Unilever, a prominent global consumer brands company, has initiated a strategic collaboration with Australian biotech firm Nufarm. This partnership is set to innovate the production of cleaning products by substituting petrochemical-based ingredients with plant-based oils. Both companies are focusing on developing a new sugar cane variety to achieve this goal. This move aligns with Unilever’s broader sustainability objectives and its ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions throughout its supply chain. Previously, Unilever has been involved in several initiatives aimed at minimizing environmental impacts, signifying its commitment to sustainability.
In past collaborations, Unilever has consistently explored means to reduce its carbon footprint, considering alternative raw materials and reformulations of its product lines. These efforts have typically focused on cutting down the use of fossil fuel-derived ingredients, which contribute significantly to the carbon emissions associated with cleaning products. The current partnership with Nufarm follows this trajectory, building on the momentum of prior sustainability projects and setting a new benchmark for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What Is the Aim of This Partnership?
The primary objective of this collaboration is to replace conventional fossil fuel feedstocks with bio-based alternatives in Unilever’s cleaning products. This initiative is consistent with Unilever’s Climate Transition Action Plan, which outlines strategies to lower emissions and achieve net zero by 2039. The plan includes an ambitious target of reducing Scope 3 emissions by 39% by 2030, with raw materials currently accounting for over half of its greenhouse gas emissions. Unilever’s Head of Biotechnology, Neil Parry, stated:
“This partnership enables us to identify alternative ingredients for our household, beauty and personal care brands which will further support our ambition to reach net zero emissions across our value chain by 2039.”
How Will Nufarm Contribute to This Initiative?
Nufarm’s role in this partnership involves leveraging its expertise in developing energy cane, a sugar cane variety that produces higher biomass. This new crop aims to yield biomass oils for consumer products, potentially using the entire plant including leaves and stems. This approach not only increases efficiency but also offers additional benefits such as climate stress tolerance and drought resistance. Nufarm CEO Greg Hunt remarked:
“This technology and associated know-how further enhance Nufarm’s novel, sustainable and scalable oils strategy in high biomass crops like energy cane and forage sorghum and provides new transformational oils platform potential.”
Beyond the environmental benefits, the partnership seeks to explore additional uses for the sugar and fiber produced by the energy cane. Unilever has expressed interest in utilizing the sugar for specialty ingredients, while the fiber could be repurposed for paperboard and packaging. These applications aim to maximize the utility of the plant and further reduce environmental impact.
Nufarm and Unilever anticipate that their innovative approach will open new markets for agricultural products not traditionally associated with this sector. By utilizing biotechnology advancements, they are setting a precedent for developing sustainable supply chains that reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
The collaboration between Unilever and Nufarm underscores a significant shift in how consumer goods companies approach sustainability. By focusing on innovative plant-based solutions, they aim to reduce environmental impacts while exploring new product applications. This approach reflects a broader trend in the industry towards integrating sustainability into core business strategies, exemplifying a pragmatic path towards achieving long-term environmental goals.
