Unilever pledges to help 25 million people gain improved access to toilets
At the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park New York on 27 September, Unilever announced a commitment to help 25 million people gain improved access to toilets by 2020.
This commitment is part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help one billion people to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
The festival, organized for the third time, celebrates global unity and reaffirms the will to address the planet's most pressing issues.
Surrounded by a roaring crowd of some 60,000 people, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (top photo) gave the kick off.
Understanding consumer's needs
“Business can and must be part of the solution in addressing global challenges that affect us all,” Unilever CEO, Paul Polman said (left on photo).
“That’s why we introduced the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to positively contribute to the societies where we operate. With our portfolio of health and hygiene brands, our understanding of consumers’ needs and our global reach, we are uniquely placed to help improve people’s lives.”
Scaling up existing programmes
This target will be delivered by Unilever’s toilet cleaning brand, Domestos and the Unilever Foundation, by scaling up existing partnership programmes.
To deliver this commitment, Domestos and the Unilever Foundation are working with UNICEF to change sanitation behaviours and empower communities to become free of open defecation.
“Our commitment is the natural next step for Domestos,” said Jean-Laurent Ingles, Senior Vice President for Household Care, Unilever.
“Domestos aims to ‘kill germs for good’ – that’s why we’re working to provide access to clean and safe toilets for people worldwide. Our commitment is about establishing a clear and sustainable link between tackling sanitation and our business ambitions. This is where the biggest opportunity lies for businesses, and where we can add greatest value.”
This news item was originally published on the website of Unilever.
More information
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