May 2009:  Below is the text of a statement released by Unilever.  Reproducing it here does not imply a Borneo Project endorsement for Unilever, but the hope that it will result in actual changes in corporate practices on the ground.

UNILEVER CALLS FOR MORATORIUM ON DEFORESTATION

OF TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

Unilever’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Polman, today called for governments

to support a moratorium on deforestation as a crucial measure to tackle

climate change.

Speaking at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen,

Polman said: “The destruction of the world’s tropical rainforests accounts for

about 20% of greenhouse gases – more than the entire transport sector. We

believe that we are at a point in time where, if government and industry work

effectively together to address the problem of deforestation, we can make real

progress.”

One of the drivers of deforestation in South East Asia, particularly in

Indonesia, is the palm oil industry. As a large user of palm oil, over the past

year Unilever has assembled a large coalition of international businesses,

including L’Oréal, Colgate, Cadbury, Tesco, Procter & Gamble and Shell, that

are keen to tackle this critically important issue.

In his speech Polman said that the consumer goods industry must exert

pressure on the growers, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

and through buying decisions and commitments to purchase certified

sustainable palm oil made available by suppliers.

He appealed to governments, both in the West and in South East Asia, to

agree on, and implement, financing mechanisms currently under development

by the World Bank and other institutions to encourage affected nations to

protect their rainforests.

Polman also made a commitment to the rigorous measuring and management

of Unilever’s climate change impacts across the whole value chain. This

would involve looking beyond the greenhouse gases coming from the

factories and lorry fleets and including the impact from both the sourcing of

raw materials and from to consumer use.

The commitment will involve a review of a network of 250 Unilever factories

around the world, as well as an evaluation of how agricultural raw materials

are sourced and the impact of 2 billion consumers using the products.

Polman concluded: “We need to focus on where the impacts are greatest and

where we can make a difference. None of these things are easy, but we must

not squander any opportunity to make progress.”

---Ends---

Notes to editor:

Unilever has been working to develop sustainable agronomic practices for oil palm since the

early 1990s. In 2004 we co-founded, with WWF, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

In May 2008 we announced that by 2015 all of our palm oil would be sustainably sourced and

that we would support Greenpeace’s call for a moratorium on any further deforestation

associated with the Palm Oil industry.

For more information about Unilever’s sustainability initiative, please see our 2008

Sustainable Development Overview:

http://unilever.com/images/Unilever_Sustainable_Development_Overview2008_v3_tcm13-

163522.pdf

 About Unilever

Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and

personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong

local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Its portfolio includes some of the

world’s best known and most loved brands including thirteen €1 billion brands and global

leadership in many categories in which the company operates. The portfolio features brand

icons such as: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove, Axe, Omo, Cif and Vaseline.

Unilever has around 174,000 employees in approaching 100 countries and generated annual

sales of €40 billion in 2008. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit

www.unilever.com.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the

meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'expects', 'anticipates',

'intends', 'believes' or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results,

including financial objectives to 2010, and their negatives are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated

developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future

performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors

that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking

statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, consumption levels, costs, the ability to

maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, currency values, interest rates, the

ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring

activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve

pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and

social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards.

Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group's filings with the

London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the

Annual Report & Accounts on Form 20-F. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this

announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation

or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to

reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or

circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Oscar Reyes

Transnational Institute

De Wittenstraat 25

1052 AK Amsterdam

The Netherlands

tel: + 31 20 662 66 08

web: www.carbontradewatch.org / www.tni.org