Opinion: We can do better to achieve zero deforestation and low-carbon development | Devex

Opinion: We can do better to achieve zero deforestation and low-carbon development | Devex

Recently, Unilever made an announcement that can be considered unprecedented. It decided to open to the public its data about where it sources palm oil, an ingredient used in many of its food and personal care products.

An aerial view of the Amazon rainforest. Photo by: Neil Palmer / CIAT

This is an excerpt from an op-ed published on Devex and co-authored by Marcela Quintero, Matthias Jäger and Mark Lundy. 

Unilever said the step aims to improve transparency of its supply chain, and by doing so, could help transform the palm oil industry. The palm oil sector has been the subject of sharp criticisms, partly due to its strong link to deforestation in developing countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Unilever’s decision follows a trend among hundreds of corporations. In recent years, these companies have pledged to achieve deforestation-free supply chains as a way to reduce carbon emissions and loss of biodiversity.

Read the full op-ed here.