Unilever Canada is largest commercial purchaser of green electricity in Canada
By Canadian Packaging Staff
Sustainability Bullfrog Power Fabrication Sustainability green electricity Unilever CanadaSome of Canada’s favorite brands—including Becel, Hellmann’s, Knorr and Ben & Jerry’s—are now bullfrogpowered with 100 per cent green electricity.
Unilever Canada has announced it is now the single largest commercial purchaser of renewable energy in Canada, greening 59,000 MWh of electricity—enough energy to power more than 6,000 homes—through Bullfrog Power, Canada’s 100 per cent green energy provider.
The purchase means that many of the products Canadians buy every day, including those from Becel, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Sidekicks, Ben & Jerry’s and Popsicle, will be made in facilities that are bullfrogpowered with 100 per cent clean, renewable power.
The decision is part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, in which Unilever will grow its business in a way which helps improve people’s health and well-being, reduces environmental impact and enhances livelihoods.
By choosing Bullfrog’s green electricity,the organization will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions footprint of its facilities by approximately 7,544 tonnes annually and support the development of new green power in Canada—two actions that help Unilever take action for Canadian communities by helping to address climate change and air pollution.
Unilever Canada’s historic renewable energy purchase is so substantial that it requires the creation of a new “Visionary” category at the top of the bullfrogpowered Green Index, Bullfrog’s national ranking of green power purchasers in Canada.
“We want to help lead by example and an important part of our sustainability strategy is to lessen our environmental impact to the benefit of our consumers and our communities,” says John Coyne, vice-president, Legal and External Affairs, Unilever Canada. “We’ve set aggressive emissions reduction targets with respect to our facilities. Supporting green electricity through Bullfrog Power is a significant step toward achieving our goals.”
The leading multinational company is bullfrogpowering all of its manufacturing facilities and offices in Ontario—accounting for 90 per cent of its Canadian operations—with locally sourced renewable power.
Through the agreement, Bullfrog Power’s generators inject renewable electricity onto the electricity grid to match the amount of power Unilever’s bullfrogpowered facilities use. Currently, in Ontario, Bullfrog’s electricity comes only from local wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogoM program.
The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which was launched in November 2010, aims to halve the environmental footprint of the manufacture and use of its products by 2020. Choosing Bullfrog Power’s green electricity supports Unilever’s overall plan to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent (based on 2008 levels) by 2020, and sourcing 40 per cent of Unilever’s energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Other environment-based goals set out in the plan include sourcing 100 per cent of its agricultural raw materials sustainably, halving the waste associated with the disposal of its products, and halving the water associated with consumer use of its products by 2020.
“Bullfrog Power is proud to be working with Unilever Canada to reduce its environmental impact,” states Tom Heintzman, president of Bullfrog Power. “We also look forward to partnering with Unilever Canada and its bullfrogpowered brands to help ignite dialogue about sustainable lifestyle choices in homes across Canada.”
Bullfrog Power
Bullfrog Power is Canada’s 100 per cent green energy provider, provides renewable energy solutions that allow homes and businesses to reduce their environmental impact and help create a cleaner, healthier world. Bullfrog’s green electricity comes exclusively from wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogoM program. A clean, renewable alternative to fossil-fuel based natural gas, Bullfrog’s green natural gas is produced in Canada from biogas facilities that have met strict environmental criteria as defined by ICF International. Homes and businesses can sign up easily, quickly and affordably at www.bullfrogpower.com.
Unilever Canada
Unilever’s brand portfolio includes Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. Unilever employs more than 1,600 people across Canada. Unilever has an established reputation for sustainability and has been named the #1 company in the Food & Beverage sector by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 consecutive years. For more information, visit www.unilever.ca.
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