THE WHAT? Unilever has joined the Climate Group’s 24/7 Coalition, committing to align its electricity procurement with the availability of carbon-free electricity on an hourly basis as part of its decarbonisation strategy.
THE DETAILS The announcement was made during the Climate Group’s Opportunity Summit at London Climate Action Week. Unilever said it achieved 85% renewable electricity across its operations in the previous year and is now looking to move beyond annual renewable energy accounting by matching electricity demand with renewable generation in real time. The coalition, which also includes companies such as Google, AstraZeneca and AirTrunk, promotes 24/7 carbon-free electricity by encouraging businesses to source renewable power that is available at the time and location it is consumed. Unilever said the approach will require greater collaboration with energy suppliers, policymakers, grid operators and infrastructure providers to improve renewable energy availability, storage and system flexibility.
THE WHY? Joining the coalition supports Unilever’s broader climate goals, including eliminating operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and reducing Scope 3 energy and industrial greenhouse gas emissions by 42% from a 2021 baseline. The initiative also reflects a shift towards more sophisticated renewable energy procurement as businesses seek to improve the real-world impact of their decarbonisation efforts.
Source: Procurement Magazine
