CSR Report: HUL spent Rs 208.32 Cr for Corporate Social Responsibility in FY 2022-23

Hindustan Unilever Limited is one of the largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Company present in India for more than 90 years. HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home Care, Personal Care and Refreshment products. It is home for Lux, Ponds, Vim, Dove, Surf Excel, Horlicks, Kwality Walls, Red Label and many other popular brands.

The company’s sustainability goals span environmental, health, and social inclusion pillars. It spent a total of Rs. Rs 208.32 Cr on CSR in FY 2022-23, securing a position in The CSR Journal’s list of top companies for CSR in India in 2023.

While HUL actually spent Rs. 201.32 crore during FY 2022-23, the remaining Rs. 7 crore which the company was obligated to spent, was deposited in the unspent CSR Account as per Section 135(6) of the Companies Act.

Sustainability

In climate action, HUL has actively reduced its carbon footprint by investing in renewable sources and innovative technologies. The company achieved a 44% reduction in total energy consumption per tonne of production since 2008, emphasizing renewable energy through solar and wind installations. In 2022, the company collected and processed over 1, 00,000 tonnes of plastic waste, as per its Annual Report. The company aims to create a circular economy and reduce food waste from factories.

Waste management initiatives

Committed to a waste-free future, HUL implements a comprehensive reduce-reuse-recycle model, witnessing progress in reducing virgin plastic use. In 2022, over 100,000 tonnes of plastic waste were collected and processed, surpassing the plastic used in product packaging. Collaborating with Xynteo India Private Limited and UNDP, HUL promotes waste management awareness and initiatives.

As part of its Plastic Waste Management Programme with UNDP, HUL has set up three Swachhta Kendras (material recovery facilities) in Mumbai: K-East (Andheri East), H-West (Bandra West), and R-North (Dahisar), reaching out to over 100,000 households for collecting and segregating dry waste.

The programme ‘Waste No More’ in partnership with international organisation Xynteo has reached out to more than 92 lakh students through direct school interventions and 27 lakh children digitally. The project aims to create awareness and drive behaviour change on waste segregation and recycling among school children.

The Company in partnership with the State Bank of India (SBI), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has set up Material Recovery Facilities in Mumbai and Aurangabad with the aim to recycle plastic waste and transform behaviour in communities through education and awareness modules.

The Akhil Bhartiya Gramin Uthan Samiti (ABGUS), a voluntary civil society organization with CSR support of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) inaugurated a Water Management Project in village Dhingi of block Nabha in district Patiala, Punjab in April, 2021. This wastewater management project was aimed to recycle the wastewater and reuse it for irrigation & groundwater recharge along with rainwater harvesting.

Water Conservation Programme

India is a water scarce region and water supply is expected to be half of its demand over the next decade, therefore Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has identified water as a key area of intervention and set-up Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF).

Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF) is a not-for-profit Company that anchors water management related community development and sustainability initiatives of HUL. HUF operates the ‘Water for Public Good’ programme, with specific focus on empowering local community institutions to govern water resources and enhancing farm-based livelihoods through adoption of judicious water practices.

HUF partners with non-profit organisations in waterstressed regions across the country to support rural communities with water conservation and encourage regenerative agricultural practices amongst farmers. The initiative, along with its partners, has delivered a cumulative and collective water potential of over 2.6 trillion litres through improved supply and demand water management, over 1.7 million tonnes of additional agricultural and biomass production, and over 110 million person-days of employment due to project interventions. Till now, HUF’s programmes have reached more than 14,000 villages in 13 States and 2 Union Territories.

‘Swachh Aadat, Swachh Bharat’ (SASB)

Suvidha – Community Hygiene Centres

Suvidha is an urban water, hygiene and sanitation community centre, that was first set up in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. The biggest Suvidha centre is in Dharavi, Mumbai and is one of the largest community toilets in India. In 2023, the Company built five new Suvidha centres. The Company has established 12 Suvidha centres in Mumbai in partnership with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, out of which 11 are in partnership with HSBC India. The centres give many people access to clean water, sanitation and laundry facilities.

In June 2023, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and JSW signed a strategic partnership to establish 10 new Suvidha centres in Mumbai. Suvidha centres serve as a comprehensive solution for the hygiene and sanitation needs of low-income communities, all under one roof. The Centres are conceived keeping in mind the safety and well-being of women and children through inclusive design, adequate lighting, CCTV cameras and a panic button for emergencies.

Moreover, the partners will undertake an extensive behaviour change programme on health and nutrition through home-to-home visits in the communities around the centre. The centres will also be run by staff hired from the nearby communities, thereby building a sense of ownership and pride.

