Unilever have announced their latest partnership with Google Cloud, which aims to help end deforestation within their supply chain.
There is a clear want from consumers for companies to provide greater transparency and traceability when it comes to the manufacture, production and retailing of their products. Answering this call, Unilever have partnered with Google Cloud to help raise the sustainability standards of the company.
“This collaboration with Google Cloud will take us to the next level in sustainable sourcing,” says Dave Ingram, Unilever’s Chief Procurement Officer.
“We will now be able to process and combine complex sets of data like never before. The combination of these sustainability insights with our commercial sourcing information is a significant step-change in transparency, which is crucial to better protect and regenerate nature.”
How will it work?
Google Cloud will capture satellite images of the forests, biodiversity and water cycles that intersect Unilever’s supply chains. These will then be used to provide a more complete picture of the ecosystems connected to the raw materials sourced globally for the company.
The partnership will initially focus on the sourcing of sustainable palm oil and will be extended to further commodities in the future. Unilever say that it brings them a step closer to their goals of regenerating nature and ending deforestation in their supply chain by 2023. It also means that they can work with suppliers to increase transparency and take action wherever and whenever it’s needed.
“Together, we’re demonstrating how technology can be a powerful tool in aiding businesses who strive to protect the Earth’s resources. It will require collective action to drive meaningful change, and we are committed to doing our part.” - Rob Enslin, President, Google Cloud.
To read the full press release, click here.
