Representatives committed to joining with heathcare sector to enhance communication to raise awareness of washing hand with soap. — Photos of the company

HCM CITY — Unilever has been consistently recognised as a leader in sustainability. It is the only global corporation to have ranked first on the sustainable businesses survey by GlobeScan / SustainAbility for over a decade.

As the keyword "sustainable development" is becoming more and more popular, the company's sustainability efforts are deeply ingrained in its corporate strategy and have been pursued across its global operations, as well as within each country and region where it operates.

Unilever's successful deployment in Việt Nam can be attributed to the company's ability to make appropriate adjustments in its approach, development of deployment methods, and optimisation of efficiency to adapt to the actual situation.

Plastic Circular Economy

Plastic waste is one of Unilever Vietnam's top concerns when practising sustainable development solutions. Many products of brands like OMO, Comfort, Sunlight and Cif under Unilever Vietnam have gradually switched to packaging made from recycled PCR plastic, which is environmentally friendly and better for consumers' health.

Unilever Vietnam's exhibitions on circular economy has offered a comprehensive process to make it closer to people.

At present, 63 per cent of Unilever Vietnam's packaging is recyclable. In addition, Unilever Vietnam reduced the amount of virgin plastic in packaging production by 52 per cent, thanks to direct reduction and use of recycled plastic.

By recognising that it's not just a business issue but a problem that requires the involvement of the entire community, Unilever Vietnam is taking a proactive approach to drive change. Unilever has been actively involved in environmental initiatives since 2020 by collaborating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to implement the Circular Economy project. Communication and awareness-raising campaigns play a vital role in driving behavioural change. By educating people about the importance of waste classification at the source, Unilever can encourage individuals to adopt sustainable waste management practices.

Unilever Vietnam has worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as other businesses to sign the "Public-private partnership to build a circular economy in plastic waste management (PPC)" initiative.

The number of PPC members has reached 28, indicating a broad coalition of stakeholders working together towards a common goal. They include private companies, recyclers/collectors, organisations, associations, and local governments and retail distribution partners, such as Central Retail.

Environment protection

Recognising the resource limitations faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Việt Nam, this approach allows for a more comprehensive and impactful implementation of sustainable practices. By working closely with partners and suppliers, Unilever Vietnam can implement solutions that help bring carbon emissions to zero. This also helps handling more than 75 per cent of the carbon footprint from input materials and activities outside the fence in Unilever's supply chain.

Unilever Vietnam is implementing emission reduction solutions not only within its own factories but also in some third-party supplier factories. The company also organises annual events on sustainable development for supply chain partners. More than 200 of these have pledged to join Unilever Vietnam in its global strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2039.

Unilever Vietnam and the OMO brand's initiative, "Action for a Green Việt Nam," is commendable. Their goal of planting 1 million green trees in Việt Nam from 2021 to 2025 is a significant commitment to environmental sustainability. In September 2023, Unilever Vietnam collaborated with the Centre for Communication of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to donate 250,000 trees to Nghia Lo commune in Yen Bai province. This donation has contributed to the overall goal of planting 1 million trees.

Over the past three years, Unilever Vietnam and the OMO brand have already planted 690,000 trees and 60,000 seeds across 19 provinces and 9 national parks in Việt Nam.

Health and hygiene conditions

Unilever's commitment to improving health and hygiene conditions is an integral part of their global Sustainable Development Strategy framework. Over the course of almost three decades operating in Việt Nam, Unilever has consistently undertaken initiatives to enhance the well-being of people by focusing on health and hygiene.

Unilever Vietnam's programs, such as "Wash hands with soap for a healthier Vietnam" and "P/S Protect Vietnam's Smile," have played a significant role in raising awareness about hygiene practices and improving health and hygiene conditions in the country.

Unilever Vietnam and the Ministry of Health signed the strategic cooperation programme "For a healthy and sustainable Việt Nam" in June 2023. The programme's duration from 2023 to 2028 aims to improve hygiene and health conditions for 15 million people across the country.

The "Green, Clean and Healthy Schools" program, implemented by Unilever Vietnam and their brands VIM, Lifebuoy, OMO, P/S and Pureit, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training, is making a positive impact on creating a safe and hygienic learning environment for elementary school students.

By the end of 2023, the "Green, Clean and Healthy Schools" programme implemented by Unilever Vietnam and their partner brands has made significant strides in improving the sanitary environment. The programme has reached nearly 231,000 students in more than 30 provinces and cities.

Social security

Unilever recognises that creating a more equitable and inclusive society is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic business priority. By integrating this aspect into its Sustainable Development Strategy framework, Unilever aims to contribute to a more sustainable and just world while achieving its business goals.

Unilever Vietnam and the Sunlight brand, in collaboration with the Vietnam Women's Union, have been actively supporting and empowering women in Việt Nam. Their programme, "Vietnamese Women Are Confident in Doing Business," aims to promote women's advancement and gender equality. This programme has made significant progress in supporting women entrepreneurs across Việt Nam. By providing practical knowledge, skills, and capital, the programme enables women to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys and succeed in their business endeavours. Over the past four years, starting from 2020, the program has been implemented in 32 provinces and cities throughout the country. The programme has positively impacted the lives of over 100,000 women entrepreneurs.

Not only supporting and improving the lives of women, Unilever Vietnam also aims to educate children to be confident in their appearance, which can have a positive impact on their psychological development. The project "Improving Awareness of Self-Worth - Dove Self-Esteem Project" is an initiative piloted by Unilever Vietnam and the Dove brand in collaboration with the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences and the Centre for Education and Development (CED). The project is implemented from September 2023 to January 2024.

The project's primary focus is to develop and adapt a set of documents called "I Have Confidence" to the Vietnamese context. The project aims to train 150 core teachers from 15 secondary schools in Ha Noi, Khanh Hoa and Soc Trang provinces. The project will move on to the pilot education phase. This involves implementing the "I Have Confidence" document set in 10,000 middle school students across the three provinces and cities mentioned.

Despite the challenges faced in a fluctuating market context over nearly three decades of operation, the company has shown a profound vision and dedication to sustainable development.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Vân, President of Unilever Vietnam speaks at Vietnam Circular Economy Forum

“Our ideal is to bring sustainable development to every home, every corner. Sustainable development does not only appear at Unilever, but an entire country and society must develop for a business to develop," said Nguyen Thi Bich Van, President of

Unilever Vietnam. She believes that, with this commitment, Unilever Vietnam will continue to reap "sweet fruits" on the journey of sustainable development, creating a better life for more than 90 million Vietnamese people. — VNS