approach is to embed respect for human rights across our business
by implementing the UNGPs. Our human rights governance and policy
implementation is led from the top, overseen by our CEO and supported
by the ULE. The ULE is consulted on human rights issues where the
severity of a potential or actual impact is high, where a business-critical
decision needs to be taken, or where substantial financial investment
may be required to address an impact.
The Unilever Board of Directors oversees policies in relation to the
Company’s due diligence actions and considers inputs from various
stakeholders. Additional board-level oversight of the Responsible
Partner Policy is provided by the Corporate Responsibility Committee.
We continue to embed responsibility for our human rights commitment
across all parts of our business. Central business functions, including
the Sustainability, Procurement and Legal teams, provide guidance and
support to respond to our salient human rights issues. This includes
capability building, as well as identifying potential and actual human
rights impacts, and creating action plans to prevent, mitigate and
remediate potential and actual impacts. We also collaborate with
business partners, peers, industry associations, civil society and others
to coordinate efforts and promote collective industry change.
Engaging on human rights impacts
Engagement with rightsholders and relevant stakeholders is an
essential part of our approach to identifying and assessing potential
and actual human rights impacts both within our own operations and
our value chain. We engage with stakeholders in a variety of ways, both
directly and through credible proxies, including conducting interviews
with direct and third-party workers during site audit processes and
human rights impact assessments. Further information on engagement
with rightsholders is included on page 74.
We also use technology solutions, including mobile-hosted apps such
as diginex and Quizrr, to gather workers’ views, provide value chain
workers with access to learning materials, and help them become more
aware of their rights. In addition, we engage with rightsholders via
grievance mechanisms to understand concerns and issues and, where
appropriate, provide remedy.
We work extensively with trade unions (IUF and IndustriAll), including
through joint working groups and formal consultations, as well as
through the day-to-day interactions that our leadership teams have
with union representatives in the workplace. The Memorandum of
Understanding that we have with the IUF and IndustriAll confirms our
commitment to biannual meetings and communications between
meetings as required. These meetings are an engagement between
Unilever’s senior executives, industrial relations leaders and union
representatives, and allow us to address human and trade union rights
arising within our operations and set the tone for local management/
trade union relations.
1. Consisting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
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Human rights due diligence
We apply a standard approach to human rights due diligence for all our
operations. In cases where issues of violence and conflict are identified,
we carry out heightened human rights due diligence. We have adopted
elements of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and
are signatories to the UN Global Compact Business for Peace Initiative.
We adhere to strict security standards for our facilities and have
performance measures in place to ensure that our approach is
appropriate for the situation. Where there is a risk of Unilever causing,
contributing to, or being linked to potential or actual impacts to both
people and conflict situations, we carry out heightened human rights
due diligence. This follows established internal processes to determine
the most appropriate course of action, including escalating
recommendations to senior leaders when required.
Where issues are identified at a business partner level, we engage with
them to create and implement corrective action plans and build their
awareness and capability on the relevant issue in line with the UNGPs.
However, there are cases where Unilever will cease sourcing from a
business partner if they are unwilling or unable to address the issue. In
2024, we developed internal guidelines for responsible disengagement
as a reference document that teams across the business can use when
making commercial decisions. The guidelines, which align with the
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, includes tools that
ensure consideration is given to the potential impacts to people in
our value chains when considering exiting a country, region or sector.
Human rights due diligence is also integral to our mergers and
acquisitions process. During the pre-acquisition phase, we assess
the robustness of policies, processes and management systems to
ensure respect for human rights both within the entity’s operations and
throughout its value chain. Post-acquisition, we conduct onboarding
processes that include developing a corrective action plan with the
new entity to address gaps identified during the pre-acquisition phase
and integrating the new entity into Unilever’s compliance systems.
Taking action to address potential and actual human
rights impacts
Unilever responds to identified negative human rights impacts with
consideration of several factors, including the location of the issue
(own operations or value chain) and our leverage. Our actions
to address potential human rights impacts, often carried out in
partnership with peer companies and expert partners, include:
Embedding effective management systems across our own
operations;
Delivering training and capability building; and
Participating in advocacy and multi-stakeholder collaborations
to address root causes and promote systemic change.
We have created a structured approach to addressing our salient
human rights issues through our framework on salient issues. The
purpose of the framework is to:
Ensure our approach to each salient issue follows a similar model;
Provide a global framework for each issue from which local
approaches can be adapted;
Enable us to address issues in a consistent manner with consolidated
reporting;
Define clearer articulation and coordination across issues and areas
of intervention;
More easily prioritise action and resources; and
Share clear impact assessment metrics and KPIs internally and
measure/report on progress.
For each issue identified, the framework captures who is impacted, how
many people are affected, the root cause of the issues, the vision and
outcome we want to deliver, and the targeted area of intervention.
Examples of actions taken in 2024 include:
Partnering with an external provider to develop a programme aimed
at strengthening business partners human rights due diligence and
improving workers' access to their rights. The programme was
launched in Thailand, India, Mexico, and Brazil. We partnered with
&Wider and 60 decibels to collect baseline data so we can track
improvements over time.
Collaborating with other brand members of the AIM-Progress
Responsible Recruitment Working Group and human rights
consultancy Embode to continue executing the Ganapati Project.
This included providing training and advisory services to help
suppliers manage and update recruitment practices and improve
communication channels.
Partnering with Coca-Cola, the International Organization for
Migration, and diginex, supported by the Bonsucro Impact Fund, to
gather insights from sugarcane sector workers on their experiences
and day-to-day work life. Using this data, diginex aims to understand
workers challenges and influence policy development, helping to
identify how factors such as gender, migration status and other
variables may influence their potential exploitation.
Monitoring actions relating to human rights
We publish regular updates on our actions to manage potential and
actual human rights impacts through our website, Unilever.com.
Additionally, we publish business partner audit reports to track the
progress of our value chain monitoring activities.
We take steps to monitor the effectiveness of our policies in embedding
respect for human rights both within our own operations and across our
value chain. This is managed through a number of programmes and
committees, including the Global Code and Policy Committee for our
own operations, and the Procurement Business Integrity Committee for
our supply chain.
We have established a human rights impact measurement framework
to consistently report on the impact of our work and the effectiveness
of our human rights due diligence approach. We are also an active
member of the AIM-Progress Impact Measurement Working Group,
with the goal of aligning on common impact KPIs to simplify reporting
and reduce the burden on suppliers for data collection. Data will be
published regularly through our human rights reporting to show
progress against these impact measures.
Modern slavery
To meet the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we publish
our Modern Slavery Statement annually, which is approved by the
Board. This statement explains the steps taken to prevent, detect and
respond to modern slavery impacts in our business and value chain. We
take a multidimensional approach to identifying and understanding
potential and actual forced labour impacts considering several sources,
including: external risk indicators calculated by Verisk Maplecroft based
on country-level analysis of forced labour risk; insights from teams in
local markets; supplier self-assessments through our Responsible
Sourcing Programme; and from carrying out heightened human rights
due diligence where appropriate. In 2024, our work was mainly focused
in Malaysia and Thailand, in addition to continuing projects in India and
Indonesia. We also began developing action plans for Saudi Arabia and
the United Arab Emirates, which we are implementing in 2025.
We disclose data about audit findings concerning potential and actual
modern slavery and forced labour impacts at our business partners’
sites in our annual Modern Slavery Statement. Additionally, we publish
audit findings related to indicators of child labour identified at Business
Partner sites in our Responsible Partner Policy audit update. This is
discussed further on page 280 in the Workers in the Value Chain section.
Metrics relating to severe human rights incidents in our own operations,
including incidents of forced labour, are included in our Own Workforce
disclosures on page 278.
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Own Workforce
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Social impacts, risks and opportunities resulting from the
double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by which these
were identified are detailed on page 267.
Policies
Unilever’s Code and Code Policies set out the global standards of
behaviour that we expect all employees to adhere to. They emphasise
our belief in a workplace where there is mutual trust and respect for
human rights and include specific non-retaliation policies for anyone
who raises concerns or alleged breaches of the Code. We cover this in
more detail in our Governance disclosures on page 287.
The Code Policies also detail how we manage our material IROs. In
particular, the Respect, Dignity and Fair Treatment, and Occupational
Health and Safety Code policies set out how we respect our employees
and their responsibilities towards each other. Further information is
available in the Human Rights policies section on page 270.
Non-employees (excluding contractors covered under the Code) are
required to adhere to Unilever's Responsible Partnership Policy (RPP).
Engaging with own workforce and workforce
representatives
Engaging with our own workforce
Unilever is committed to proactively engaging with our employees
globally. We recognise that our people have first-hand knowledge of
our business, as well as direct contact with our stakeholders. As a result,
our people are well positioned to give valuable insights and feedback
on all elements of our business, including identifying impacts on the
workforce, and business risks and opportunities.
As set out in the Board's Workforce Engagement Policy, we strive to
ensure engagement with our people is strategic and meaningful.
This means workforce engagement activities:
are planned in advance for the year to align with the agenda for
Board meetings;
cover our entire workforce demographic in terms of geography,
Business Group, function, length of service, diversity and work level/
seniority;
provide opportunities for employees to engage directly with senior
leaders, including our Non-Executive Directors;
use a variety of methods, including face-to-face sessions, employee
representatives, surveys and town hall meetings;
focus on Unilever’s strategic priorities and associated policies
(i.e. sustainability, living wage, flexible employment models, skills
training and diversity goals); and
provide an opportunity for our people to raise matters that are
relevant to them.
The ULE and the Board actively participate in workforce engagement
sessions, listening to employees and discussing focus topics. In 2024,
Non-Executive Directors participated in six workforce engagement
events covering a wide range of topics, including reward and
performance culture, inclusion, sustainability, and Unilever as an
employer of choice. In addition, around 50 employee events were led by
the CEO and Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE), as well as by business
unit, regional or functional leaders. These included regular interactive
global ‘town hall’ sessions with our CEO and ULE members, in which
our senior leaders inform our employees about our Growth Action Plan
and our progress during the year, and answer questions on issues of
concern to our workforce, such as the productivity programme. Leaders
also make periodic in-person visits to our sites around the world to meet
with our people and seek their feedback. At a market level, we hold
regular local leader-led virtual town hall meetings to engage with
employees on relevant topics and issues.
Our annual UniVoice survey is a key tool to understand employee
sentiment. It covers a broad range of topics including engagement,
leadership, line management, business integrity, growth mindset,
purpose and inspiration, wellbeing, career development and learning,
operational effectiveness, and diversity and inclusion. Almost 100,000
employees took part in our UniVoice survey in 2024 (75% engagement
in offices and 83% in factories). We publish highlights of the UniVoice
survey in our Annual Report, and leaders within the business are
responsible for taking follow-up actions. We also undertake a more
frequent interim ‘UniPulse’ survey, allowing more focused enquiry
around key themes, such as the ongoing productivity programme.
Engaging with workers’ representatives
As set out in our approach to human rights on page 270, we work
extensively with trade unions through joint working groups and formal
consultations.
We have both formal and informal consultations with unions and
works councils, in addition to the day-to-day interactions our leadership
teams have with union representatives in our factories. During 2024,
the main topics of discussion with our employee representatives,
including with the Unilever European Works Council, have been focused
on the company’s Growth Action Plan, embedding the performance
edge to our culture, and the planning and preparation for the
separation of our Ice Cream business, as well as wider restructuring to
achieve productivity gains. There have also been specific consultations
on some changes to the European factory network and the divestment
of Elida Beauty.
Effectiveness of engagement
We regularly report workforce engagement activities at Board meetings
to ensure feedback is factored into decision-making where appropriate.
This includes the completion rate and outcomes of key engagement
surveys, how such engagement informs the decisions it takes, and
informal feedback from employees on the effectiveness of engagement
sessions. A summary of Unilever’s workforce engagement activities for
2024 is set out in our Governance Report on page 72.
Processes to remediate impacts and channels to
raise concerns
Unilever’s Speak Up processes and remediation mechanisms are
detailed in our Governance section on page 288. This includes the
channels for our own workforce to raise concerns, the investigation
and resolution processes in place, as well as non-retaliation policies.
In addition to the Speak Up channels, we have established formal
processes globally to handle HR grievances relating to a variety of
workplace concerns. All material issues are channelled through the
Speak Up process and tracked to closure. Any HR grievances that are
not escalated through the Speak Up channels, i.e. not a breach of the
Code and Code policies, are not considered in scope for this disclosure.
Information regarding our approach to identifying and remediating
actual or potential human rights impacts is included on page 271.
Managing impacts and risks related to own workforce
Talent
We are the FMCG employer of choice for graduates and early career
talent in nine of our 19 biggest markets, as well as having the highest
number of followers on LinkedIn for our industry by the end of 2024. This
ability to attract, develop and retain a diverse range of skilled people is
critical in the delivery of our strategy and failure to do so could impact
the continued success and growth of our business. To maintain this
talent pipeline and our reputation as an employer of choice, we believe
it is critical for Unilever to continue focusing on the area outlined below.
Building an inclusive and diverse workforce
Our goal is to foster an inclusive workplace culture that unlocks the
potential of diverse teams to deliver high performance. To advance this
goal among our people, we are:
building a workforce that represents the communities we serve;
designing policies, processes and practices such as our Framework
for Fair Compensation policy; and
creating a culture where everyone belongs.
In 2024, our efforts have focused on three key areas:
Advancing our diversity and inclusion practices: We have developed
compelling engagement to celebrate International Awareness Days
that support Unilever’s culture and enable us to continue to build
core diversity and inclusion capabilities. We continue to build
employee networks across markets and functions to enable effective
collaboration internationally, such as proUd.
Focus on women representation at senior levels: Our talent
commitment is always ensuring we have the best talent for the role.
We continue our focus on increasing women’s representation at
senior leadership levels through having a balanced slate of
candidates in our appointments process as called out in our Talent
Appointment Principles.
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Commitment to complying to our core regulatory obligations: We are
building on our core regulatory reporting in this area through key
external indices, such as the Parker Review and FTSE Women Leaders
Review, under which we disclose the number of the Board, ULE and
ULE direct reports who identify as ethnic minorities.
Employee wellbeing
We support our employees’ purposeful, physical, mental and emotional
wellbeing through a variety of programmes. A localised network
of trained Mental Health Champion volunteers is in place and all
employees have access to a confidential Employee Assistance
Programme. We consider flexible working to be another lever to
improve the health and wellbeing of our workforce while managing
business demands. Our approach is a combination of global and local
initiatives, supported by local flexible working policies that embed
geography-specific legislation and cultural working styles.
Examples of wellbeing initiatives we run to support employees are:
Psychological safety training: We consider psychological safety
to be a key enabler in dialling up a performance culture and a
fundamental driver of wellbeing. We developed training for line
managers to build awareness of psychological safety. In 2024, over
2,500 line managers and 1,900 employees completed the training.
Our psychological safety score remains steady at a healthy 79%
favourability in our annual UniVoice employee survey.
Healthier U programme: Our global health programme supports our
employees whole-person health and wellbeing. This data-driven
approach offers tailored interventions and activities aimed at building
healthy habits to support employees in addressing health risks. To date,
Healthier U has reached over 50,000 employees across 56 countries.
Hybrid working: In 2023, we launched our Intentionally Hybrid
programme, which translates the core principles of trust, flexibility,
moments that matter and performance into actions that ensure
effective hybrid working, benefiting both Unilever and its employees.
Through this programme, we provide guidelines and toolkits to help
teams agree effective hybrid ways of working and be intentional
about flexible work patterns.
U-Work: The U-Work model offers flexible employment arrangements,
giving employees the freedom associated with contract roles while
still providing the security and benefits typically linked to permanent
roles. This allows us to access a pool of skilled people familiar with
Unilever without the hidden costs that often come with finding
freelance workers. The U-Work model has now been launched in
ten countries, and we plan to expand it during 2025, as well as
introducing other new employment models to meet different needs.
Competitive reward
To attract and retain skilled people, Unilever offers competitive reward
packages. Annually, we conduct a total reward benchmarking exercise
in the countries where we operate. This process involves reviewing our
pay and benefits against external peer groups, primarily consisting of
other FMCG, as well as industries from which we aim to attract talent,
such as technology and pharmaceuticals. This helps to ensure our
reward packages remain competitive against the market for pay,
benefits, short-term incentives (annual bonus) and long-term
incentives (share plans).