Swasthya Basti

HUL is implementing an extensive behaviour change programme around its Suvidha centres to encourage people to adopt habits like washing hands with soap; eating nutrition-rich meals; drinking safe water; and using clean toilets to reduce the scope of illness and create good health outcomes for families.

This behaviour change programme is being implemented amongst populous and low-income communities in Dharavi, Kurla, Govandi, Ghatkopar and Malad areas in Mumbai. The programme follows a home-to-home module based on Unilever’s five levers of behaviour change principles to nudge people towards the adoption of good health and hygiene habits. The programme reached over 5.3 lakhs people across Mumbai.

Swasthya Curriculum

 In line with the Government’s Poshan Abhiyaan and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan missions, the Company created the Swasthya Curriculum that teaches children in classes 1-5 the importance of adopting four key habits: washing hands with soap; eating nutrition-rich meals; drinking safe water; and using clean toilets, over a 24-day period. Over the years, the textbook version of the curriculum has been rolled out in Government schools in Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Project Shakti

Project Shakti is the Company’s initiative which aims to financially empower and provide livelihood opportunities to women in rural India. The Shakti Entrepreneurs are given training for familiarisation with the Company’s products and basic tenets of distribution management. The Company has a team of Rural Sales Promoters (RSPs) who coach and help Shakti Entrepreneurs in managing their business.

This includes help in business basics and troubleshooting as well as coaching in softer skills of negotiation and communication, which enable them to run their business effectively. Project Shakti has nearly 80,000 Shakti Entrepreneurs across 18 States. The programme has helped Shakti Entrepreneurs gain confidence, self-esteem, negotiating skills, communication and engagement capabilities, with supporting the development of an entrepreneurial mind-set.

Prabhat

Prabhat is the community development initiative of the company. It contributes to a fairer, more socially and environmentally inclusive world while using HUL’s scale for good. In the last 9 years, Prabhat has positively benefitted nearly 9 million lives across 1,100 villages in 21 States and 2 Union Territories, as per an announcement by HUL.

The key pillars of Prabhat include financial empowerment, health & nutrition, and environmental sustainability.

Asha Daan

Asha Daan is a home in Mumbai for abandoned and differently-abled children, HIV-positive patients and destitute people. Since the inception of Asha Daan in 1976, the company has been looking after the maintenance and upkeep of the premises. At any time, there are nearly 350 – 400 inmates at Asha Daan. The re-development of Asha Daan is currently in progress and is expected to be completed within 18 months.

Ankur

Ankur was set up in 1993 as a centre for special education for children with disabilities at Doom Dooma in Assam. Ankur has provided free special educational, vocational and rehabilitative training to over 350 physically and mentally challenged children from underprivileged backgrounds.

Sanjeevani

The Company runs a free mobile medical service camp ‘Sanjeevani’ for the local community near its Doom Dooma factory in Assam. There are two mobile vans dedicated to the project. Each vehicle has one male and one female doctor, one nurse, a medical attendant and a driver. The vans are equipped with basic kits such as a diagnostic kit, blood pressure measuring unit, medicines and a mobile stretcher. Nearly 7,000 camps have been organised in villages so far. More than 3.6 lakhs patients have been treated through these service camps since its inception.

Initiative to support female cricketers

The Company has partnered with leading Cricket academy, Coaching Beyond to help reduce barriers that come in the way of budding women cricketers and support them to excel in the game. In the pilot phase, following a robust selection process, women cricketers across 20 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana will be chosen and inducted into Coaching Beyond’s Junior Athlete Development Programme. The selected young women cricketers will be hosted to play a tournament in Chennai and Hyderabad respectively. After the tournament, 50 young women cricketers will be shortlisted for the HUL scholarship programme. In the last phase, training will begin as part of the HUL scholarship, spanning three years.

Skilling and entrepreneurship

Guided by the Company’s Compass ESG Goals on Future of Work (FoW) which aims to equip 1.5 million young people with essential skills by 2030, HUL has initiated pilots on skilling and entrepreneurship. The pilots also focus on empowering Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). To help upskill the youth, the Company is partnering with the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), UNICEF’s YuWaah’s Passport 2 Earning (P2E) programme, LabourNet, Sarthak Educational Trust and Cheshire Disability Trust.

Conclusion

HUL’s CSR initiatives reflect a holistic commitment to sustainability, equity, and social responsibility, embodying its vision for a healthier planet and society. The company is actively engaged in community development through various initiatives, emphasizing economic empowerment, health, and environmental sustainability.