Do we like Unilever?
Consumer goods giant (Dove, Vaseline, Hellmann's, Knorr, Liquid I.V.) based in London, now refocusing on beauty and personal care.
Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. It is a huge, well-known maker of everyday goods with real sustainability goals. Greenpeace says its plastic record falls short, and its Ben & Jerry's fight is still in court.
Unilever is the London-based maker of Dove, Vaseline, Hellmann's and Knorr. Fernando Fernandez, a 30-year Unilever veteran and former CFO, became CEO in March 2025. He has called the plan a simpler, sharper company, and said the firm cut roughly 18% of its white-collar workforce in 18 months.
It's shrinking into a beauty and personal care business. The ice cream arm (Magnum, Ben & Jerry's) was demerged in December 2025. In March 2026 it agreed to combine its Foods business, including Hellmann's and Knorr, with McCormick in a deal valued at $44.8bn. The companies expect it to close in mid-2027.
The Ben & Jerry's saga is the big drama. Reuters reported in August 2026 that a federal judge dismissed major parts of the ice cream maker's lawsuit. The suit accused Unilever of silencing its activism. Two claims over missed payments survived. Unilever denied censoring Ben & Jerry's.
Plastic is the other sore spot. Greenpeace has long attacked Unilever over sachets and said it has not cut its plastic footprint. Unilever's 2025 report says it has met or is on track for its plastic goals, and the trade press reports it is on track for a 30% virgin plastic cut by 2026. Greenpeace still calls the targets a false solution.
Our score is a middling five. It has sensible stated goals and a more focused business. But the plastic criticism, the Ben & Jerry's court fight and several consumer-label suits stop us calling it a clear yes.