Learning
Unilever’s strategy relies on a skilled workforce, making continuous
upskilling and reskilling essential for business success and talent
risk mitigation. In 2024, we have continued to focus on developing
critical business skills to manage risks and build a strong talent
pipeline, including:
Customer Strategy & Planning (CSP): Through the CSP Accelerator,
we identified four key skills to better enable CSP teams to succeed
digital commerce, commercial strategy, data literacy and category
growth management. Upskilling of the CSP teams was provided
through a global CSP knowledge programme. Additionally, top
CSP leaders underwent individual assessments to create
personalised development plans based on skills, performance,
experience and leadership. Informed by the collective results of these
assessments, we established the CSP Nexus programme to address
common skill gaps and provide a leadership forum to enable global
CSP leaders to connect and learn from each other.
For office-based teams, we continued to develop stronger data
sets on employee skills (our ‘skills signal’) by inferring skill levels
through successful completion of flagship learning programmes,
skills development discussions during quarterly check-ins with line
managers, and regularly updating skills profiles. This data helps
identify suitable opportunities, shape development plans, and
future-proof the employability of our people.
To strengthen leadership, we launched two new Accelerator
Programmes: the work level (WL) 2C Accelerator for those with
potential to step into WL3 roles and the General Manager (GM)
Accelerator for leaders with potential for a GM role within the next
18 months. We launched our WL3 coaching programme, with over
1,600 directors completing a six-month coaching programme since
it started. Our flagship WL4+ programme has engaged 180 leaders
since 2019, incorporating real-world business challenges and market
visits to enhance leadership skills
AI and data skills: In 2024, we invested significantly in AI and data skills,
with nearly 20,000 employees engaging with AI learning programmes.
Bullying and harassment, discrimination, forced labour and
working hours
Unilever's Respect, Dignity and Fair Treatment Code policy sets out our
commitments in relation to bullying and harassment, discrimination,
forced labour and working hours. Any allegations of breaches regarding
these commitments would be treated as a Code breach.
As described in our Governance disclosures, we conduct annual
mandatory Code training for all employees. This regularly includes
training on how to recognise bullying and harassment, discrimination,
forced labour and working hours breaches. We have further mandatory
training (such as sexual harassment training) in a number of countries
in which we operate, in response to regulatory requirements. Training is
also made available to employees on subjects such as how to recognise
forced labour, our working hours policy, gender diversity, unconscious
bias, and race and ethnicity inclusion. This is delivered through various
mechanisms, including cross-function ‘learning hours’ and our Degreed
global learning platform.
Fair wages and income
Unilever’s Respect, Dignity and Fair Treatment Code policy codifies that
all employees should be paid a fair wage. In 2016, Unilever committed
to pay a living wage to employees by 2020. By the end of 2020, all direct
employees i.e. those on our global HR system, were paid at or above
a certified living wage level. In 2021, we were awarded our first global
accreditation as a living wage employer from the Fair Wage Network,
achieved again in 2024.
To maintain this standard, Unilever annually reviews direct employees’
pay and benefits against a certified independent living wage
calculation. If any employees are found to be below the living wage,
we review and work with local leaders to correct this. Additionally,
Unilever continuously evolves its policies and practices to promote
living wages within the broader business environment.
The Unilever Framework for Fair Compensation 2022, governed by the
Chief People Officer, outlines the company’s position on wages for
direct employees globally. It includes principles such as fair and liveable
compensation, market-based compensation, and non-discrimination
in compensation. This framework is publicly available and applied
through various compensation policies and procedures in the countries
where we operate.
We also provide training opportunities through platforms like Degreed
to help employees understand the company’s approach to the living
wage, why it is important and how it is implemented within Unilever.
Health
Unilever is committed to providing healthy and safe working conditions
for all its global employees. Health and safety is a key part of our Code
and integral to our way of working. It is deeply embedded in our culture,
governance and operating structures, with accountability at all levels.
In our own operations, we aim for Zero Harm, which underpins
everything we do as a business.
Safety standards and communications
Unilever is committed to continuously improving health and safety
performance, with strong safety leadership being key. In 2024, our
Together for Safety programme continued, inviting our CEO and top
leaders to visit our manufacturing sites with a specific focus on safety.
These visits demonstrate our leadership’s commitment to safety and
encourage people to speak up about unsafe behaviour.
Our ‘Safety First’ culture is embedded through activities like our annual
Safety Day, the Safety Moments programme (building safety into our
employees’ day-to-day work lives), and our annual Global Safety Awards,
which celebrate the outstanding work of our teams across the world. The
2024 Safety Day campaign focused on our safety on the road and raised
awareness for how being tired, in a rush or frustrated impacts our safety.
The campaign reached over 83,000 employees via our internal
communications platform, with approximately 72,000 employees reached
through the CEO’s Safety Day video. In line with our ambition to have
impact beyond our borders, we promoted our safety values on LinkedIn.
Compliance with all applicable legislation and regulations is a
mandatory minimum, with our safety standards aligning with
obligations set out in the international standard for occupational
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health and safety management, ISO 45001. Safety in our manufacturing
sites is critical for us and therefore our safety guidance is built into our
Unilever Manufacturing System. Manufacturing sites develop individual
plans that drive improvements based on their particular risk profile,
such as hazardous substances, and electrical or mechanical risks.
Following any incident or the identification of a hazard or risk, follow-up
communications, lessons learned, and training are also shared with our
employees and third parties.
Freedom of association and collective bargaining
As set out in our approach to human rights section on page 270, our
Code reflects our commitments with regard to freedom of association
and collective bargaining and, in practice, we work extensively with
trade unions, through joint working groups and formal consultations,
on a multitude of different topics that impact our employees. Any
allegation of a breach of our commitment in this area would be dealt
with as a Code breach.
METRICS AND TARGETS
For metrics relating to our own workforce, employee data captured in
the global HR system is extracted as at 31 December 2024. Additional
data points (headcount data for approximately 5% of employees plus
manual data points) have been collected as at 31 October 2024; any
significant changes to 31 December 2024 are reviewed.
Targets
No formal targets have been defined for our own workforce with respect
to the impacts, risks and opportunities identified in our sustainability
statement. Instead, Unilever measures progress against our actions
through a series of internal measures, including the use of oversight
committees such as the Corporate Responsibility Committee, Audit
Committee, the ULE, and the Global Code and Policy Committee which
has visibility of Code breaches. Progress is also assessed through our
UniVoice scores in areas such as diversity and inclusion, safety and
wellbeing (see Engaging with our own workforce). Where relevant,
progress against our actions has been included in the sections above.
Characteristics of the undertaking’s employees
Employee headcount by geography, gender and type
All Unilever employees are categorised into the following types, applying the following definitions in the absence of national law or practice:
Permanent employee: A full-time or part-time employee who works for and is paid directly by Unilever without a set end date of employment.
Temporary employee: An employee who works for and is paid directly by Unilever for a defined period, i.e. is on the payroll. This includes
temporary and fixed-term workers, interns, apprentices, and seasonal or casual employees.
Non-guaranteed hours employee: Those employed without a guarantee of a minimum or fixed number of working hours. Examples may
include casual employees, those with zero-hour contracts, and on-call employees.
The total number of Unilever employees is classified using the year-end headcount by:
Employee type: recorded as of the hire date or when there is a change in type.
Gender: based on official identification or self-assignment. ‘Not reported’ includes those categorised as ’Other’, ‘Unspecified’ or ‘Prefer not to
say’.
The total headcount per country is compared to the total headcount of Unilever employees to identify any countries of significant employment
(>50 employees that represent more than 10% of headcount).
As at 31 December 2024, Unilever had 120,040 employees by headcount. The tables below show the breakdown of Unilever’s employees by
geography, gender and employee type.
Employee headcount by geography
2024
Asia Pacific Africa
58,026
The Americas
37,304
Europe
24,710
Total Headcount(a)
120,040
(a) Please refer to note 4 of the Financial Statements on page 149 for equivalent headcount data.
Employee headcount by gender and type
Female
Male
Not reported
2024
Permanent
42,513
73,418
33
115,964
Temporary
1,675
2,063
164
3,902
Non-guaranteed hours
125
49
0
174
Total Headcount
44,313
75,530
197
120,040
The only country of significant employment (>10%) is India, which has a total of 20,363 employees.
Total employee turnover
Employee start and exit dates are based on employment dates. Temporary employees (those working for a defined period) are excluded as they
have come to the end of their contract rather than leaving voluntarily or due to dismissal, retirement, or death in service.
Average headcount is calculated as the sum of weighted monthly headcount from December of the previous reporting period to December of the
current reporting period, with the following weighting:
January to November 2024: Weighting of 1
December 2023 and December 2024: Weighting of 0.5
Employee turnover rate is calculated as a percentage of the number of Unilever employees who have left in the reporting period over the average
headcount.
Employee turnover
2024
Total turnover of employees in year (headcount)
17,334
Rate of employee turnover (%)
14.5%
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Collective bargaining coverage and social dialogue
Unilever does not have any EEA countries that meet the criteria of significant employment. Therefore we do not report (i) collective bargaining by
region within the EEA, or (ii) in relation to social dialogue, the percentage of employees covered at the establishment level by workers'
representatives by country.
Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
2024
Total percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
54.6%
Percentage of Unilever employees covered by collective bargaining agreements by region
Collective bargaining coverage rate
Number of non-EEA countries
Non-EEA countries
0-19%
39
Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lao, Lebanon, Malaysia,
Myanmar, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda,
Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay,
Zimbabwe
20-39%
7
Colombia, Ghana, Philippines, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom
40-59%
12
Algeria, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Kenya, Mexico,
Morocco, Pakistan, Venezuela
60-79%
7
Bangladesh, Israel, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Switzerland
80-100%
5
Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam
Unilever confirms that it has agreements in place with its employees for representation by a European Works Council (EWC).
Diversity metrics
Top management level: Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) and employees in senior management roles one level below ULE.
Age: age is determined by the employee's date of birth, based on official identification.
The tables below show the gender distribution in terms of number and percentage at the top management level and the diversity of employees by
age group.
Gender distribution of top management
Female
Male
Not reported
2024 Total
Top management level headcount(a)
35
74
0
109
Percentage
32%
68%
0%
100%
(a) Unilever Leadership Executive (Female: 4, Male: 9) and Senior Management (Female: 31, Male: 65). Refer to Employee Diversity table on page 50.
Diversity of employees by age group
2024
Percentage
<30
21,635
18%
30–50
78,113
65%
>50
19,970
17%
Unknown(a)
322
0%
Total Headcount
120,040
100%
(a) Anyone for whom we do not have an age or date of birth, e.g. for short-term employees.
Adequate wages
Adequate wage is defined as a wage that provides for the satisfaction of the needs of the employee and their family in the light of national
economic and social conditions. This is either the applicable legal living or legal minimum wage, the minimum wage set by applicable collective
bargaining agreements, or where neither exists, either an appropriate alternative adequate wage benchmark (as set out in AR73) or the
voluntary living wage.
For all countries, where not specified, ‘wage’ refers to the gross wage, excluding variable components such as overtime and incentive pay, and
excluding allowances unless they are guaranteed.
For non-EEA countries, we have not considered any official norms in determining the adequate wage level due to the lack of guidance in the ESRS
around the correct interpretation of this term. For EEA countries, we have applied the ESRS definitions.
As at 31 December 2024, 100% of Unilever employees were paid an adequate wage.
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Social protection
If one or more Unilever employees in a country are not covered by social protection against loss of income for one or more of the specified major
life events, we disclose the countries to which this applies, the types of Unilever employees not covered, and the major life events not covered.
Major life events include sickness, unemployment, employment injury and acquired disability, parental leave, and retirement (either by company
or public programmes).
As at 31 December 2024, all Unilever employees are covered by social protection against loss of income due to one or more major life events,
through public programmes or through benefits offered by Unilever. However, due to different legal systems and employment laws, the employee
groups covered by social protection for the different major life events vary across the nearly 100 countries in which Unilever has employees.
The tables below set out, for each type of specified major life event, in which countries employees do not have social protection and, for each
of those countries, the types of employees who do not have such protection.
Sickness
Country
Type of employees not covered by protection
None
n/a
Unemployment
Country
Type of employees not covered by protection
Bahrain
All employees
Egypt
Temporary/fixed-term employees
India
Office-based employees and any manufacturing employees not meeting the requirements for protection
under the Industrial Disputes Act or a voluntary retirement scheme
Kuwait
All employees
Oman
All employees
Qatar
All employees
Singapore
Temporary/fixed-term employees and employees of Paula’s Choice
Tunisia
Temporary/fixed-term employees
Employment injury and acquired disability
Country
Type of employees not covered by protection
None
n/a
Parental leave
Country
Type of employees not covered by protection
United States of America
Employees of Dermalogica USA - employees who have not worked at least 30 hours per week in the year
preceding leave.
Other employees - Non-birthing parents working less than 20 hours a week and not eligible for parental leave
under federal, state or local law.
Retirement
Country
Type of employees not covered by protection
None
n/a
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Health and safety metrics
Work-related injury is defined as any personal injury or disease resulting from a single instantaneous exposure due to an unexpected or
unplanned occurrence, which is found to have occurred in a work environment and to be work-related (either caused or contributed). Based on
Unilever’s definitions, an incident resulting in injury is often referred to as an ’accident’. Unilever does not refer to incidents resulting in ill health as
an ’accident’.
Work-related ill health (as a result of a work-related incident) is defined as a disease, abnormal condition or disorder contracted as a result of an
exposure over a period of time to risk factors arising from the work environment and work exposures. Work-related illnesses require exposure over
time and cannot be the result of a single exposure.
Fatality is defined as death as a result of work-related injury or work-related ill health, suffered by Unilever’s own workforce while they are on
duty, both on-site and off-site on Unilever business or other workers (also referred to as value chain workers), while working on Unilever sites.
Days lost is defined as the number of days lost to employee absence related to injuries and fatalities across all Unilever sites, counted on a
calendar-day basis, i.e. weekends and public holidays are counted as lost days, and where the first full day and last day of absence are included.
Days lost on account of ’work-related ill-health’ are excluded from this metric.
Unilever's health and safety management system applies to all of our own workforce. In the first year of reporting, Unilever is applying a partial
phase in of these metrics as allowed by the ESRS and is not disclosing the number of cases of recordable work-related ill health.
Fatalities
In 2024, there were no fatalities in Unilever's own workforce as a result of work-related injuries or work-related ill-health, or of other workers while working
on Unilever sites. In 2023, there were no fatalities in Unilever's own workforce, however a value chain worker sadly passed away while working at one of our
factories. We performed a full investigation and applied the lessons learned to sites worldwide to prevent a similar reoccurrence.
Work-related accidents
Own workforce worker type
2024 Number of
work-related
accidents
2024 Total
Recordable
Frequency Rate
(TRFR)(a)
Employees
152
0.58
Non-employees
13
0.35
Total
165
0.55(b)
(a) Rate of recordable work-related accidents per 1 million worked hours.
(b) 2023: 0.58.
Days lost
Worker type
Number of days lost
in 2024
Employees
2,946
Remuneration metrics
Gender pay gap
Gross hourly pay per employee is calculated, where applicable, as the sum of gross annual salary and gross annual benefits divided by annual
hours (52 * weekly hours). Male and female mean gross hourly pay is calculated as the total gross hourly pay for all male or female Unilever
employees divided by the total number of male or female Unilever employees.
2024
Gender pay gap (%)
-49%
This table shows that the average (mean) pay level is 49% higher for female employees than male employees. The scale of the difference between
the male and female pay is strongly influenced by the prevalence within the business of male manufacturing workers, who are typically on lower
pay grades than many office-based workers, and often in countries where pay levels overall are lower. 63% of our workforce are men, which reflects
that men continue to fulfil a high proportion of manufacturing roles within the company. Among our female employees, a higher proportion are in
professional roles at higher pay grades, meaning that women earn more on average, than men.
Total remuneration ratio
Unilever considers the ESRS definition of pay to be equivalent to total annual remuneration. The median employee total annual remuneration for
all Unilever employees (excluding the highest-paid individual) is identified as the employee with total annual remuneration in the middle of the
full list of employees by total annual remuneration.
Non-equity incentive plan compensation and non-qualified deferred compensation earnings are not applicable to Unilever.
2024
Total remuneration ratio
225.7:1
As at 31st December 2024, the highest-paid individual (former CEO Hein Schumacher) was paid more than 225 times the median of all employees.
