HUL Fast Tracks Net Zero To 2039

BP BIDDAPPA, Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation and Sustainability Officer at Hindustan Unilever, details how the company embeds sustainability into operations, innovation, and communities

- By Navneet Singh

HINDUSTAN Unilever has set an ambitious target of achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by 2039—three decades ahead of India's national net zero goal of 2070. The company believes that sustainability is not just a responsibility but a core driver of long-term value creation, with accelerated climate action marking its recent progress.

BP Biddappa, Executive Director and Chief People, Transformation and Sustainability Officer at HUL, said sustainability is now one of the key pillars of the company's business strategy. “Our sustainability strategy includes near and medium-term goals to accelerate action across four priority areas—climate, nature, plastics, and livelihoods. As India sets its sights on achieving net zero by 2070, we are well-positioned to contribute to this goal. We expect to be significantly advanced on our journey to achieving net-zero emissions across our value chain by 2039,” he said.

Sharp Emission cuts

HUL has already taken significant steps to decarbonise its operations. According to Biddappa, 2024 marked a year of accelerated climate action. Over 97 per cent of its operations are now powered by renewable energy, while Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions have been cut by 99 per cent in FY 2024-25 compared to a 2008 baseline.

The FMCG giant has also eliminated coal from all manufacturing sites. Biddappa stated, “We have eliminated coal from all our manufacturing sites and have invested in energy-efficient infrastructure and low-emission logistics.”