Science and sustainability: Unilever's carbon net zero innovation hub

Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced the establishment of its Carbon Net Zero Innovation Hub in Yancheng city, East China's Jiangsu province. The company will collaborate with Chinese research institutes and industrial partners to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the chemical industry.

Environmental action

Environmental protection is one of the most pressing global issues, and China has been actively fulfilling its responsibilities as a major country while playing a key role in global climate governance. In 2020, China set out its dual-carbon strategy, aiming to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Over the past five years, central and local authorities across China have advanced this goal in manufacturing, energy, transport, urban and rural construction, achieving notable progress. Reaching this vision requires not only policy support from the government, scientific research from universities and cooperation from the public, but also actions from enterprises and close coordination between all parties.

In response to climate change, Unilever has introduced a Climate Transition Action Plan, committed to achieve zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 & 2) by 2030 and reach net zero across its entire value chain (Scope 1, 2 & 3) by 2039.

In China, Unilever is aligning with national goals by strengthening research and development, partnering with Chinese institutions and suppliers, and scaling renewable and recycled carbon technologies in its product portfolio, creating a meaningful influence for its consumers and communities.

The Carbon Net Zero Innovation Hub will focus on recycling biomass carbon resources and supporting the chemical industry's transition to net zero. By introducing renewable commodity chemicals — produced from biomass using clean energy — into the fine chemical value chain, the hub will unlock low carbon ingredients for consumer goods and bring low carbon products into consumers' daily lives. It will also explore new paths for closer collaboration with authorities as well as academic and industry partners.

Unmissably superior products

Today, Unilever is driving the transition from traditional petrochemical sources to renewable carbon alternatives. As one of Unilever's key business groups, Home Care boasts products reaching nearly every consumer's daily life. According to Mike Parkington, chief R&D officer of Unilever Home Care, the business is guided by a consumer-centric business strategy grounded in unmissable superiority and sustainability.

Under this strategy, Unilever Home Care has advanced a portfolio of breakthrough innovations. In partnership with Evonik, it developed a new green surfactant, Rhamnolipid, derived from renewable sugar, now used in dishwashing liquid sold in Chile, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. The 100 percent plant-based and biodegradable formula offers strong cleaning performance while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. In addition, Unilever has jointly launched the "Flue2Chem" program in the United Kingdom, which converts carbon-containing gases into high-value chemicals.

China, one of the global leaders in chemical production and innovation, has long been among Unilever's most important markets for driving product superiority and utilizing low-carbon feedstock.

In 2021, Unilever pioneered the world's first laundry capsule in market using surfactant made with carbon capture technology in China. By introducing renewable feedstocks with local suppliers, the company has reduced emissions across its local manufacturing. The new Carbon Net Zero Innovation Hub in Yancheng represents another critical point in this project.

Collaboration with partners

The hub is located in Yancheng's Dafeng Port zero carbon industrial park in Jiangsu. The province has set the goal of "establishing a green, low-carbon, and circular economic system by 2035".

Yancheng, in particular, is the host of the "Global Coastal Forum", which is centered on the theme of green and low-carbon development.

The zero carbon industrial park is actively developing ecosystems to leverage abundant biomass and clean energy for economic and sustainable development. This will enable the fast-moving consumer goods industry to widely apply green chemical technologies in daily-use products, promoting sustainable practices from manufacturing to the entire life cycle.

In addition, the hub has co-hosted a Carbon Net Zero Chemical Value Seminar with ICT Developer, to foster dialogue across the value chain and explore practical applications of carbon net zero technologies.

During his visit to China, Parkington said: "China is one of our important manufacturing bases and importantly a center for innovating superior products on the move toward net zero for our business. By working closely with Chinese research institutes and industry partners, we hope to turn more green technologies into solutions consumers fall in love with."