Becel, Knorr and Ben & Jerry’s go green

Toronto – A food manufacturer has become the single largest commercial purchaser of renewable energy in Canada.

Unilever Canada announced on April 5 that it is greening 59,000 MWh of electricity – enough energy to power more than 6,000 homes – through Bullfrog Power, Canada’s 100 per cent green energy provider.

The purchase means that the company is bullfrogpowering all of its manufacturing facilities and offices in Ontario, accounting for 90 per cent of its Canadian operations, with locally sourced renewable power.

Sustainable Living Plan

The company says the decision to purchase green electricity is part of its Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. The plan’s aim is to grow the business in a way that helps improve people’s health and well-being, reduces environmental impact and enhances livelihoods.

By choosing Bullfrog’s green electricity, Unilever will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions footprint by approximately 7,544 tons and support the development of new green power in Canada.

Substantial energy purchase

Unilever Canada’s renewable energy purchase is so substantial that is requires the creation of a new “Visionary” category at the top of the bullfrogpowered Green index, Bullfrog’s national ranking of green power purchasers in Canada.

Agreement

Through the agreement, Bullfrog Power’s generators will inject renewable electricity onto the electricity grid to match the amount of power Unilever’s bullfrogpowered facilities use.

Currently, in Ontario, Bullfrog’s electricity comes only from local wind and hydro facilities that hve been certified as low impact by Environment Canada under its EcoLogoM program, instead of from polluting sources like coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear.