Unilever

On the eve of the United Nations Biodiversity Summit, the CEOs of several major companies, including H&M and Unilever, are calling on governments to take meaningful actions towards protecting ecosystems.

Companies embracing activism know very well what they are getting into. Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, and by default, its parent company Unilever, are walking a tightrope as they are now experiencing firsthand a clash with Israel. But when things go well, your brand will only come out stronger. Nike, for example, has proven this in the recent past.

Unilever faces a total tax claim of nearly three billion euros in Brazil. Allegedly, the British group has evaded taxes in the country through various constructions.

The issue of antibiotics in meat production has come to the fore again because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Activists are calling for the systemic use of antibiotics to be removed from the production chain for beef. They are particularly targeting McDonald's, with a petition that is going viral and is pressuring the general shareholders' meeting.

Unilever sales rose again in the first quarter, driven by strong demand from China and India. The food business performed excellently, particularly the segment ice cream for consumption at home.

Although the coronavirus crisis had a significant positive sales effect on the type of products sold by Unilever, overall the cleaning and food products group recorded stable results in 2020.

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, thinks global consumption will remain at a low level for a while, despite signs of improvement in East Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.