Unilever calls for more government action on electrification at COP31

By Lynsey Barber | Published: 13-Nov-2026 Lynsey Barber
Sustainability

Unilever has joined the We Mean Business Coalition’s new Electric Advantage Leadership Alliance at COP31, taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together business leaders working to accelerate the shift to electrification

Unilever calls for more government action on electrification at COP31

Unilever, the British beauty giant, has called on governments to help reduce emissions and build business resilience via electrification.

The Dove and Vaseline owner advocated for faster electrification and deployment of renewable energy, as well as the phase-out of fossil fuels, at COP31, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which is taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November.

“COP31 is an important opportunity for businesses to urge policymakers to raise national climate ambition, by advocating for the acceleration of the transition to low-emission, electrified economies,” said Fiona Duggan, Global Sustainability Senior Manager – Climate Advocacy, at Unilever.

“Industrial electrification, built on the scale-up of renewable energy and the phase-out of fossil fuels, is not just relevant to Unilever’s operations, it is an important unlock for our supply partners.

“We want them to have affordable, easy access to renewable electricity wherever they operate.”

Around 88% of electricity used for Unilever’s operations came from renewable sources in 2025.

The company has a target of a 100% absolute reduction in scope one and two GHG emissions by 2030, versus a 2015 baseline, and was at 77% by the end of 2025.

Unilever has joined the We Mean Business Coalition’s new Electric Advantage Leadership Alliance at COP31, bringing together business leaders working to accelerate the shift to electrification.

“To turn corporate demand into investment at scale, we need affordable clean power, grids that can connect projects quickly and policy that gives businesses confidence to move,” said María Mendiluce, CEO, We Mean Business Coalition.

“The leadership alliance brings together companies across the value chain to make that case with a stronger voice and help governments create the conditions for the market to move faster.”

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