Dove and Conservation International Announce €8.5 Million Forest Restoration Project to Accelerate Fight Against Climate Change

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ahead of World Environment Day, Dove announces the Dove Forest Restoration Project, one of the biggest protection and restoration efforts from any beauty brand to-date. The project is designed to protect and restore forests, protect the habitats of endangered species, and improve the livelihoods of 16,000 people who call North Sumatra, Indonesia home.

In partnership with Conservation International, and in support of their collaboration with The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), Dove will protect and restore 20,000 hectares of forest (an area approximately double the size of Paris) in North Sumatra, Indonesia – home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world – over five years.

As a brand that has progressed the conversation around beauty for nearly two decades, Dove is committed to protecting and restoring the beauty of the planet for everyone. The Dove Forest Restoration Project is estimated to capture over 300,000 tons of CO2 from the air and avoid the release of over 200,000 tons of CO2e emissions. These projected impacts will be monitored and evaluated in accordance with Indonesia's articulated carbon policies.

This landmark initiative also builds upon ongoing plans Dove is accelerating to achieve a deforestation-free supply chain by 2023 and net zero emissions from its products by 2039:

"Can we really celebrate beauty if it comes at the cost of the planet? The answer is no. We must demand action and care that goes further, both from ourselves and from the beauty industry at large. As a global brand with care at our core, we have a responsibility to use our platforms to drive change and positively impact the world around us. The Dove Forest Restoration Project builds on our commitments to caring for our planet and caring about how we make our products and what goes into them. With this long-term initiative, we extend this care to improving the health of the planet, striving for a more sustainable way of being," says Alessandro Manfredi, Global Executive Vice President of Dove

Dove believes it's time to restore and give back more to the planet than we take. The Dove Forest Restoration project is the first major initiative from the €1 billion Unilever Climate & Nature Fund and aligns with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration:

"Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our world. That's why it's so important for Dove – one of the largest beauty brands in the world – to take meaningful and decisive action. Last year, we announced a €1 billion Unilever Climate and Nature Fund, and I'm thrilled the Dove Forest Restoration Project will be its first major initiative. This is also the first step in Unilever's Positive Beauty commitment to help protect and regenerate 1.5 million hectares of land, forests and oceans by 2030, which is more land than is required to grow the renewable ingredients in our beauty and personal care products," says Sunny Jain, President, Beauty & Personal Care at Unilever  

The Dove Forest Restoration Project – which will target the South Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal districts – supports Conservation International in its agreement with the Indonesian Government to conserve and restore the region's rich ecosystems and to promote the sustainable management of natural resources in ways that improve the livelihoods of the local communities.

"We are delighted to be partnering with Dove and the Government of Indonesia to restore forests in the region – an area that is profoundly important to the well-being of people and wildlife everywhere. When a brand like Dove puts climate change and nature at the heart of its purpose, the impact is game-changing. Together, Dove, Conservation International and Indonesia's leadership will build on the work we have started with Unilever to protect and restore this region, its wildlife, and support its communities. I look forward to continuing to create conservation success together in Indonesia. Investments like the Dove Forest Restoration Project are essential to changing the trajectory of the planet for the next generation," notes M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International

In addition to capturing and avoiding vast amounts of climate-warming carbon, the Dove Forest Restoration Project will contribute to biodiversity conservation in the region and also contribute toward Indonesia's larger targets for restoring forest and strengthening communities' sustainable management of forest resources. The Dove Forest Restoration Project will help:

• Support local communities with the aim of improving the livelihoods of 16,000 people in the North Sumatra region. This work complements parent company Unilever's engagement in the Coalition of Sustainable Livelihoods partnership, which also aims to accelerate sustainable economic development in North Sumatra.

• Deliver biodiversity benefits such as the protection and restoration of habitats for many endangered species including the Sumatran Tiger, Sunda Pangolin, Sumatran Clouded Leopard, Malayan Tapir, Black Sumatran Langur and Sambar Deer. Reestablished forest cover will also reduce the impact of natural disasters such as flooding and landslides.

Dove believes protecting and restoring the beauty of the planet requires more than straightforward commitments – it requires a complete transformation of the beauty industry. Real change requires continued partnership, persistent advocacy efforts, and commitment to do the work on the ground. 

Now more than ever, our world needs care. Together, let's restore the beauty of the planet.

To learn more about the Dove Forest Restoration Project visit Dove.com/Restoration or @Dove on Instagram.

#DoveForestRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay #CareThatGoesFurther #YesToPositiveBeauty #GenerationRestoration

For more information, contact
Liz Harris - [email protected]

About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.

Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:

1. Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type and style.
2. Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
3. Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About Conservation International
Conservation International works to protect the critical benefits that nature provides to people. Through science, partnerships, and fieldwork, Conservation International is driving innovation and investments in nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, supporting protections for critical habitats, and fostering economic development that is grounded in the conservation of nature. Conservation International works in 30 countries around the world, empowering societies at all levels to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet.

Conservation International has worked in Indonesia since 1991 with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, local governments, and other partners to support prosperous civil society through efforts to protect nature, support sustainable production systems, and support effective governance. Currently, Conservation International-Indonesia is working in five provinces covering terrestrial and marine programs.

Conservation International has experience in designing and implementing conservation and restoration projects at scale in Indonesia that deliver credible, science-based and beneficial impacts on the ground, and for leveraging its trusted relationships with the governments and communities for long-term sustainability. The Forest Restoration Project in North Sumatra supported by Dove will build on the success and scale of the Green Wall program -- a successful restoration effort in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park launched by Conservation International. Conservation International-Indonesia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry concerning ecosystem restoration and conservation in North Sumatra. One of the activities included in the memorandum of understanding is to support ecosystem recovery, with North Sumatra as one of the target areas.

About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of €50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty & Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

- Improving the health of the planet;
- Improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- Contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2020 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and - for the tenth-consecutive year - as the top ranked company in the 2020 GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey.

For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

SOURCE Dove