This number is driven by several factors:
1. A high proportion of our employees work in manufacturing roles which are towards the lower end of our pay scale – this reduces the median
annual total remuneration of our employees.
2. As we are a global organisation covering nearly 100 countries, with a strong emerging market footprint, we see a wide range in our pay levels
across countries. In 2024, our highest-paid individual is based in the UK (a higher-paying country). In comparison, a significant proportion of our
other employees are located in countries with lower absolute salaries, such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. Note that
salaries in these countries are not necessarily lower relative to the local cost of living.
3. The former CEOs long-term incentive package included shares that had not vested during the reporting period (given he joined Unilever in July
2023). However, as shares do form part of the CEO's long-term incentive package, we expect to see the ratio change next year when the highest
paid employee will have shares already vesting.
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Incidents, complaints and severe human rights impacts and incidents
Complaints
Complaints are defined as matters relating to working conditions, equal treatment and opportunities for all, or other work-related rights that
are reported, investigated and closed potential breaches to the Code of Business Principles, breaches to the Responsible Partner Policy, or
complaints about a Unilever company raised to the National Contact Points (NCP) for OECD Multinational Enterprises. NCP complaints are
reviewed to identify whether they pertain to work-related human rights. Substantiation is determined through review by the relevant Unilever
Business Integrity Officer and/or Responsible Business Manager and the management of the Third-Party Service Provider, where applicable.
Exclusions: Substantiated incidents of discrimination, including harassment.
2024
Total number of complaints closed(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)
652
(a) The total number of complaints raised in 2024 was 619.
(b) The number of complaints closed in 2023 was 235, and the total number of incidents and complaints closed in 2024 was 417.
(c) The number of substantiated complaints in 2024 was 193.
(d) The number of unsubstantiated complaints, including discrimination and harassment, was 459.
(e) There have been no fines, penalties, or compensation for damages recorded as a result of the complaints disclosed above.
Incidents of discrimination, including harassment
An incident is a legal action or complaint registered with Unilever or competent authorities through a formal process, or an instance of non-
compliance identified by Unilever through established procedures. Established procedures to identify instances of non-compliance can include
audits, formal monitoring programs, or grievance mechanisms.
Incidents of discrimination, including harassment, are defined by Unilever as matters that are either substantiated (i.e. sufficient evidence to
determine an incident has occurred) Discrimination and Harassment Code of Business Principles Cases; or substantiated Discrimination and
Harassment Responsible Partner Cases as pertaining to non-employees.
2024
Incidents of discrimination, including harassment(a)(b)
74
(a) As at 31 December 2024, 16 matters were under investigation, which may be determined as incidents of discrimination and harassment.
(b) There have been no fines, penalties, or compensation for damages recorded as a result of the incidents disclosed above.
Severe human rights incidents
Severe human rights incidents are issues, with respect to forced labour, human trafficking or child labour, and the facts of the incident are not
disputed by Unilever. A matter will be considered an incident if there is a related legal action, substantiated breach of Unilever’s Code of Business
Principles, NCP complaints, finding from a third-party audit of a Unilever manufacturing site, or a serious allegation in public reports or the
media. In determining these incidents, Unilever considers, in particular, any human rights impacts experienced by rightsholders.
Given the nature of severe human rights incidents, any identified incident is considered to be a case of non-respect of the UN Guiding Principles
on Business and Human Rights, ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, or OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
2024
Total number of severe human rights incidents connected to our own workforce(a)(b)
0
Those incidents that are cases of non-respect of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ILO Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, or OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
0
(a) As at 31 December 2024, three issues were under investigation, which may be determined as severe human rights incidents connected to our own workforce.
(b) There have been no fines, penalties, or compensation for damages recorded as a result.
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Workers in the Value Chain
The focus of this disclosure is the workers of our business partners,
i.e. individuals performing work upstream or downstream within
Unilever’s value chain, regardless of the existence or nature of any
contractual relationship with Unilever. This includes all workers within
the value chain who may be materially impacted by Unilever or its
business partners, and their actions.
Examples of workers in Unilever’s value chain are:
Smallholder farmers who grow the ingredients we use in our
products.
Employees of enterprises in our retail value chain who sell our
products.
Employees of suppliers that provide services such as logistics,
marketing and professional services to Unilever.
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Social impacts, risks and opportunities resulting from the
double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by which these
were identified are detailed on page 267.
Policies
The requirements for our business partners are set out in a supplier
code of conduct, Unilever’s Responsible Partner Policy (RPP). The scope
of the RPP is explained in the Environmental policies on page 232, and
how the policy addresses our approach to human rights is set out on
page 270.
Engaging with value chain workers
We require business partners to declare their compliance with the RPP
upon registration and annual re-registration to our systems based on
self-assessments, including routine due diligence and risk-based audits.
This process helps us identify approved partners for the products and
services we procure, while also assessing risks based on the goods or
services sourced and the geographies in which our partners operate.
Information from the self-assessments helps determine which business
partners require external auditing and specific engagement. For high-
risk sites, either a site audit or an EcoVadis desktop assessment verifies
compliance with the RPP.
We conduct supply chain mapping to identify sourcing areas and
suppliers that may increase risk within our supply chain. We use tools
to perform risk analysis at both country and commodity levels to better
understand potential impacts on value chain workers. This data helps
predict where impacts are more likely to occur and determine where
additional checks, such as desktop or on-the-ground audits, are
required.
Technology is a key enabler for improving visibility of our value chain
and identifying potential impacts, particularly for vulnerable groups
at higher risk of discrimination, harassment and exploitation, such as
women and migrant workers. In July 2023, we began a collaborative
project funded by the leading global sustainability platform and
standard for sugarcane, Bonsucro. This project aims to utilise apps and
learning platforms made available on mobile devices to engage with
rightsholders and gather their views.
We also use tools like diginexAPPRISE, which allows workers to
anonymously raise concerns, particularly those difficult to identify
through traditional audits, such as forced labour and gender-based
violence. Quizrr is used to enhance managers’ understanding of these
issues and the necessary management systems to prevent them. We
are developing impact measures to evaluate the effectiveness of these
tools in enabling workers to raise concerns and understand their rights.
Processes to remediate impacts and channels
to raise concerns
Once an actual impact is identified, we review it to establish the root
cause, contributing factors and whether we have caused, contributed
to or are linked to the impact. We work to address the impact, verify
remediation of the impact and implement processes to prevent
reoccurrence, in collaboration with business partners and other
stakeholders where appropriate. As part of our remediation approach,
we seek to engage with rightsholders to improve our understanding of
the impact to them and the remediation that most appropriately meets
the needs of the individual/community that is affected.
Where an impact is linked to a business partner, we require them to
create a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to address the issues identified.
A follow-up audit, carried out by an independent third-party auditor,
is required within 90 days to confirm that the actions taken have been
sufficient to remediate the identified issues. In some cases, the nature
of the incident means that it is not possible to close within 90 days, for
example where capital investment or significant changes in working
practices are required. Where this is the case, the supplier is expected to
develop an interim plan to reduce the risk until a permanent solution is
put in place.
We support business partners in addressing issues and have developed
the RPP Implementation Guidance, which includes resources and
checklists for preventing and remedying impacts and establishing
management systems to prevent recurrence.
Examples of remediation of identified impacts in 2024 include:
Commissioning an independent consultant to verify repayments
made by a supplier to workers to reimburse them for recruitment
fees paid.
Partnering with a human rights consultancy to evaluate the impact
that reimbursing recruitment fees has had on workers and their
families.
Continuing to collaborate with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI)
and Afrique Secours et Assistance (ASA) to implement Child Labour
Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS) across our cocoa
production supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
While we have mechanisms in place to enable third parties to raise
concerns, grievances are best addressed close to where the impact
occurred. Consequently, our approach is to work with our partners
to ensure they have effective and trusted grievance mechanisms for
their workers. Our Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) requires business
partners to have grievance mechanisms aligned with the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights. We monitor workers’
awareness and trust in these mechanisms through audit findings.
The RPP also includes leading practice that grievance mechanisms
are widely communicated and accessible to enable local communities
to report issues. In addition, business partners, their workers,
communities, and other stakeholders may report actual or suspected
breaches of the RPP (including any failure by a Unilever worker or
anyone acting on behalf of Unilever) by phone or online via a third-
party hosted system. Reports can be submitted confidentially and
anonymously, where permitted by law, and are assessed to determine
the appropriate steps.
All investigations of suspected Code breaches are conducted by
a Business Integrity Officer. We aim to provide the reporter with
an anticipated timescale for completion. An investigation report
summarising the evidence, findings, corrective measures and
recommended sanctions (where appropriate) is submitted to the
Business Integrity Committee for review and conclusion. We have a
zero-tolerance policy on retaliation and will not tolerate any form of
retaliation against anyone who reports a concern. Unilever’s Speak Up
processes and remediation mechanisms are detailed further in our
Governance section on page 288.
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Managing impacts on value chain workers
Addressing our salient human rights issues
Actions to address our salient human rights issues are detailed in the
approach to human rights section on page 270. Additionally, Unilever
collaborates with various third parties to deliver training and capability-
building programmes aimed at raising awareness of human rights
issues and strengthening action to prevent and mitigate potential and
actual impacts.
We engage in multiple platforms and forums, such as AIM-Progress, to
bring stakeholders together to collectively tackle issues. Through the
AIM-Progress membership working groups, we collaborate with peers
to address systemic challenges, including living wages, responsible
recruitment, effective grievance mechanisms and impact measurement.
Other partnerships we are part of include:
Bullying and harassment, and health: In 2020, Unilever and IDH, in
partnership with others, launched The Women’s Safety Accelerator
Fund (WSAF) to create safer workplaces for women working in our
tea supply chain in India. We have engaged with nearly 300,000 tea
estate workers (both women and men) across more than 300 tea
estates in India since the programme launched.
Discrimination, fair wages and income: We continue to be an
active member of the Fair Circularity Initiative (FCI), which Unilever
co-founded and launched with Coca-Cola, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and the
NGO Tearfund in 2022. This commits us to advancing and adopting
the 10 Fair Circularity Principles, which focus on placing the views,
interests and concerns of rightsholders at the centre of business
decision-making and policy development.
Delivering positive impacts across our value chain
To address barriers to decent livelihoods we are collaborating with
partners to promote systemic change. Our actions, which are delivering
positive impacts to our value chain, include:
Supporting suppliers in identifying and closing wage gaps.
Helping smallholder farmers to improve their productivity and
farming practices by enrolling them in certification schemes and
providing access to income growth and regenerative agriculture
programmes.
Providing small retailers with tools and training to foster their growth.
We support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our retail
value chain by expanding our digital commerce platforms, enabling
SMEs to buy directly from us and easily access financial services. We
are also continuing to scale our last-mile distribution programmes,
enabling us to reach consumers in remote areas. For instance, our
Shakti programme supports around 200,000 women sales agents
in rural Asia and Africa with access to finance and business training.
Advocating for higher farmer incomes, private sector initiatives and
government policy changes through local and global coalitions to
ensure fair wages for all. We are also advocating for change through
industry forums like the UN Global Compact and supporting the
availability of free, publicly accessible living wage data.
Tracking and monitoring effectiveness
As detailed in ‘Monitoring actions relating to Human Rights’ on page
271, we are an active member of the AIM-Progress Impact Measurement
Working Group, with the goal of aligning on common impact KPIs
to simplify reporting and reduce the burden on suppliers for data
collection. We will publish data regularly through our human rights
reporting to show our performance against these impact measures.
Our approach to identifying, understanding and actioning potential
and actual forced labour impacts in our business and value chain is
covered in our section on modern slavery on page 271. We also have
processes that alert us to potential and actual human rights impacts in
our value chain via public reports and media coverage. We identified
two instances of child labour, one of which related to a supplier no
longer supplying to Unilever. We are also currently investigating three
further allegations that relate to severe human rights issues in our value
chain within the example categories of forced labour, human trafficking
and child labour identified in the ESRS.
In addition, business partners are required to demonstrate compliance
with our RPP. Unilever verifies RPP alignment through self-declarations
upon registration, annual re-registration to our systems, routine due
diligence and risk-based audits of business partner factories, which
is carried out by an independent third party. During these audits,
cases of non-respect of the UNGPs are identified in line with our
RPP Fundamental Principles. We classify the most serious audit
non-conformances as 'key incidents', which represent significant
contraventions in relation to health and safety, labour rights and
business conduct. This definition, which aligns with the Sedex SMETA
methodology criticality ratings, includes forced labour, human
trafficking and child labour (which are identified as example categories
of severe human rights issues in the ESRS) as well as other issues.
Based on our 2023 RPP audit update, which is the latest full-year
data available at the time of reporting, the following key incidents
were identified:
155 health and safety issues representing a threat to life or imminent
risk of injury.
28 labour rights issues relating to excessive working hours,
contravention of minimum wages, indicators of forced labour and
indicators of lapses in processes to verify age. This included the
2 instances of child labour mentioned above. 
9 business conduct issues relating to conducting business with
integrity and in accordance with relevant legal requirements.
All key incidents are required to be escalated by the auditors within
24 hours to Unilever. We then require the business partner to provide
a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) addressing the issues within seven days.
As with all non-conformances, a follow-up audit is required within
90 days to confirm that the actions taken have been sufficient to
remediate the identified issues.
In 2025, Unilever will continue to keep under review its processes to
identify and track cases of severe human rights in our value chain,
as we continue to build our reporting capabilities.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
Unilever is committed to respecting and promoting human rights across our operations and value chain. However, due to the nature of human
rights, we do not define formal targets.
Our ambition is to help the people who grow, make and sell our products have a decent livelihood, including by earning a living wage – so they can
afford the essentials of daily life and have work that is secure, dignified and fair.
As part of Unilever’s 15 sustainability goals, we have set three short-term targets with the aim of delivering long-term impact to the livelihoods of
workers in our value chain;
We are working with smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods and agricultural practices. Our goal is to help 250,000 smallholder farmers
in our supply chain access livelihoods programmes by 2026.
We are also encouraging our suppliers to sign our Living Wage Promise, kickstarting the journey to pay their employees a living wage. Our goal
is to ensure that suppliers representing 50% of our procurement spend sign the Living Wage Promise by 2026.
We are helping small businesses in our retail value chain grow. Our goal is to help 2.5 million SMEs in our retail value chain grow their business
by 2026.
We have engaged in a number of forums and initiatives that provide insight and expertise from the perspective of people in our value chain to help
develop these targets, including extensive engagement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Targets relating to sustainable sourcing and regenerative agricultural practices in our value chain are detailed in our Biodiversity and Ecosystem
disclosures on page 256.
Suppliers representing 50% of our procurement spend to sign the Living Wage Promise by 2026
A living wage promise is a commitment made by a supplier to progress towards paying a living wage to workers in their own business
operations, either through signing a Living Wage Special Terms Contract (STC) with Unilever or by signing Unilever’s Living Wage Promise
document. Unilever’s definition of a living wage is included on page 268.
Performance is measured as the percentage of total procurement spend from 1 January to 31 December for suppliers that have signed the Living
Wage Promise divided by the total procurement spend for the reporting year.
Help 250,000 smallholder farmers in our supply chain access livelihoods programmes by 2026
Unilever defines a smallholder farmer as a person who rears livestock and/or cultivates crops on one or more plots of land that, individually or
in aggregate, is the larger of: up to and including 10 hectares (only counting farmed land), in line with the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization’s definition of a smallholder farmer, or the size defined by an official regional and/or sector body. Supply chain refers to a farmer
group or individual farmer, within a defined geographical area, providing functionally equivalent feedstocks to those that can be demonstrated
to be within Unilever’s supply chain.
Eligible livelihoods programmes must include activities and/or inputs designed to deliver improved livelihoods through positive outcomes on
Unilever accepted certification and/or incomes, be approved by Unilever authority, within a signed contract between 1 January 2024 and
31 December 2024, and be run directly by Unilever or a third party under a contractual commitment with Unilever.
Performance is measured as the cumulative total number of smallholder farmers in Unilever’s supply chain who have received help from Unilever
to access livelihoods programmes in the reporting period. Access is defined as either:
attending face-to-face training;
receiving intended subsidies, financial services, farm input, labour or technologies; or
being certified by the livelihoods programme.
Help 2.5 million SMEs in our retail value chain grow their business by 2026
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our retail value chain include businesses selling Unilever goods to consumers in one of the
following countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. These businesses
have historically been serviced by a distributor, wholesaler, or cash and carry; or in Mexico, where servicing with Unilever has been enabled by
the digital platform.
