Unilever recently revised its ESG targets. Of its original 27 goals, at first glance it looks as though 10 were dropped. But closer scrutiny reveals some objectives are new and others have become divisional. In this paper, Planet Tracker explains why this is not a cause for despondency and demonstrates that if a corporate’s sustainability goals are adjusted, they should be scrutinised and judged on their own merits.

Planet Tracker’s report, Tomorrow’s Chemistry, presents a comparative analysis of the Climate Transition Assessments (CTAs) of seven leading chemical companies, Air Liquide (AI), BASF (BAS), Bayer (BAY), Dow (DOW), Incitec Pivot (IPL), LyondellBasell (LYB), and Toray Industries (3402), shedding light on their commitments, strategies and readiness to align with the Paris Agreement and achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.

A new comprehensive analysis reveals the extent to which advertising agencies are promoting clients with significant environmental impact and spotlights the apparent lack of commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles by major advertising Holding Companies.

Nearly half of plastic companies have no link between executive pay and sustainability goals, despite nearly all being publicly committed to sustainability policies. Over half (54%) of companies do not set Science-based targets. With the top 25 independent shareholders holding a combined USD 1.1 trillion and the plastic industry facing one of the longest risk registers of any sector, investors should extend pay performance policies beyond purely financial metrics and include sustainability-linked elements.

The textiles industry is out of fashion with failure to link executive pay with sustainability performance.