Unilever’s (NYSE: UL) Canadian subsidiary will soon be the country’s single largest commercial purchaser of renewable electricity after signing a deal to purchase 59,000 MWh of green power from Bullfrog Power.
The purchase means that many of the products Canadians buy every day, including those from Becel, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Sidekicks, Ben & Jerry’s and Popsicle, will be made in facilities that are powered with 100% renewable power.
The decision is part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.
Bullfrog said the size of the renewable energy purchase is so substantial that it requires the creation of a new "Visionary" category at the top of the bullfrogpowered Green Index, Bullfrog’s national ranking of green power purchasers in Canada.
The power purchase covers all of Unilever’s manufacturing facilities and offices in Ontario-accounting for 90% of its Canadian operations–with locally sourced renewable power. It will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions footprint by approximately 7,544 tons annually.
Currently, in Ontario, Bullfrog’s electricity comes only from local wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogo(M) program-instead of from polluting sources like coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear.
Bullfrog Power uses the collective demand of its customers to support the development of new renewable generation in Canada. To date, five new wind projects have been commissioned in Canada to meet growing demand, the company said.
The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which was launched in November 2010, aims to halve the environmental footprint of the manufacture and use of its products by 2020. Choosing Bullfrog Power’s green electricity supports Unilever’s overall plan to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by 50% (based on 2008 levels) by 2020, and sourcing 40% of Unilever’s energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020.
Other environment-based goals set out in the plan include sourcing 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably, halving the waste associated with the disposal of its products, and halving the water associated with consumer use of its products by 2020.
"Bullfrog Power is proud to be working with Unilever Canada to reduce its environmental impact," said Tom Heintzman, President, Bullfrog Power. "We also look forward to partnering with Unilever Canada and its bullfrogpowered brands to help ignite dialogue about sustainable lifestyle choices in homes across Canada."
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