Performance is measured as the number of SMEs in Unilever’s retail value chain that have used a Unilever digital platform (mobile app or
website) to purchase at least one product in the reporting period from 1 January to 31 December 2024.
Livelihoods targets
Goal
2024
2023
2022
Suppliers representing 50% of our procurement spend to sign the Living Wage
Promise by 2026 (% of procurement spend)
50%
32%
Help 250,000 smallholder farmers in our supply chain access livelihoods
programmes by 2026 (number of smallholder farmers)
0.25m
0.08m
Help 2.5 million SMEs in our retail value chain grow their business by 2026 (number
of SMEs)(a)
2.5m
2.58m
1.91m
1.83m
(a) 2023 and 2022 measured for the three-month period October to December.
We are making good progress towards delivering all of our livelihoods targets. We have seen an increase in the number of active SMEs by over
600,000 in 2024, which has resulted from the change in the reporting period, which now means we include seasonal SMEs who were previously not
in scope; and principal markets continue to grow organically, enrolling more retailers and improving the functionality of their apps to ensure that
more retailers remain active.
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Affected Communities
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Social impacts, risks and opportunities resulting from
the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by which
we identified these are detailed on page 267.
Policies
Unilever’s Code and Code policies sets out our commitment to the
communities where we operate, and our local businesses drive
our community engagement strategy. Our approach to affected
communities is covered through a number of additional policies as
follows, the scope and governance of which are outlined on page 232:
Unilever’s People & Nature Policy sets out our commitments to
respecting and advancing the human rights of all people in line with
the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Specifically,
it includes the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities
with respect to livelihoods, food security and resources, as well as
our commitments that land rights are respected and promoted.
Unilever’s Responsible Partner Policy and its Fundamental
Principle set out that the rights and titles to the property and
land of individuals and local communities, including Indigenous
populations, are respected, and that we have a zero tolerance policy
for land grabbing. It also requires suppliers to consider Indigenous
people and local communities when conducting impact and risk
assessments.
The Sustainable Agriculture Code and Sustainable Agriculture
Principles set out that land tenure rights must be respected, there is
a zero tolerance policy for land grabbing, that local communities
should be informed of planned activities that affect them, and
disturbances to local communities must be minimised.
In addition to our policies, we have published Unilever’s Principles in
Support of Human Rights Defenders and implementation guidance
to our business partners, which outline our commitment to respecting
human rights defenders (HRDs). Indigenous people and local
communities may act as HRDs and are often vulnerable to human
rights violations, including breaches of land rights. These Principles are
based on the International Bill of Human Rights and the fundamental
rights and principles set out in the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work. They are also guided by the UN
Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups
and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the UNGPs, and the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Further details on our approach to human rights and the associated
policies are set out on page 270.
Engaging with affected communities
Land rights
We have a defined process for conducting due diligence on land
transactions, which must be followed and documented for each
transaction to proceed to completion. This process includes carrying out
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) when additional
information is required, conducting consultations that adhere to the
principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and is supported
by internal approval gateways overseen by the Responsible Business
team.
Other processes
We have recently developed a rightsholder engagement playbook
that establishes clear and consistent processes for engaging with
rightsholders, including local communities, regarding opportunities as
well as potential and actual human rights impacts. It guides our teams
on the importance of engagement, how to identify rightsholders, the
steps for effective engagement (including making rightsholders aware
of engagement processes), and how to monitor and evaluate the
uptake and impact of these engagements. The playbook was trialled in
our plastics value chain in 2024, with feedback being sought from the
implementing teams on its effectiveness before wider implementation.
Processes to remediate impacts and channels
to raise concerns
Affected communities may report concerns to us confidentially and
anonymously, where permitted by law, through our Speak Up hotline.
This includes potential cases of non-respect of the UNGPs. Unilever will
investigate any concerns raised and discuss findings with the relevant
business partner, including issues related to land rights. Unilever’s
Speak Up processes and remediation mechanisms are detailed in our
Governance section on page 288, including our zero tolerance policy
on retaliation. Within our value chain, issues impacting affected
communities may also be identified through business partner factory
audits, which are described in more detail on page 280.
At a commodity level, our People and Nature Grievance Mechanism
provides a framework for investigating and resolving potential and
actual social and environmental impacts, including those raised by
rightsholders in the communities where we operate or source from.
The process includes acknowledging the grievance and reviewing it
to determine if the issue is applicable to our supply chain. If linked to
our supply chain, we conduct an in-depth review, working with the
supplier and an independent organisation to develop a time-bound
action and remediation plan. We expect the supplier to implement
actions to resolve the issue and monitor the outcome. If the issue is not
connected to our supply chain, the relevant Unilever team will monitor
the remediation plan implemented by the relevant parties.
Reported grievances are recorded in our People and Nature Grievance
Tracker and details are published on our website. The tracker includes
potential cases of non-respect of the UNGPs, categorised under the
grievance types ’Land & Community’ and ’Labour Rights’. There are 260
sub-cases in our database based on grievances that have been raised
to us since 2014, of which 18% relate to Land & Community and 6% to
Labour Rights.
Another mechanism through which we may identify potential cases of
non-respect of the UNGPs in relation to affected communities is through
our anti-corruption and bribery scanning. These mechanisms did not
indicate any cases of severe human rights incidents in 2024.
Managing impacts on affected communities
Land rights
We drive actions relating to land rights through our policies and
fundamental principles as set out in the RPP and People & Nature Policy.
In 2024, we have:
Co-convened and continued to actively participate in the Social
Issues Working Group (SIWG), part of the Palm Oil Collaboration
Group, and the subgroup that focuses on supporting and respecting
the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)
affected by agricultural production in Indonesia.
Continued to support smallholder cocoa farmers to formalise the
rights to their land through an affordable land tenure documentation
process. This work is being carried out by the Côte d’Ivoire Land
Partnership (CLAP), which brings together Unilever, other
organisations and industry bodies, the Ivorian and German
governments, and agri-technology company Meridia.
Provided training to employees in Indonesia to increase their
knowledge and understanding of local land rights issues. This
training equipped participants with the tools to support informed
decision-making when dealing with issues or complaints related to
land rights in our supply chain.
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Other actions
In the context of our impacts related to plastic pollution (see Resource
Use and Circular Economy disclosures on page 258), we have
conducted baseline human rights risk assessments of our plastics
value chain in India, Indonesia, Ghana and Brazil. This included
on-the-ground engagement with various stakeholders, including
waste picker organisations representing the views of rightsholders.
These assessments, along with our existing global programmes,
informed the development of our Global Human Rights Framework
for Plastics Value Chains.
We collaborated with The Circulate Initiative to support the
development of its Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework,
promoting a collaborative and aligned industry-wide approach that
reduces duplication and maximises collective efforts to transform the
sector. We also shared key learnings from our work to support the wider
peer group during the development of the common industry framework.
Specific actions with regards to our impact on biodiversity, and the
downstream impacts on affected communities, are included in our
Biodiversity and Ecosystems disclosures on page 255.
Tracking and monitoring effectiveness
We track and monitor the effectiveness of our actions and initiatives
for affected communities as detailed in ‘Monitoring actions relating to
Human Rights’ on page 271. The People and Nature Grievance tracker,
detailed above also helps us to track grievances and the effectiveness
of our responses to them.
METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
Unilever does not have formal targets related to affected communities
defined at a global level because we have in place reporting and
grievance mechanisms which allows us to engage with these impacts
(potential or actual) on an ongoing basis, as set out above, and in our
approach to human rights on page 270.
Specific targets with regards to our impact on biodiversity, and the
downstream impacts on affected communities, are included in our
Biodiversity and Ecosystems disclosures on page 256.
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Consumers and End-Users
Unilever’s success depends on the value and relevance of our brands
and products to consumers worldwide. We monitor trends and gather
insights from consumers, customers and shoppers to develop our brand
strategies and build competitive advantage.
This disclosure includes all Unilever consumers and end-users in our
downstream value chain who are likely to be materially impacted by
our operations. These include:
consumers who rely on the quality and safety of our products,
including those who may be particularly dependent on accurate
and accessible product information, such as those with allergies; and
children, who are increasingly exposed to online promotional content
from a broad range of industries and may be reached by our brand
messaging.
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Our material Social impacts, risks and opportunities resulting from
the double materiality assessment (DMA) and the process by which
we identified these are detailed on page 267.
Policies
As set out in our general information section, page 229, Unilever’s Code
and Code Policies apply to all material sustainability matters, including
those that impact our consumers and end-users.
Product safety
The Code sets out Unilever’s commitment to providing products and
services that are safe for their intended use, as well as accurately and
properly labelled, advertised and communicated. Product safety begins
with responsible innovation, and the Responsible Innovation Code Policy
sets out our commitment to conducting responsible, safe and sustainable
research and innovation that fully respects the concerns of our consumers
and society. Its implementation is supported by eight standards, including
one that sets out the approach to Safety Risk Assessments for ensuring
Consumer, Occupational and Environmental Safety by Design, and a
standard on Use of Ingredients and Control of Contaminants. The Product
Safety & Product Quality Code Policy covers our commitment to producing
safe, high-quality products and services that meet all applicable standards
and regulations. This is supported by our Safe Product Framework, which
sets out the processes for identifying and mitigating product safety risks at
each stage of our value chain.
As described in the environmental policies section on page 232, our
Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) sets out the requirements for suppliers
in the value chain. Specifically, within the Business Integrity & Ethics
pillar, this includes requirements to meet agreed specifications and
notifying Unilever of any product quality or safety concerns originating
from the business partner, or its supply chain without delay.
Responsible marketing
The Responsible Marketing Code Policy sets out our commitment to
developing, producing, marketing and selling all our products and
services responsibly.
In addition, the Principles on Responsible Food & Beverage Marketing
to Children apply to Unilever’s food and beverage marketing
communications globally. Our commitments include not intentionally
targeting any paid marketing communications to children under 16
years old (including on social media) and restricting certain ice cream
marketing activities to products that meet our Responsibly Made for
Kids promise. Our marketing teams are responsible for working with
legal, regulatory affairs and external affairs to ensure compliance with
these principles. The Presidents of our Foods and Ice Cream Business
Groups are responsible for the implementation of these principles,
which we make publicly available on our website.
We also recognise Unilever’s role in partnering with others to drive a
safer consumer experience online. The Responsibility Framework sets
out our approach to building a positive digital media ecosystem for
our brands and consumers. Compliance with the framework is tracked
through a global network of Unilever and agency employees, who work
together as our Digital Ecosystem Network (DEN) team. The Chief
Growth and Marketing Officer is responsible for implementing this
framework.
Human rights
Responsible business is a key part of Unilever’s Human Rights Policy
Statement, which applies to all our rightsholders. Our commitment
to conducting business with integrity while respecting human rights
is driven through Unilever’s Code and Code Policies, including
commitments to our consumers and society, and the RPP, which
requires our business partners to identify and manage their own
potential human rights impacts.
We consider that, of the salient human rights issues identified on
page 267, the issue relevant to our consumers is health, in relation to
which, we have explained our approach to product safety below. Our
approach to human rights is outlined in more detail on page 270.
Engaging with consumers and end-users
We engage with our consumers and end-users, including those groups
considered vulnerable, through a range of communication channels on
a continuous basis, reaching over 3 million consumer contacts in 2024
through our various platforms.
We operate consumer care lines around the world for our consumers
to share any comments or concerns (including any potential adverse
human rights impacts), with details provided on packs and through our
websites. We monitor feedback provided by consumers on Unilever’s
brands and products on social media and through product reviews on
digital commerce sites. We also use consumer research from partners
such as Kantar, Nielsen and Ipsos, who we engage through their regular
surveys and panels. This engagement takes place under the ultimate
oversight of our Chief Growth and Marketing Officer. We use these
insights to support our aim of providing superior products and
delivering great consumer experiences.
In addition, we use a range of mechanisms to monitor and consider
evolving societal preferences, including media and social media
reviews and NGO engagement. This is overseen by the Global Head
of Communications and Corporate Affairs (overseen by the Chief
Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer from 1 January 2025).
Our approach to identifying and assessing the potential impacts on
consumers with allergies is through product safety assessments and
product labelling, rather than direct engagement. Similarly, potential
impacts in relation to marketing to children are assessed through
reviewing their media consumption behaviour.
Processes to remediate impacts and channels
to raise concerns
The communication channels referenced above, including our
consumer care lines and websites, offer consumers multiple
mechanisms through which to raise any concerns. Trained consumer
communication agents respond to questions where appropriate, and
their use and effectiveness are tracked by monitoring performance
against set indicators and through consumer feedback surveys.
Product safety
Concerns raised to Unilever in relation to product safety are shared with
relevant internal experts for further investigation. By closely monitoring
consumer feedback data, we can detect emerging issues and respond
quickly. In the event of a marketplace incident relating to consumer
safety or product quality, an incident management team is activated
to ensure timely and effective action.
We are committed to continually improving our quality performance;
however, sometimes we fall short of our product safety and quality
standards. A product might, for example, have a quality defect. Or
there may be a contamination of the raw materials, or a mislabelling of
ingredients. If this happens, protecting consumers’ safety is our number
one priority. When necessary, we will issue a public recall of the affected
products from the marketplace, even if only small quantities of products
are involved.
In the case of a public recall, we use multiple channels to ensure
consumers have the required information regarding the product
affected (e.g. national press advertising, store communications for
retailers, email for direct-to-consumer sales, and relevant websites)
and that they can get answers to any questions or concerns via our
care lines.
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Responsible marketing
Our marketing teams are responsible for ensuring compliance with our
Marketing to Children Principles. Where non-compliance is identified
through our processes, our teams work to make the necessary changes,
such as changes to artwork, to ensure adherence to the principles.
Compliance with our Responsibility Framework is tracked through our
DEN team. Where issues are identified, we support our media partners
in developing their capabilities and taking the necessary action to
enable their adherence.
Code of Business Principles
Anyone may report more serious concerns about potential breaches
of Unilever’s Code and Code Policies through our Code reporting
channels. Our investigation standards require us to record and assess
all potential breaches reported. Additional details, including our non-
retaliation requirements, can be found in our Governance disclosures
on page 288.
Managing impacts and risks related to consumers
and end-users
Product safety
Unilever has comprehensive product quality processes and controls
in place as part of our Safe Product Framework. The framework
is supported by standards, including those covering Safety Risk
Assessments and the Use of Ingredients and Control of Contaminants.
Safety risk assessments ensure consumer, occupational and
environmental safety by design, and require materials used in our
product formulations to be registered in Unilever’s Safety Systems,
supported by defined tools and guidance for assessing consumer
safety risks. The use of ingredient standards applies global exclusions
or restrictions to certain substances based on safety, regulatory
or reputational concerns. These standards are maintained based
on external developments and subsequently implemented within
our portfolio.
Our Safe Product Framework and the standards which underpin this
also encompass product labelling. This includes instructions for use,
product composition and additional labelling, such as the presence
of allergens. We have labelling approval processes in place to ensure
compliance with external regulations and Unilever’s policies.
Suppliers of the materials for our products must meet the standards
set within Unilever’s Supplier Quality Approval process. Our Quality
Management System then defines the requirements to be followed
for the manufacture of safe products, covering topics such as cleaning
and disinfection, hygienic engineering and maintenance, allergen
management and foreign matter prevention. Processes and controls
are verified annually and regularly monitored through performance
indicators that drive improvement activities.
In the event of a non-conforming product reaching the market, we have
a global process for identifying and managing marketplace incidents
to ensure we act fast, investigate fully and embed learnings to prevent
future recurrence. Where necessary, we will issue a public recall of the
affected products from the marketplace even if only small quantities
of products are involved.
In 2024, we issued five public recalls. One of these related to
external manufacturers (cross-packaging), and four related to our
own manufacturing facilities (two were caused by foreign matter
contamination, one caused by undeclared allergens, and one
barcoding-related issue). Wherever and whenever mistakes occur,
we take action to identify the root cause and share lessons learned
with all relevant parties to prevent a recurrence. For example, during
2024, we established an allergens community where best practices
and lessons learned from incidents are shared.
Unilever is defending a portfolio of legal claims alleging asbestos
contamination in certain products which Unilever no longer sells.
Unilever disputes these allegations, which it does not consider
are substantiated.
