Unilever to cut fossil fuels from cleaning brands

Consumer goods giant Unilever has pledged to drop fossil fuels from its cleaning and laundry products by 2030.

The company behind brands like Persil, Sunlight, Cif, and Domestos said it would invest €1 billion to make it happen.

The company is to replace the products with ingredients made from plants and marine sources like algae.

The move is part of Unilever's pledge to deliver net zero emissions from its products by 2039.

Peter ter Kulve, Unilever’s president of Home Care, said: “Clean Future is our vision to radically overhaul our business. As an industry, we must break our dependence on fossil fuels, including as a raw material for our products.

“We must stop pumping carbon from under the ground when there is ample carbon on and above the ground if we can learn to utilise it at scale.

“We’ve seen unprecedented demand for our cleaning products in recent months and we are incredibly proud to play our part, helping to keep people safe in the fight against Covid-19. But that should not be a reason for complacency."

He added: “We cannot let ourselves become distracted from the environmental crises that our world – our home – is facing. Pollution. Destruction of natural habitats. The climate emergency.

“This is the home we share, and we have a responsibility to protect it.”