Sustainability and equality are a few major focal points for both the industry and consumers. Movers and shakers such as Conagra are continuing to put sustainability and the community at the forefront of their operational strategies. Recently, the branded food company announced the publication of its 2020 Citizenship Report, which shares its progress against key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and actions that support each of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
According to its release, the report details Conagra’s efforts to nourish people, the planet, and communities, in addition to focusing on four different topic areas: Good Food, Responsible Sourcing, Better Planet, and Stronger Communities.
Highlights from the 2020 report include:
Committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions with 2030 targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative
Conagra committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030 as compared to the fiscal year 2020 baseline. In addition, Conagra committed to reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services by 20 percent per metric tonne of material sourced within that same timeframe.
Setting 2025 diversity and inclusion targets
To underscore its focus on diversity and inclusion, Conagra set ambitious representation and retention goals, including doubling the representation of people of color in management and middle-management roles and having at least 40 percent of management-level roles held by women within the next five years.
Announcing approximately 84 percent of packaging materials by volume were renewable, recyclable, or compostable
To combat the growing issue of waste from plastic packaging, Conagra made meaningful progress on its goal to make 100 percent of its current plastic packaging renewable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
Partnering with U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action to help develop the Decade of Ag Vision
Conagra contributed to the Vision through its Birds Eye® Good Agricultural Practices Program, which focused on climate-smart agriculture practices that support soil health, conserve water, and protect biodiversity and bee populations.
Donating 30 million pounds of food to Feeding America and its network of food banks, which is the equivalent of 25 million meals
Conagra continued its longstanding partnership with Feeding America, one of the nation’s leading hunger-relief nonprofits, to impact hunger and food insecurity where its employees live and work.
Responding to the pandemic
In response to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Conagra’s facilities continued to operate with safety top-of-mind to meet the needs of employees, consumers, and communities.
In addition, the report includes supplementary ESG data addressing elements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) frameworks, and CDP disclosures related to climate change, water stress, and deforestation.
The report builds on the publication of Conagra's Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure, which was released in December 2020. Data in the 2020 Citizenship Report primarily covers the company’s fiscal year 2020, which ended May 31, 2020, unless otherwise specified.
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