We monitor the effectiveness of our product safety processes and
controls in a number of ways, including leadership scorecards and
tracking key metrics such as marketplace incidents/recalls, consumer-
safety-related complaints, and the completion of audits and associated
actions. We also track the completion of our corrective and preventive
actions, for example, those related to marketplace incidents/recalls
and consumer-safety-related manufacturing incidents, to ensure that
our processes for learning from incidents are effective in preventing
future recurrence. The quality and safety of our products are also
managed through our enterprise risk process.
We also work to improve consumer safety by engaging beyond our
business with the scientific community and regulators. A focus area
is the development and application of leading-edge advanced non-
animal safety science, where we work closely with authorities around
the world, including regulators, government scientists and academic
experts. We actively disseminate the research we do to guarantee
that our products are safe, without the need for animal testing, to
support others in also building new capabilities based on advanced
science. In 2024, we engaged in collaborative research with the US
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and,
as the industry co-chair of the European Partnership for Alternative
Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA), contributed to the European
Union transformational programme on non-animal chemical safety
assessment regulation. We also continued our collaboration with the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), initiated in 2015, on pioneering
approaches to chemical safety assessment using advanced science.
More information on our approach to eliminating animal testing
without compromising on safety is set out within our Governance
Disclosures.
Our actions on product safety are supported by the expertise of our
Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Science (SERS) Capability group,
which is our global centre of excellence in safety and sustainability
science, and our Quality expertise teams. Our dedicated team of safety
and environmental scientists, including many who are internationally
recognised as leaders in their fields, have expertise in allergy,
chemistry, exposure science, microbiology, risk assessment, toxicology,
process safety, computational modelling and data science, and
environmental safety and sustainability science.
Responsible marketing
To aid understanding of our Principles on Responsible Food & Beverage
Marketing to Children, Unilever provides training on these Principles to
its marketers and the agencies it engages with.
To put the principles of Unilever’s Responsibility Framework into
practice, we maintain a Brand Safety and Suitability Guide, updated
on an ongoing basis and distributed to our media partners. We use this
guide to drive a quality digital ecosystem for our brands, ensuring our
ads are viewable, by a person, on target, with the right context and
brand safety. Unilever has committed to support media partners
who respond to our Responsibility Framework with action and intent,
including resources, policies, principles and timelines.
METRICS AND TARGETS
Targets
No formal targets have been defined for our consumers and end-users
with respect to the impacts, risks and opportunities identified in our
sustainability statement. However, we are committed to continually
improving our performance against our product safety and quality
standards, monitoring the effectiveness of our processes and controls
in multiple ways as set out above. As a result of our sustained focus
on continuous improvement, we reduced the number of marketplace
incidents by more than 10% versus 2023. In relation to responsible
marketing, we aim to achieve 100% compliance with our Principles on
Responsible Food & Beverage Marketing to Children. Our approach to
tracking compliance with our Responsibility Framework is set out above.
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ENTITY-SPECIFIC DISCLOSURES
Nutritional product quality
Policies
Continuously improving the nutritional profile of our products and
helping consumers adopt better diets without compromising on
enjoyment are fundamental to the strategies of our Foods and Ice
Cream Business Groups.
Although no formal policy is in place, the implementation of this
strategy is guided by Unilever’s Nutrition Standards, an internally
developed set of standards that drives portfolio improvement based
on the latest scientific understanding of the role of nutrition for good
health and wellbeing.
Unilever’s Science-based Nutrition Criteria (USNC) are our standards
for nutrients to limit, which guide the nutritional quality of our
products to healthier options. They consist of product-specific criteria
with thresholds for calories, salt, sugar and saturated fat. These
threshold values have been modelled against dietary intakes in five
countries to quantify their impact and published in a peer-reviewed
scientific journal.
Our Positive Nutrition Standards are our standards for ingredients
and nutrients that people are encouraged to consume more of – for
example, they consist of product-specific criteria for increasing fruit
and vegetables, wholegrains, protein, fibre and micronutrients.
Engaging with consumers and end-users
We engage with consumers about nutritional product quality through the
mechanisms already described. In addition, we use international dietary
guidelines from groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and
CODEX, along with scientific modelling, to assess the impact of nutritional
product quality on consumers and inform our business strategy.
Managing impacts on consumers and end-users
We work to improve the nutritional quality of products on an ongoing
basis, innovating and reformulating our products against the USNC
and our Positive Nutrition Standards. For example, in 2024, we launched
new flavours for Knorr Sides in the US, as well as reformulating bouillon
cubes in Pakistan to deliver iron fortification against the backdrop
of heightened levels of iron deficiency anaemia. By investing in
improvement and innovation, we aim to make our products
nutritionally better while continuing to meet people’s expectations
for delicious products.
In addition to our own Science-based Nutrition Criteria, we publish
a scoring of our portfolio against six externally endorsed Nutrient Profiling
Models, contributing to greater transparency in nutrition disclosure.
Benchmarks
Unilever does not have formal targets relating to nutritional product
quality. However, we set ourselves benchmarks against which we monitor
our strategic progress on nutritional product quality, as set out below.
Unilever’s Science-based Nutrition Criteria (USNC) is a set of criteria and threshold values established by Unilever nutrition experts in line with
WHO standards. The threshold values determine the amount that can be present in a Foods or Ice Cream product to meet USNC. Products that do
not exceed any of the criteria or thresholds are considered to be compliant. Threshold values have been determined for: sodium, saturated fat,
sugar and calories.
Unilever’s Positive Nutrition Standards is a set of technical criteria and threshold values for selected ingredients, macronutrients and
micronutrients, established in line with external global and regional standards, such as those set by the World Health Organization (WHO),
which are important for human health. The threshold values determine the amount of ingredients, macronutrients and micronutrients that need
to be present in a Foods or Ice Cream product to deliver positive nutrition. A product that contains ingredients, macronutrients or micronutrients
meeting at least one of the threshold values is considered to deliver Positive Nutrition. The presence of other ingredients that do not meet the
threshold values does not disqualify a product.
The selected ingredients, macronutrients and micronutrients are as follows:
Ingredients: fruits, vegetables, legumes, pulses, fungi, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, and dairy in products designed for kids.
Macronutrients: protein, fibre, and omega-3.
Micronutrients: iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Servings sold is sales volumes measured in tonnes divided by product serving size. Where no serving size is available, we apply a standard serving
size. Actual data is used for January to November, and December data is estimated by extrapolating the average sales of the previous 11 months.
Metrics
Ambition
2024
2023
2022
Percentage of our portfolio meeting Unilever’s Science-based Nutrition Criteria,
including Pepsi Lipton joint venture (% of servings sold)(a)(c)
85% by 2028
84%
81%
Number of products sold that deliver positive nutrition, including Pepsi Lipton joint
venture (% of servings sold)(b)(c)
54% by 2025
52%
52%
48%
(a) The percentage of our portfolio meeting Unilever’s Science-based Nutrition Criteria excluding Pepsi Lipton joint venture in 2024 is 84%.
(b) The number of products sold that deliver positive nutrition excluding Pepsi Lipton joint venture in 2024 is 52%.
(c) 2023 and 2022 figures measured for the 12-month period ended 30 September.
Products responding to changing consumer demands
We are continually working to reduce the impact of our products,
serving evolving consumer preferences and driving progress against
our sustainability goals. As consumer demand evolves, there is a
longer-term opportunity to deliver product innovations that serve
consumers who want superior products at great value, with a lower
environmental impact.
As part of our approach to developing consumer insights and
monitoring market trends, we engage with consumers through the
mechanisms already described. Responding to emerging consumer
demand patterns with superior products is core to our Business
Group strategies, supported by our R&D capabilities, rather than
guided by policy.
We understand that consumers increasingly want more reassurance
about the impact of the products they use, including more recycled and
recyclable packaging, trusted ingredients, and product safety that is
ensured without animal testing.
In 2024, our Vaseline brand launched a new recyclable pump for
Vaseline Intensive Care bottles in North America, while Sunlight
dishwash has introduced formulations with naturally derived
bio-enzymes and RhamnoClean technology.
The ingredients in our products are included at levels that are safe in
use; nevertheless, we also monitor consumer ingredient preferences,
regulatory hazard classification changes, and emerging scientific data
to update our safety and sustainability assessments where relevant.
Our long-term investment in non-animal safety science has enabled
some of our biggest brands to be certified by People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) as ‘PETA-approved‘, including Dove, Axe,
TRESemmé and Sunsilk. We have over 15 brands that comply with
the criteria set out in PETA‘s Global Beauty Without Bunnies Programme.
Delivering against our ambitious sustainability goals requires
innovation; however, we do not have targets in place in relation to the
innovation of products to meet changing demands regarding reduced
environmental impact. Our ongoing progress is measured through the
implementation and monitoring of our strategic plans.
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Governance Disclosures
Business Conduct
GOVERNANCE
The role of administrative, management and
supervisory bodies
The ultimate responsibility for Unilever’s conduct is with Unilever’s Board
who are responsible for both setting and monitoring the culture of the
business. The Board is supported in this by the Corporate Responsibility
and Audit subcommittees. Please refer to the general information
section on page 224 and the Corporate Governance Report on pages
70 to 84 for the composition and expertise of the Board and its
subcommittees.
The Chief Executive Officer is accountable to the Board for the
implementation of Unilever’s culture and standards of conduct,
which we refer to as ‘business integrity’, and is supported in this by the
Chief Legal Officer, Chief Business Integrity Officer, Global Code and
Policy Committee, and Business Integrity Committees. The key elements
of Unilever’s standards of conduct are set out in Unilever’s Code and
Code policies, which provide a set of mandatory rules that govern how
we run our business.
Responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the Code and Code
Policies is delegated to the Unilever Leadership Executive and all senior
management leading Unilever’s Business Groups, business units and
functions. They are supported in this by cross-functional Business
Integrity Committees.
IMPACT, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT
Description of the processes to identify and assess
material impacts, risks and opportunities
The process for assessing and identifying our material impacts, risks
and opportunities is informed by our double materiality assessment
(DMA), as set out in our general information on page 226. Risks
identified are reviewed and assessed on an ongoing basis and formally
at least once per year. For each of our principal risks, including Ethical
and Legal & Regulatory risks, we reviewed the risk management
frameworks detailing risk descriptions and mitigating controls in place.
These frameworks are updated annually and monitored throughout the
year to identify changes in the risk profile.
From a governance perspective, this process incorporates several
inputs, such as a global fraud risk assessment conducted at both
a functional and market level to identify risks, including corruption
and bribery risks. In addition, a geopolitical working group has been
established with representatives from different functions to proactively
identify and escalate issues for high-risk markets, and external
screening is undertaken to monitor changes to the risk landscape.
The output of our 2024 DMA for our Governance impacts, risks and
opportunities is included below:
Material impact, risk or opportunity
Description
Business integrity and ethical
conduct
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Failure to act in an ethical manner and foster a culture where our employees and value
chain feel empowered to speak up, consistent with the expectations of customers,
consumers and other stakeholders, may result in reputational damage.
Anti-bribery and corruption
Risk
(OO) (VC)
There is a risk that a breach of anti-bribery and corruption laws or failure to prevent
bribery, fraud or tax evasion may result in legal and financial consequences for
Unilever and individuals.
Use of non-animal safety
science
Positive Impact
(VC)
Unilever is a global leader advocating for regulatory use of modern non-animal safety
science in place of animal testing, working with government groups and other
stakeholders.
Changing regulatory landscape
Risk
(OO) (VC)
Changes to laws and regulations relating to sustainability matters can have a
significant positive or negative impact on our business. For example, they may reduce
the cost of a process or ensure that all players in a market face a cost so an activity we
undertake is not uncompetitive. On the other hand, they may prevent Unilever from
doing something that it wants to do or increase compliance costs. Failure to comply
could also lead to increased claims against Unilever and potentially incur penalties,
legal costs or harm revenue due to reputational damage.
Advocacy
Positive Impact
(OO) (VC)
Unilever is actively lobbying governments, regulators and other third parties to
influence policies and regulations that will help to drive change in four key areas:
climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods.
Supplier payments and
relationships
Risk
(OO)
Inappropriate or untimely processing of payments may result in incorrect payments to
suppliers, fraudulent transactions, late payments, regulatory penalties or disputes.
OO  Own Operations, VC  Value Chain
Business conduct policies and corporate culture
As a purpose-led company, our values and culture are the foundation
of our success. Our approach to business integrity is designed to ensure
that how we do business is fully aligned with our values and the
applicable laws and regulations in countries where we operate.
Our business integrity framework is comprised of three pillars:
Prevention – we seek to embed a culture of integrity at all levels.
Detection – we encourage employees to speak up, and identify
potential issues through auditing and monitoring processes.
Response – we have the tools to investigate and, if necessary,
sanction confirmed breaches, and use what we learn to continually
improve our processes to increase the level of prevention.
This approach is underpinned by Unilever’s Code of Business Principles,
with each principle supported by a Code Policy setting out what
employees must and must not do to ensure they are living the code.
We also set out what Unilever requires of business partners in our
Responsible Partner Policy (RPP), so that we can do business together
responsibly. Further detail on the RPP is set out in our Environmental
policies section on page 232.
Corporate culture
Our Code sets out clear requirements for the standards of conduct
we expect from our employees.
Everyone at Unilever is expected to be an ambassador for the high
standards set out in the Code, with the tone set from the top. Our
CEO communicates regularly with senior leaders and all employees on
business integrity, making clear that adherence to the Code and Code
Policies is non-negotiable. On an annual basis, multiple initiatives aim
to embed this culture across our business, ranging from mandatory
training and a global pledge – where our employees actively pledge
to uphold these values – to employee town hall and leadership
awareness sessions.
We aim to continuously improve and further embed a culture of
business integrity. We analyse the results of investigations, market
assessments and audit findings to identify trends and opportunities
for improvement. Lessons learned are then shared extensively across
the business integrity community, Unilever’s leadership, and with
employees.
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Employee surveys are also used as a tool to monitor this culture.
Business integrity questions are included within Unilever’s annual
global UniVoice survey, and in more regular UniPulse surveys
administered to smaller randomised groups of employees. Responses
are reviewed by our Global Code and Policy Committee and at Business
Integrity Committee meetings. These responses provide further insight
into how strongly business integrity is embedded into the business,
driving future engagement and action plans.
Business conduct policies
Our Code and Code Policies define the ethical behaviours that everyone
must demonstrate when working for Unilever. They help us to address
key potential external and internal risks to the business such as
fraudulent behaviour or a failure to respect, uphold and advance
human rights, as well as playing a key role in ensuring compliance with
laws and regulations. As a result, they help us to protect our brands and
reputation, and to prevent harm to people or the environment.
The Code and Code Policies are available in multiple languages and
designed to be readily applied by employees in their day-to-day work. They
are mandatory for all employees and others working for Unilever, and
apply to all Unilever companies, subsidiaries and organisations over which
Unilever has management control. While our Code and Code Policies are
for internal use, we also publish them externally in support of transparency.
We undertake a comprehensive review of our Code and Code Policies
every five years when the Code is reviewed and approved by the
Unilever Board. Potential changes needed to the Code and Code
Policies are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure they
appropriately reflect the internal and external context, in addition to
incorporating the latest legal requirements, and the Board is informed
of any amendments. As an input to this process, the Board’s Corporate
Responsibility Committee meets quarterly and reviews external
developments that may be relevant to Unilever’s ability to conduct
its business appropriately as a responsible corporate citizen.
We also seek to work with suppliers, customers, agents, distributors and
other partners who uphold these standards throughout our value chain.
Our Responsible Partner Policy outlines our requirements for business
partners.
Business conduct training
Everyone who works at Unilever is required to know our Code and Code
Policies and understand how to apply them in their work. We design
and conduct annual mandatory training for all office-based employees
and have tailored training for those employees working in factories
and more remote areas. Completion of training is tracked, and we
follow up with employees who fail to complete mandatory training
and take further action where required.
Corruption and bribery are risks that may affect any employee, and
therefore our mandatory training, deployed for all employees, includes
a focus on anti-corruption, in particular related to learnings from
investigations, risk assessments and business partnering.
Identifying and reporting breaches, including whistleblower
protection
Unilever’s Code Policies specifically include the requirement to immediately
report actual or potential breaches of the Code or Code Policies. Key to
identifying and reporting breaches is training, to ensure familiarity with the
Code, and the provision of appropriate infrastructure to facilitate reporting.
We make a variety of internal and external reporting platforms available to
all employees and those we partner with.
To report a concern, employees can contact a number of internal
channels. Alternatively, employees and third parties can use our
independently managed, confidential Unilever Code Support Line
(whistleblowing line) via telephone or our online Speak Up platform,
which is available directly via a web address.
The available reporting channels are set out within our Code Policies and
highlighted during Business Integrity training and in our communications.
The Speak Up platform web address is signposted on Unilever’s website
and our internal portals, and hotline numbers are displayed in various
locations, such as factory walls, building access cards and payslips.
In 2024, 43% of cases were reported directly to Business Integrity
Officers, which reassures us that we continue to embed a strong
process with trust in our Business Integrity Officers. In addition, we
highlight to employees that if they prefer not to use the direct or
anonymised channels provided by Unilever, they can utilise other
external reporting channels and report directly to the authorities.
We are committed to a culture of transparency and have a prohibition
on retaliation in any format against those who report or seek guidance
on ethical or compliance issues or report cases under our Code,
compliant with the EU Whistleblower Directive.
Our Code and Code Policies set out that Unilever will not retaliate
against employees who raise issues with us and that any attempted
or actual retaliatory action by employees is in itself considered to be
a breach of our Code. This approach to non-retaliation is emphasised
in global employee training and local town halls. Additional non-
retaliation guidance for employees is also published on both internal
and external platforms.
After any Code concern is reported, reporters are reminded of what
retaliation could look like and asked if they think they have experienced
this. All Business Integrity Committees are also accountable for ensuring
that individuals who report Code breaches or assist with investigations are
properly protected from retaliation and that confidentiality is maintained.
Investigating potential breaches
Our investigation standards require us to record and assess all Code
concerns reported, however they are raised. Once a report is received,
it is formally acknowledged and directed to a Business Integrity Officer
to determine whether a Business Integrity investigation is required.
Investigations are led by the responsible Business Integrity Officers,
who ensure fair, unbiased and independent investigations are
undertaken. All Business Integrity Officers are trained on Unilever’s
standards and processes and are required to uphold these at all times.
Business Integrity has officers posted around the world to respond to
cases, with oversight from a central Business Integrity team.
Investigation reports link the allegation made to the specific
requirements under the Code, summarising the evidence, findings
in respect of any breach, corrective measures, and recommended
sanctions. Completed investigation reports and associated evidence
are submitted to Business Integrity Committees for approval. In cases
involving public bribery or senior executives, our Chief Legal Officer and
Chief Business Integrity Officer oversee investigations and an ad hoc
Business Integrity Committee determines any sanctions, regardless of
where such executives are located.
We encourage engagement from the initial reporter to facilitate
the investigation while maintaining any confidentiality. Where
appropriate and possible, we aim to provide transparency with regard
to the investigation’s progress and anticipated completion. It is the
responsibility of the Business Integrity Committees to ensure the timely
investigation of all potential Code breaches raised by an individual
employee, with a view to reaching a final determination within 60 days,
depending on the nature and complexity of the concern raised.
Breaches of the Code or Code Policies are shared with various oversight
committees, including the Unilever Board’s Corporate Responsibility
and Audit Committees, the Unilever Leadership Executive, and the
Global Code and Policy Committee.
Animal welfare policies
Unilever uses leading-edge safety science, not animals, to evaluate
the safety of our products. We believe that animal testing is not needed
to make sure that our products and their ingredients are safe for
consumers, our workers and the environment. For over 40 years, we
have been working to eliminate animal testing without compromising
on safety. This is set out in our public position statement on animal
testing, owned by the Chief Research & Development Officer on behalf
of the Unilever Leadership Executive.
Unilever’s mandatory standard on animal testing sets out the strict
internal approval and control procedures in place to ensure our
position is upheld. This standard is one of several that underpins
Unilever’s Responsible Innovation Code Policy, which requires that all
employees involved in scientific research and innovation must comply
with all standards relevant to their area of work.
To ensure the safety of our products, we develop and advance the use
of safety assessment approaches based on modern science that do
not rely on new animal data. Occasionally, across our wider product
portfolio, some of the ingredients we use have to be tested by our
suppliers to comply with legal and regulatory requirements in some
markets, and some governments still test certain products on animals
as part of their regulations. We do not agree that this animal testing is
necessary to assure the safety of our products or the ingredients in
them. We work with our suppliers, government authorities and non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) across the world to increase the
acceptance and use of non-animal approaches for regulatory
compliance purposes.
Our Responsible Partner Policy, which sets out what Unilever requires
of our business partners, contains mandatory requirements in relation
to animal testing, as well as outlining leading practices for suppliers
to work towards. In support of this, we partner with our ingredient
suppliers to proactively share our non-animal safety science and
non-animal approaches for chemicals registration.
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We share our scientific approaches with regulatory authorities and
NGOs around the world to promote their broader acceptance and
maximise the impact of our science in replacing animal testing. People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lists Unilever as a ‘company
working for regulatory change’ in recognition of our ongoing work on
alternatives to animal testing and our commitment to promoting their
adoption worldwide.
Farm animal welfare forms part of Unilever’s Sustainable Agriculture
Code (SAC), which is designed to codify key aspects of sustainability
in farming and apply them to our supply chain. The Chief Business
Operations Officer is responsible for the implementation of the SAC,
and it is applicable to all agricultural suppliers. The SAC is supported by
specific additional guidance, such as the Unilever Sustainable Livestock
Implementation Guide, and its implementation by suppliers is audited
by a third party.
Farm animal welfare also forms part of our Responsible Partner Policy
(RPP), which helps us to manage our relationship with suppliers.
Unilever’s Responsible Sourcing and Business Partnering Code Policy
underpins this approach, setting out the responsibilities of employees
to ensure that third parties are subject to our RPP policies and controls.
Management of relationships with suppliers
Procurement processes, including fair behaviour
with suppliers
Our Code and Code Policies govern what we require of our employees
in terms of fair behaviour in relation to Unilever’s suppliers and
procurement processes. The Code Policies include specific requirements
in relation to areas such as anti-bribery, communication with suppliers,
fair competition, conflicts of interest and treatment of suppliers’
information, as well as the obligation to source only from suppliers
that are compliant with our RPP.
Responsible partnerships
Our RPP, sponsored by our Chief Procurement Officer, helps us
to manage our relationship with suppliers. The RPP describes
what Unilever requires of its business partners across the three
interconnected pillars of business integrity & ethics, human rights, and
the planet. It consists of mandatory requirements and management
systems for all suppliers and gives advance notice of future mandatory
requirements designed to build greater resilience as well as leading
practices. This approach recognises the evolving nature of our third
parties and value chains, while driving business growth and improved
outcomes for people and planet.
The scope of our RPP goes beyond our direct supplier universe, which
directly invoice Unilever for goods and services, by including our
expectation for suppliers to cascade equivalent requirements within
their own supply chains by carrying out human rights and
environmental due diligence.
All our suppliers undergo continuous assessment against our RPP
requirements and general terms and conditions. If an existing supplier
fails to remain compliant with our requirements, Unilever may restrict
the ability to raise new purchase orders for business until they can once
again meet all our requirements. If a new supplier cannot meet our
terms, we will not onboard them into our systems and will not be able
to do business with them.
We verify RPP alignment through self-declarations on registration,
annual re-registration to our systems, routine due diligence and risk-
based audits. We take a continuous improvement approach to our risk
assessment and undertake regular risk-mapping so we can accurately
identify where specific risks occur across geographies and within
different supplier types. This leads to more targeted due diligence and
auditing based on the goods and services we source and the country
where the sourcing site is located and ensures we know where to act
to drive change if issues arise.
We encourage suppliers to contact the Unilever team if they face
challenges in meeting our requirements through implementing their
own approaches, so that we can endeavour to provide support and
guidance. We also encourage suppliers to share any insights that will
help us improve our programmes, and how we govern and monitor our
value chain, embracing partnership in areas where we can collaborate
in a pre-competitive environment to address endemic issues in our
industries.
Prevention of late payments, specifically to SMEs
Payment terms are contractually agreed between Unilever and each
supplier, including SME suppliers. Further detail on payments to SMEs
is set out within the section on payment practices below.
Prevention and detection of corruption and bribery
Anti-corruption and anti-bribery policies
Our Code and Code Policies set out Unilever’s zero-tolerance approach
towards corruption and bribery. These prohibit both public and
commercial bribery, to or from any third party, and irrespective of
financial values involved and also explicitly prohibit facilitation
payments.
Detailed written anti-corruption guidance and standards are also in
place that expand on our Code and Code Policies in relevant areas,
including interactions with public officials, brand protection, corporate
transactions (M&A), customer incentives, gifts and hospitality, grants
and donations, and conflicts of interest.
As previously set out, our anti-corruption and bribery policies are
communicated and designed to be readily applied by employees.
The Code and Code Policies are available in multiple languages,
and lessons are included in the annual mandatory training.
Our partners must adhere to Unilever’s anti-corruption and bribery
policies, as defined in the RPP.
Preventing, detecting and addressing allegations or incidents
of corruption and bribery
The core processes to prevent, detect and address allegations or incidents
of corruption and bribery are the same as the processes in place for
Unilever’s overall Code and Code Policies. All potential cases of corruption
and bribery related to public officials are reported to our Chief Legal Officer
and Chief Business Integrity Officer, who oversee investigations, and the
Global Code and Policy Committee determines any sanctions.
As previously set out, breaches, lessons learned, and remedial actions
related to the Code or Code Policies are shared with various oversight
committees, including the Unilever Boards Corporate Responsibility
and Audit Committees, the Unilever Leadership Executive, and the
Global Code and Policy Committee.
In order to prevent incidents from taking place, we conduct periodic
bespoke anti-corruption and anti-bribery risk assessment exercises to
determine the business activities and geographies that require specific
actions to enhance our controls and respond to changes in our risk
exposure. A range of tailor-made measures are continuously introduced
to mitigate these risks, along with additional bespoke training.
Anti-corruption and anti-bribery training
As part of our annual mandatory Business Integrity learning
programme, anti-corruption and anti-bribery training is deployed to
all employees. Unilever Board members also receive specific training
on this subject.
The training content is based on our learnings from investigations, risk
assessments and business partnering. Additional bespoke training is
offered for employees who may face a greater risk in their activities
in respect of corruption or bribery, such as those in external-facing
commercial roles.
The anti-corruption and anti-bribery training programme is sponsored
by the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Business Integrity Officer and led by
the Chief Counsel – Ethics & Compliance. It is overseen by the Unilever
Board’s Corporate Responsibility Committee.
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METRICS AND TARGETS
Incidents of corruption or bribery
There have been no incidents of corruption or bribery resulting in
convictions or fines for Unilever Group companies due to violation
of applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in 2024.
In addition, there have been no deferred prosecution agreements
or other significant enforcement activity involving Unilever Group
companies in 2024 that required us to take actions to address breaches
in procedures and standards of anti-corruption and anti-bribery.
Political influence and lobbying activities
Unilever engages with governments, policymakers, regulators, non-
governmental organisations and other stakeholders involved in policy
and government through our advocacy and lobbying activities. This
engagement forms a key part of promoting and protecting Unilever’s
legitimate business interests, and takes place directly and indirectly
through bodies such as trade associations and industry groups.
Our Code and Code Policies set out how employees must manage
their business relationship with political groups. Such activity must be
conducted with honesty, integrity, openness and in compliance with
local and international laws.
Oversight of political engagement
In 2024, Unilever’s Global Head of Communications and Corporate
Affairs oversaw national government engagement and lobbying
activity. Unilever’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer
(CSO) oversaw engagement with intergovernmental organisations
and non-governmental organisations. Both roles report directly to the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
At Board level, two Non-Executive Directors hold, or have held,
comparable positions in public administration:
Susan Kilsby is on the UK Takeover Panel and was a non-executive
director at NHS England between 2021–2023.
Adrian Hennah was appointed as an independent member to the
Council of Imperial College London in 2024.
Neither the CEO nor any other member of the Board not listed above
has held similar roles in public administration within the two years
preceding this reporting period.
Political contributions
Unilever companies are prohibited from supporting or contributing to
political parties or candidates. All Unilever Executive and Non-Executive
Directors have confirmed that they have not made any political
contributions on behalf of Unilever in 2024 and we do not have any
reported cases of breaches with the Political Activities & Political
Donations Code Policy.
Main topics covered by Unilever’s political engagement
The scale of Unilever’s business operations and the fact that many
areas of the consumer goods industry are regulated means we engage
regularly with governments and policymakers. We do this both
independently and as part of industry groups and coalitions. The main
topics covered by these engagements during 2024 are set out below.
Topic
Main positions on this topic
Linkages with material impacts, risks
and opportunities
Nutrition, diet and
health
Unilever works with governments to create policy environments that help
consumers make healthier diet choices.
Unilever supports policies that restrict the marketing of food and beverages
to children under 16, aligning with our global commitment.
Nutritional product quality
Safe products
Business integrity and ethical conduct
Changing regulatory landscape
Plastic pollution
Unilever supports public policy that aligns with our approach to reducing
packaging waste and creating a circular economy. This includes Extended
Producer Responsibility schemes, whereby producers are held accountable
for the management of their packaging after it has been used.
Unilever also supports the introduction of packaging design rules and
recycled content targets that will help increase recycling rates. Both these
policies are dependent on governments working with industry to increase
the availability of high-quality recycled plastic. We also work with
governments to identify the enabling conditions to help scale reuse and
refill models.
Unilever is advocating for a legally binding UN Treaty to end plastic
pollution, which will help harmonise regulatory standards and policies
across markets through global rules and mandatory targets.
Plastic pollution
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
schemes for packaging and other plastic
taxes
Changing regulatory landscape
Climate
Unilever advocates for changes to public policy frameworks consistent with
the 1.5°C ambition of the Paris Agreement. Unilever’s main positions are that
governments should raise national climate ambition, scale up renewable
energy and non-fossil chemical feedstocks, and phase out fossil fuels,
including fossil fuel subsidies.
Furthermore, Unilever works with governments to accelerate enabling
conditions, including encouraging the protection and restoration of land,
forests and oceans, and putting forward policies that incentivise
regenerative agriculture.
Unilever advocates for the adoption of ISSB sustainability reporting
standards as the global baseline for non-financial reporting.
All climate change material impacts,
risks and opportunities identified
Changing regulatory landscape
Safety regulation
Chemical and product regulations are being revised to incorporate modern
safety science and data. Unilever provides input to consultations on
regulatory changes, sharing new scientific approaches and how we apply
them to safety decision-making. We aim to have less complex regulations
that promote ‘safe by design’ innovation and the highest standards of
human health and environmental protection.
Changing regulatory landscape
Safe products
Business operations
and trade issues
Unilever works with governments, policymakers, regulators and other
stakeholders to ensure our supply chains operate efficiently and to protect
our business interests and workforce, such as trade restrictions that impact
our supply chain. Changes to laws and regulations can have a positive or
negative impact on our business and how we operate.
Changing regulatory landscape
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Transparency Registers in the European Union
Unilever PLC is registered with the EU Transparency Register (identification number: 6200524920-25). Unilever entities are also listed in the lobbying
registers of other EU Member States, as set out below. Furthermore, we comply with the US Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA); the LDA website provides
a searchable database of disclosure filings.
Country
Name of Register
Entity
ID number
Germany
Lobbyregister beim Deutschen Bundestag
Unilever DACH
R003910
Ireland
Register of Lobbying
Unilever UK&I
2621
Netherlands
Lobbyistenregister van de Tweede Kamer
Unilever N.V.
n/a
Spain
Direcció General de Bon Govern, Innovació i
Qualitat Democràtiques
UNILEVER ESPAÑA SA
5292
Payment practices
Average payment days and percentage of invoices paid on time
Payment terms are contractually agreed between Unilever and each supplier. The global nature of our business and the variety in types of
materials and services we buy mean that our payment practices reflect local legal requirements and established local or industry practices,
which can vary significantly. As a result, suppliers have not been further subcategorised.
The average time Unilever takes to pay an invoice is calculated as the difference between the date when a payment advice is triggered by
Unilever to the bank (clearing date) and the date agreed between Unilever and its supplier from which invoice payment days start to be
calculated (start of payment terms).
The percentage of invoices paid on time is calculated as the number of invoices for which the payment advice is triggered by Unilever to the bank
(clearing date) on or before the date on which Unilever must pay the invoice to the supplier as per the agreed payment terms (payment due
date), divided by the total number of invoices during the reporting period.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be small or medium-sized in the context of their market. The specific factors and
thresholds applied may vary depending on the market.
Entities in SAP represent around 95% of total Unilever turnover, and within this, SME identification is conducted for eight of Unilever’s largest
markets, together representing around 75% of Unilever’s global spend recorded in SAP: Brazil, China, Europe (excluding the UK), India, Indonesia,
Mexico, the UK and the US. SME identification is based on local government definitions and sourced from third-party databases. In certain cases,
where available company data is limited, the third-party databases used for this exercise use predictive modelling to estimate relevant values.
The table below sets out the standard payment terms together with the percentage of Unilever’s spend in Q4 2024. Our goal is to pay 100% of
invoices within the payment terms agreed with our suppliers. In 2024, Unilever paid over 6.9 million invoices to approximately 76k suppliers.
Standard payment terms (% spend by value)
Q4 2024
Within 30 days
36%
31–60 days
19%
61–90 days
23%
>90 days
22%
Total
100%
The table below sets out the average time taken to pay supplier invoices and the percentage of payments made within the agreed terms, for all
suppliers and for those SME suppliers we can currently separately identify.
Payment metrics
All suppliers
SME suppliers
Average payment days
56 days
38 days
% of invoices paid on time
87%
84%
Every month, all invoices that have not been paid in accordance with the contractual terms are identified, reasons for delays are identified and
actions to rectify the issues are taken. The most common issues causing delayed payments are:
Where we only have weekly or fixed payment, so payment is often the next payment run after the due date;
Where there is a delay in the receipt of invoices from suppliers, particularly where payment terms are shorter; or
Timeliness of approvals as to the appropriateness of the invoice or lack of necessary information on the invoice to process it properly.
Number of legal proceedings outstanding for late payments
Formal legal proceeding in relation to late payment brought against any Unilever entity that is ongoing as at 31 December 2024.
A determination on whether any such proceeding has been brought by an SME is made based on local legal definitions where possible, or
otherwise relevant available information such as supplier financial information considered in the context of the relevant market.
As at 31 December 2024, there were two legal proceedings outstanding for late payment, both of which related to SMEs.
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ENTITY-SPECIFIC DISCLOSURES
Changing regulatory landscape
Unilever is subject to national and regional laws and regulations
in diverse areas such as product and ingredient safety, chemicals
management, patents, environmental compliance, competition,
data privacy, human rights due diligence, employment and taxes.
Unilever companies and employees are required by our Code of
Business Principles to comply with the laws and regulations of the
countries in which we operate. Our legal and regulatory specialists are
heavily involved in monitoring and reviewing our practices to provide
reasonable assurance that we remain aware of and in line with all
relevant laws and legal obligations. In specialist areas, the relevant
teams at global, regional or local levels are responsible for setting
detailed standards and ensuring that all employees are aware of and
comply with regulations and laws specific and relevant to their roles.
Changes to laws and regulations can have a significant positive or
negative impact on our business. Unilever engages with governments,
policymakers, regulators, non-governmental organisations and other
stakeholders involved in the development and delivery of policy as part
of promoting and protecting Unilever’s legitimate business interests.
This is detailed further in our political engagement table above.
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KPMG LLP’s Independent
Assurance Report
LIMITED ASSURANCE CONCLUSION
We have performed a limited assurance engagement on whether
the Group Sustainability Statement of Unilever plc (the ‘Company‘)
included in the ‘Sustainability Statements’ section on pages 222 to
299 of the Company’s Annual Report and Accounts, including the
information incorporated by cross reference, (the ‘Sustainability
Statement‘) as at and for the year ended 31 December 2024 has been
prepared in accordance with Article 29(a) of EU Directive 2013/34/EU.
Based on the procedures performed and evidence obtained, nothing
has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Company’s
Sustainability Statement as at and for the year ended 31 December
2024 has not been prepared, in all material respects, in accordance
with Article 29(a) of EU Directive 2013/34/EU, including:
compliance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards
(the ‘ESRS‘), including that the process carried out by the Company to
identify the information reported in the Sustainability Statement (the
’Process’) is in accordance with the description set out on page 226
‘General Information – double materiality assessment process‘; and
compliance of the disclosures on pages 263 to 266 ‘EU Taxonomy
Disclosures’ within the ‘Environmental Disclosures’ of the
Sustainability Statement with Article 8 of EU Regulation 2020/852
(the ‘Taxonomy Regulation‘).
Our limited assurance conclusion is to be read in the context of the
remainder of this report, in particular the ‘Inherent limitations in
preparing the Sustainability Statement‘ and ‘Intended use of our report‘
sections below.
Our conclusion on the Sustainability Statement does not extend to
any other information that accompanies or contains the Sustainability
Statement and our assurance report (hereafter referred to as ‘Other
Information‘). We have not performed any procedures as part of this
engagement with respect to such Other Information. We audited the
financial statements, and the parts of the Directors’ Remuneration
Report to be audited, included within the Other Information and our
report thereon is included with the Other Information.
BASIS FOR CONCLUSION
We conducted our limited assurance engagement in accordance
with International Standard on Assurance Engagements (UK) 3000
Assurance Engagements Other Than Audits or Reviews of Historical
Financial Information, (’ISAE (UK) 3000’), issued by the UK Financial
Reporting Council (’FRC’). Our responsibilities under that standard are
further described in the ’Our responsibilities’ section of our report.
We have complied with the Institute of Chartered Accountants
in England and Wales (’ICAEW’) Code of Ethics, which includes
independence and other ethical requirements founded on fundamental
principles of integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due
care, confidentiality and professional behaviour, that are at least as
demanding as the applicable provisions of the International Ethics
Standards Board for Accountants’ (’IESBA’) International Code of Ethics
for Professional Accountants (including International Independence
Standards).
Our firm applies International Standard on Quality Management (UK)
1 Quality Management for Firms that Perform Audits or Reviews
of Financial Statements, or Other Assurance or Related Services
Engagements (’ISQM (UK) 1’), issued by the FRC, which requires the firm
to design, implement and operate a system of quality management,
including policies or procedures regarding compliance with ethical
requirements, professional standards and applicable legal and
regulatory requirements.
We believe that the evidence we have obtained is sufficient and
appropriate to provide a basis for our conclusion.
Comparative information
Our limited assurance engagement does not extend to information
in respect of prior periods, if any, and, accordingly, we do not express
a conclusion, or provide any assurance on such information.
Our conclusion is not modified in respect of this matter.
DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT
The Company has chosen to voluntarily prepare a Sustainability
Statement as it has securities admitted to trading on a regulated
market in the Netherlands, an EU Member State.
The Directors of the Company are responsible for designing,
implementing and maintaining a process to identify the information
reported in the Sustainability Statement in accordance with the ESRS
and for disclosing this process on page 226 ‘General Information –
double materiality assessment process‘ of the Sustainability Statement.
This responsibility includes:
understanding the context in which the Company’s activities and
business relationships take place and developing an understanding
of its affected stakeholders;
identifying the actual and potential impacts (both negative and
positive) related to sustainability matters, as well as risks and
opportunities that affect, or could reasonably be expected to affect,
the Company’s financial position, financial performance, cash flows,
access to finance or cost of capital over the short term, medium term,
or long term;
assessing the materiality of the identified impacts, risks and
opportunities related to sustainability matters by selecting and
applying appropriate thresholds; and
developing methodologies and making assumptions that are
reasonable in the circumstances.
The Directors of the Company are further responsible for the
preparation of the Sustainability Statement, in accordance with Article
29(a) of EU Directive 2013/34/EU, including:
compliance with the ESRS;
preparing the disclosures on pages 263 to 266 ‘EU Taxonomy
Disclosures’ within the ‘Environmental Disclosures’ of the
Sustainability Statement, in compliance with the Taxonomy
Regulation;
designing, implementing and maintaining such internal controls
that the Directors determine are necessary to enable the preparation
of the Sustainability Statement such that it is free from material
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error;
selecting and applying appropriate sustainability reporting methods
and making assumptions and estimates about individual
sustainability disclosures that are reasonable in the circumstances;
and
maintaining adequate records to support the preparation of the
Sustainability Statement.
Inherent limitations in preparing the Sustainability
Statement
As described on page 226 ‘General Information – double materiality
assessment process’ the Company has carried out the Process,
which may change over time, including as additional sector-specific
sustainability standards, if any, are developed. The Sustainability
Statement may not include every impact, risk and opportunity or
additional Company-specific disclosure that each individual
stakeholder, or group of stakeholders, may consider important in
its own particular assessment.
In determining the disclosures in the Sustainability Statement, the
Directors of the Company interprets undefined legal and other terms.
Undefined legal and other terms may be interpreted differently,
including the legal conformity of their interpretation and, accordingly,
are subject to uncertainties.
The Directors of the Company have made various judgements in
determining how the Company complies with the ESRS and the
Taxonomy Regulation which allow for different, but acceptable,
evaluation and measurement techniques and can result in materially
different measurements, affecting comparability between companies
and over time. The key judgements are summarised the 'General
Information Section' of the Sustainability Statement on page 224 and
are set out in further detail within the 'Basis for Preparations' included in
relation to each topical standard as highlighted in grey on pages 242 to
246, 250 to 251, 253, 256 to 257, 258 to 260, 274 to 278, 281, 286 and 291.
The quantification process relating to information presented within the
Sustainability Statement is subject to: scientific uncertainty, which arises
because of incomplete scientific knowledge about the measurement;
and estimation (or measurement) uncertainty resulting from the
measurement and calculation processes used to quantify such
information within the bounds of existing scientific knowledge.
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For a number of these areas, for example Scope 3 GHG emissions and
Pollution of Air, Water and Soil, there are significant limitations in the
availability and quality of data available, resulting in the Company’s
reliance on proxy data in determining these estimated amounts. Over
time better information may become available, and the principles and
methodologies used to measure and report these estimated amounts
may change based on market practice and regulation. In addition,
where information is provided by the Company in respect of value chain
information, for example Workers in the Value Chain and Affected
Communities, we may be unable to verify or benchmark this
information in full to its original source.
In reporting forward-looking information in accordance with the ESRS,
for example the Company’s climate transition plan, the Directors of the
Company are required to prepare the forward-looking information on
the basis of disclosed assumptions about events that may occur in the
future and possible future actions by the Company. The actual outcome
is likely to be different since anticipated events frequently do not occur
as expected. We do not provide any assurance on the assumptions and
achievability of forward-looking information included within the
Sustainability Statement.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Our objectives are to plan and perform the assurance engagement to
obtain limited assurance about whether the Sustainability Statement
is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error,
and reporting our limited assurance conclusion to the Company.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered
material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably
be expected to influence decisions of users taken on the basis of the
Sustainability Statement as a whole.
Our responsibilities in relation to the Process for reporting the
Sustainability Statement, include:
Obtaining an understanding of the Process but not for the purpose
of providing a conclusion on the effectiveness of the Process,
including the outcome of the Process; and
Designing and performing procedures to evaluate whether the
Process is consistent with the Company’s description of its Process,
as disclosed on page 226 ‘General Information – double materiality
assessment process‘.
Our other responsibilities in respect of the Sustainability Statement
include:
Obtaining an understanding of the Company’s control environment,
processes and information systems relevant to the preparation of the
Sustainability Statement but not evaluating the design of particular
control activities, obtaining evidence about their implementation or
testing their operating effectiveness;
Identifying disclosures where material misstatements are likely to
arise, whether due to fraud or error; and
Designing and performing procedures focused on disclosures in the
Sustainability Statement where material misstatements are likely to
arise. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from
fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the
override of internal control.
Summary of the work we performed as the basis
for our conclusion
A limited assurance engagement involves performing procedures to
obtain evidence about the Sustainability Statement. We planned and
performed our procedures to obtain evidence about the Sustainability
Statement that is sufficient and appropriate to obtain a meaningful
level of assurance to provide a basis for our limited assurance
conclusion. The nature, timing and extent of our procedures depended
on our judgement, our understanding of the Sustainability Statement
and other engagement circumstances, including the identification of
disclosures where material misstatements are likely to arise in the
Sustainability Statement. We exercised professional judgment and
maintained professional scepticism throughout the engagement.
In conducting our limited assurance engagement, with respect to the
Process, the procedures we performed included:
Obtaining an understanding of the Process by:
Performing inquiries to understand the sources of the information
used by the Directors; and
Reviewing the Company’s internal documentation and scoring of
its Process; and
Evaluating whether the evidence obtained from our procedures
about the Process was consistent with the description of the Process
set out on page 226 ‘General Information – double materiality
assessment process‘.
In conducting our limited assurance engagement with respect to the
Sustainability Statement, the procedures we performed included:
Obtaining an understanding of the Company’s reporting processes
relevant to the preparation of its Sustainability Statement by:
Conducting interviews with management to obtain an
understanding of the key processes, systems and controls in place;
and
Inspecting relevant policy documentation related to information
included within the Sustainability Statement.
Evaluating whether material information identified by the Process is
included in the Sustainability Statement;
Evaluating whether the structure and the presentation of the
Sustainability Statement is in accordance with the ESRS;
Performing risk assessment procedures over the Sustainability
Statement, to inform our assurance approach;
Performing limited substantive testing and analytical procedures,
which included agreeing to corresponding supporting evidence
where our risk assessment required this;
Obtaining underlying supporting documentation for material
narrative statements as identified through our risk assessment
procedures;
Obtaining evidence on the methods, assumptions and data for
developing material estimates and forward-looking information and
on how these methods were applied;
Obtaining an understanding of the process to identify taxonomy-
eligible and taxonomy-aligned economic activities and the
corresponding disclosures in the Sustainability Statement; and
Assessing the existence of taxonomy-eligible activities and
comparing management's assessment to the Taxonomy Regulation
and supplementary acts.
The procedures performed in a limited assurance engagement vary in
nature and timing from, and are less in extent than for, a reasonable
assurance engagement. Consequently, the level of assurance obtained
in a limited assurance engagement is substantially lower than the
assurance that would have been obtained had a reasonable assurance
engagement been performed.
INTENDED USE OF OUR REPORT
Our report has been prepared for the Company solely in accordance
with the terms of our engagement. We have consented to the
publication of our report within the Annual Report and Accounts for the
purpose of the Company showing that it has obtained an independent
assurance report in connection with the Sustainability Statement.
Our report was designed to meet the agreed requirements of the
Company determined by the Company's needs at the time. Our report
should not therefore be regarded as suitable to be used or relied on by
any party wishing to acquire rights against us other than the Company
for any purpose or in any context. Any party other than the Company
who obtains access to our report or a copy and chooses to rely on our
report (or any part of it) will do so at its own risk. To the fullest extent
permitted by law, KPMG LLP will accept no responsibility or liability in
respect of our report to any other party.
Jonathan Mills
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP
Chartered Accountants
15 Canada Square
London E14 5GL
5 March 2025
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DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS COVERED BY OUR SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT, INCLUDING
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
ESRS References
Page(a)
TCFD(b)
ESRS2 General Information
Basis of Preparation
BP-1
General basis of preparation
BP-2
Disclosures in relation to specific circumstances
Governance
GOV-1
Oversight of sustainability matters
66, 71-72, 84-85, 224
GOV-2
Sustainability matters addressed by governance bodies
92, 224
GOV-3
Sustainability performance and incentives
102-106, 225
GOV-4
Sustainability due diligence
GOV-5
Sustainability reporting controls
Strategy
SBM-1
Strategy and business model
2-4, 36, 48, 226
SBM-2
Interests and views of stakeholders
74, 226
SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
IRO-1
Double materiality assessment process and 2024 IROs
IRO-2
Disclosure requirements in ESRS covered by the undertaking’s sustainability statement
E2-6, E3-5, E4-6
Current and anticipated financial effects of material IROs
E1 Climate
Governance
ESRS2 GOV-3
Sustainability performance and incentives
102-106, 225 , 233
Strategy
E1-1
Transition plan for climate change mitigation
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material climate impacts, risks and opportunities
E1-2
Policies
E1-3
Actions
Metrics and targets
E1-4
Targets
E1-5
Energy consumption and mix
E1-6
Gross scope 1, 2, 3 and total GHG emissions
E1-7
GHG removals and GHG mitigation projects financed through carbon credits
E1-8
Internal carbon pricing
E1-9
Potential financial effects
E2 Pollution
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material pollution impacts, risks and opportunities
E2-1
Policies
E2-2
Actions
Metrics and targets
E2-3
Targets
E2-4
Pollution of air, water and soil
E2-5
Substances of concern and substances of very high concern
n/a
E3 Water
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material water impacts, risks and opportunities
E3-1
Policies
E3-2
Actions
Metrics and targets
E3-3
Targets
E3-4
Water consumption
(a) Incorporation by cross reference is indicated by the symbol (†).
(b) The sustainability statement is consistent with the Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations and Recommended Disclosures.
This column outlines how the TCFD disclosures are mapped across the relevant sections of the sustainability statement.
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ESRS References
Page(a)
TCFD(b)
E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Strategy
E4-1
Transition plan and consideration of biodiversity and ecosystems in strategy and business model
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material biodiversity and ecosystem impacts, risks and opportunities
E4-2
Policies related to biodiversity and ecosystems
E4-3
Actions and resources related to biodiversity and ecosystems
Metrics and targets
E4-4
Targets related to biodiversity and ecosystems
E4-5
Impact metrics related to biodiversity and ecosystems change
E5 Resource Use and Circular Economy
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material resource use and circular economy impacts, risks and opportunities
E5-1
Policies
E5-2
Actions
Metrics and targets
E5-3
Targets
E5-4
Resource inflows
E5-5
Resource outflows
E5-6
Potential financial effects
S1 Own Workforce
Strategy
ESRS2 SBM-2
Interests and views of stakeholders
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
S1-1
Policies
S1-2
Engaging with own workforce and workers’ representatives
S1-3
Processes to remediate impacts and channels to raise concerns
S1-4
Managing impacts and risks related to own workforce
Metrics and targets
S1-5
Targets
S1-6
Characteristics of the undertaking’s employees
S1-7
Characteristics of non-employees in the undertaking’s own workforce
n/a
S1-8
Collective bargaining coverage and social dialogue
S1-9
Diversity metrics
S1-10
Adequate wages
S1-11
Social protection
S1-12
Persons with disabilities
n/a
S1-13
Training and skills development metrics
n/a
S1-14
Health and safety metrics
S1-15
Work-life balance metrics
n/a
S1-16
Remuneration metrics (pay gap and total remuneration)
S1-17
Incidents, complaints and severe human rights impacts
(a) Incorporation by cross reference is indicated by the symbol (†).
(b) The sustainability statement is consistent with the Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations and Recommended Disclosures.
This column outlines how the TCFD disclosures are mapped across the relevant sections of the sustainability statement.
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INDEX
ESRS References
Page(a)
TCFD(b)
S2 Workers in the Value Chain
Strategy
ESRS2 SBM-2
Interests and views of stakeholders
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
S2-1
Policies
S2-2
Engaging with value chain workers
S2-3
Processes to remediate impacts and channels to raise concerns
S2-4
Managing impacts on value chain workers
Metrics and targets
S2-5
Targets
S3 Affected Communities
Strategy
ESRS2 SBM-2
Interests and views of stakeholders
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
S3-1
Policies
S3-2
Engaging with affected communities
S3-3
Processes to remediate impacts and channels to raise concerns
S3-4
Managing impacts on affected communities
Metrics and targets
S3-5
Targets
S4 Consumers and End-Users
Strategy
ESRS2 SBM-2
Interests and views of stakeholders
ESRS2 SBM-3
Interaction of material IROs with strategy and business model
Impact, risk and opportunity management
S4-1
Policies
229, 270, 284 , 286
S4-2
Engaging with consumers and end-users
S4-3
Processes to remediate impacts and channels to raise concerns
S4-4
Managing impacts, risks and opportunities related to consumers and end-users
Metrics and targets
S4-5
Targets
G1 Business Conduct
Governance
ESRS2 GOV-1
Oversight of sustainability matters
70, 84 , 224 , 287
Impact, risk and opportunity management
ESRS2 IRO-1
Process to identify material business conduct impacts, risks and opportunities
G1-1
Business conduct policies and corporate culture
G1-2
Management of relationships with suppliers
G1-3
Prevention and detection of corruption and bribery
Metrics and targets
G1-4
Incidents of corruption or bribery
G1-5
Political influence and lobbying activities
G1-6
Payment practices
(a) Incorporation by cross reference is indicated by the symbol (†).
(b) The sustainability statement is consistent with the Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations and Recommended Disclosures.
This column outlines how the TCFD disclosures are mapped across the relevant sections of the sustainability statement.
298
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SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENTS
INDEX
EU LEGISLATION DATA POINTS
Disclosure
requirement
Data point
SFDR
reference
Pillar 3
reference
Benchmark
regulation
reference
EU
Climate Law
reference
Page /
relevance
ESRS 2 GOV-1
21 (d)
Board's gender diversity
ESRS 2 GOV-1
21 (e)
Percentage of Board members who are
independent
ESRS 2 GOV-4
30
Statement on sustainability due diligence
ESRS 2 SBM-1
40 (d) i
Involvement in activities related to fossil
fuel activities
Not relevant
ESRS 2 SBM-1
40 (d) ii
Involvement in activities related to
chemical production
Not relevant
ESRS 2 SBM-1
40 (d) iii
Involvement in activities related to
controversial weapons
Not relevant
ESRS 2 SBM-1
40 (d) iv
Involvement in activities related to
cultivation and production of tobacco
Not relevant
ESRS E1-1
14
Transition plan to reach climate neutrality
by 2050
ESRS E1-1
16 (g)
Undertakings excluded from Paris-aligned
benchmarks
Not relevant
ESRS E1-4
34
GHG emission reduction targets
ESRS E1-5
38
Energy consumption from fossil sources
disaggregated by sources
ESRS E1-5
37
Energy consumption and mix
ESRS E1-5
40-43
Energy intensity associated with activities
in high climate impact sectors
ESRS E1-6
44
Gross Scope 1, 2, 3 and total GHG
emissions
ESRS E1-6
53-55
Gross GHG emissions intensity
ESRS E1-7
56
GHG removals and carbon credits
ESRS E1-9
66
Exposure of the benchmark portfolio to
climate-related physical risks
Not relevant
ESRS E1-9
66 (a)
Disaggregation of monetary amounts by
acute and chronic physical risk
Not relevant
ESRS E1-9
66 (c)
Location of significant assets at material
physical risk
Not relevant
ESRS E1-9
67 (c)
Breakdown of the carrying value of its real
estate assets by energy efficiency classes
Not relevant
ESRS E1-9
69
Degree of exposure of the portfolio to
climate-related opportunities
Not relevant
ESRS E2-4
28
Amount of each pollutant listed in Annex
II of the E-PRTR Regulation emitted to air,
water and soil
ESRS E3-1
9
Water and marine resources
ESRS E3-1
13
Dedicated policy
Not relevant
ESRS E3-1
14
Sustainable oceans and seas
Not relevant
ESRS E3-4
28 (c)
Total water recycled and reused
ESRS E3-4
29
Total water consumption in m3 per net
revenue on own operations
ESRS 2 SBM 3 - E4
16 (a) i
Biodiversity sensitive areas
ESRS 2 SBM 3 - E4
16 (b)
Land impacts
ESRS 2 SBM 3 - E4
16 (c)
Threatened species
ESRS E4-2
24 (c)
Sustainable oceans/seas practices or
policies
Not relevant
ESRS E4-2
24 (d)
Policies to address deforestation
ESRS E5-5
37 (d)
Non-recycled waste
ESRS E5-5
39
Hazardous waste and radioactive waste
ESRS 2 SBM3 - S1
14 (f)
Risk of incidents of forced labour
ESRS 2 SBM3 - S1
14 (g)
Risk of incidents of child labour
ESRS S1-1
20
Human rights policy commitments
ESRS S1-1
21
Sustainability due diligence policies on
issues addressed by the fundamental
International Labour Organization
Conventions 1 to 8
ESRS S1-1
22
Processes and measures for preventing
trafficking in human beings
ESRS S1-1
23
Workplace accident prevention policy or
management system
ESRS S1-3
32 (c)
Grievance/complaints handling
mechanisms
ESRS S1-14
88 (b), (c)
Number of fatalities and number and rate
of work-related accidents
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Disclosure
requirement
Data point
SFDR
reference
Pillar 3
reference
Benchmark
regulation
reference
EU
Climate Law
reference
Page /
relevance
ESRS S1-14
88 (e)
Number of days lost to injuries, accidents,
fatalities or illness
ESRS S1-16
97 (a)
Unadjusted gender pay gap
ESRS S1-16
97 (b)
Excessive CEO pay ratio
ESRS S1-17
103 (a)
Incidents of discrimination
ESRS S1-17
104 (a)
Non-respect of UNGPs on Business and
Human Rights and OECD guidelines
ESRS 2 SBM3 – S2
11 (b)
Significant risk of child labour or forced
labour in the value chain
ESRS S2-1
17
Human rights policy commitments
ESRS S2-1
18
Policies related to value chain workers
ESRS S2-1
19
Non-respect of UNGPs on Business and
Human Rights principles and OECD
guidelines
ESRS S2-1
19
Sustainability due diligence policies on
issues addressed by the fundamental
International Labour Organization
Conventions 1 to 8
ESRS S2-4
36
Human rights issues and incidents
connected to its upstream and
downstream value chain
ESRS S3-1
16
Human rights policy commitments
ESRS S3-1
17
Non-respect of UNGPs on Business and
Human Rights, ILO principles or OECD
guidelines
ESRS S3-4
36
Human rights issues and incidents
ESRS S4-1
16
Policies related to consumers and end-
users
ESRS S4-1
17
Non-respect of UNGPs on Business and
Human Rights and OECD guidelines
ESRS S4-4
35
Human rights issues and incidents
ESRS G1-1
10 (b)
United Nations Convention against
Corruption
Not relevant
ESRS G1-1
10 (d)
Protection of whistleblowers
Not relevant
ESRS G1-4
24 (a)
Fines for violation of anti-corruption and
anti-bribery laws
ESRS G1-4
24 (b)
Standards of anti-corruption and anti-
bribery
Not relevant
Cautionary Statement
This document may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of the Unilever Group (the ‘Group’).
All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Words such as ‘will’, ‘aim’, ‘expects’,
‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘looks’, ‘believes’, ‘vision’, ‘ambition’, ‘target’, ‘goal’, ‘plan’, ‘potential’, ‘work towards’, ‘may’, ‘milestone’, ‘objectives’,
‘outlook’, ‘probably’, ‘project’, ‘risk’, ‘seek’, ‘continue’, ‘projected’, ‘estimate’, ‘achieve’ or the negative of these terms, and other similar expressions
of future performance or results and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also
include, but are not limited to, statements and information regarding the Group’s emissions reduction and other sustainability-related targets and
other climate and sustainability matters (including actions, potential impacts and risks and opportunities associated therewith). Forward-looking
statements can be made in writing but also may be made verbally by directors, officers and employees of the Group (including during
management presentations) in connection with this document. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and
assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees
of future performance or outcomes. All forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified in their entirety by the
cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, a number of which may be beyond the Group's
control, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements. Among other risks and uncertainties, the material or principal factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this document are: Unilever’s global brands not meeting consumer preferences; Unilever’s
ability to innovate and remain competitive; Unilever’s investment choices in its portfolio management; the effect of climate change on Unilever’s
business; Unilever’s ability to find sustainable solutions to its plastic packaging; significant changes or deterioration in customer relationships; the
recruitment and retention of talented employees; disruptions in Unilever’s supply chain and distribution; increases or volatility in the cost of raw
materials and commodities; the production of safe and high-quality products; secure and reliable IT infrastructure; execution of acquisitions,
divestitures and business transformation projects, including the proposed separation of our Ice Cream business; economic, social and political
risks and natural disasters; financial risks; failure to meet high and ethical standards; and managing regulatory, tax and legal matters and
practices with regard to the interpretation and application thereof and emerging and developing ESG reporting standards including differences
in implementation of climate and sustainability policies in the regions where the Group operates. Also see ’Our Principal Risks’ on pages 51 to 61
for additional risks and further discussion.
The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account
all information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. These beliefs, assumptions and
expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us. If a change occurs, our business,
financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group
expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein
to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such
statement is based. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. In
addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. In preparing the sustainability and climate-related information
in this document, Unilever has made a number of key judgements, estimations and assumptions. Sustainability and climate data, models and
methodologies are often rapidly evolving and are not of the same accuracy as those available in the context of other financial information. There
may also be challenges in relation to availability of sustainability and climate-related data and potential inconsistencies. This means that
sustainability and climate-related forward-looking statements can be subject to more uncertainty than other types of statements and therefore
our actual results and developments could differ from those expressed or implied in the sustainability and climate-related forward-looking
statements in this document.
This document also contains data on the Group’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Some of this data is based on estimates, assumptions and
uncertainties. Scope 1 and 2 emissions data relates to emissions from the Group’s own activities and supplied heat, power and cooling, and is
generally easier for the Group to gather than Scope 3 emissions data. Scope 3 emissions relate to other organisations’ emissions and is therefore
subject to a range of additional uncertainties, including that: data used to model lifecycle footprints is typically industry-standard data or
estimates rather than relating to individual suppliers; and lifecycle models, such as the Group’s, cover many but not all products and markets.
In addition, international standards and protocols relating to Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions calculations and categorisations also continue to
evolve, as do accepted norms regarding terminology, such as carbon neutral and net zero, which may affect the emissions data the Group reports.
As Scope 3 emissions data improves, shifting over time from generic modelled data to more specific data, the data reported in this document is
likely to evolve. We will continue to review and develop our approach to emissions data in line with evolving market approaches and standards.
Throughout this report, we include non-GAAP financial measures to explain the performance of our business, including underlying sales growth,
underlying volume growth, underlying price growth, non-underlying items, underlying operating profit, underlying operating margin, underlying
earnings per share, underlying effective tax rate, constant underlying earnings per share, free cash flow, cash conversion, underlying return on
assets, net debt and underlying return on invested capital. Such non-GAAP financial measures are defined in ’Additional financial disclosures’
and a reconciliation of these measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included within ’Additional financial
disclosures’. See pages 40 to 47.
Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange,
Euronext Amsterdam, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Annual Report on Form 20-F 2024.
This document is not prepared in accordance with US GAAP and should not therefore be relied upon by readers as such. The Annual Report on
Form 20-F 2024 is separately filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and is available on our corporate website: www.unilever.com.
In addition, a printed copy of the Annual Report on Form 20-F 2024 is available, free of charge, upon request to Unilever, Investor Relations
Department, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DY, United Kingdom.
This document comprises regulated information within the meaning of Sections 1:1 and 5:25c of the Act on Financial Supervision (‘Wet op het
financieel toezicht (Wft)’) in the Netherlands.
The brand names shown in this report are trademarks owned by or licensed to companies within the Group.
References in this document to information on websites (and/or social media sites) are included as an aid to their location and such information
is not incorporated in, and does not form part of, the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024.
About this Annual Report
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2024
This document is made up of the Strategic Report, the Governance
Report, the Financial Statements and Notes, the Additional
Information for US Listing Purposes and the Sustainability Statement.
The Unilever Group consists of Unilever PLC (PLC) together with the
companies it controls. The terms ‘Unilever’, the 'Company', the ‘Group’,
‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ refer to the Unilever Group.
Our Strategic Report, pages 2 to 61, contains information about us,
how we create value and how we run our business. It includes our
strategy, business model, market outlook and key performance
indicators, as well as our approach to sustainability and risk. The
Strategic Report is only part of the Annual Report and Accounts 2024.
The Strategic Report has been approved by the Board and signed on
its behalf by Maria Varsellona – Chief Legal Officer and Group
Secretary.
Our Governance Report, pages 62 to 117, contains detailed corporate
governance information, our Committee reports and how we
remunerate our Directors.
The Governance Report on pages 62 to 117 comprises our Directors’
Report and our Directors’ Remuneration Report, each of which has
been approved by the PLC Board and signed on its behalf by Maria
Varsellona – Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary.
Pages 2 to 35 and 38 to 61 of the Strategic Report together with the
Governance Report and the Sustainability Statement serve as the
Management Report for the purposes of Disclosure Guidance and
Transparency Rule 4.1.8R.
Our Financial Statements and Notes are on pages 119 to 199.
Pages 1 to 211 and 223 to 300 constitute the Unilever Annual Report
and Accounts 2024, which we may also refer to as ‘this Annual Report
and Accounts’ throughout this document.
Pages 212 to 221 are included as Additional Information for US Listing
Purposes.
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