What better way to embark on the new year than with a refreshed sustainability strategy at the ready? TreeHouse Foods is kicking off 2021 fresh off the heels of its 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, which highlights the company's accomplishments as well as expands the scope of its sustainability goals. The report addresses TreeHouse's goals for the next four years around these issues, and a dedicated section of its corporate website will now inform stakeholders about these ESG efforts.
"The events of this year, from the COVID-19 pandemic to global protests against racial injustice to the growing threat of climate change, have all underscored the need for companies like TreeHouse Foods to be an example of what is possible," said Steve Oakland, Chief Executive Officer and President. "We must leverage our scale, capabilities, and influence to help address these complex social and environmental challenges. As one of the nation's leading private label food manufacturers, we approach this call-to-action with the same passion and commitment that we bring to exceeding customer expectations. To that end, I am pleased to share an update on our progress and our holistic ESG strategy."
In 2016, TreeHouse set environmental sustainability goals for its North America manufacturing operations focused on energy intensity, water intensity, and waste contribution to landfills. Despite facing challenges, TreeHouse reported meaningful progress related to the following:
TreeHouse also outlined Agenda 2025, which was developed through a more robust and holistic approach to environmental stewardship, stakeholder value creation, and enterprise governance, according to a press release. The 2025 goals were developed with the help of cross-functional ESG subcommittees and apply the learnings from the company's materiality analysis. Agenda 2025 will guide the ESG strategy for the next four years, and identifies five key areas of focus that will have the greatest impact across the organization:
Additional highlights for the 2025 vision include targeted achievement goals related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and water intensity, expansion of responsible sourcing policy and practices, and further development of diversity, equality, and inclusion goals.
To stay up to date on how companies are fine tuning their strategies in the new year, keep following along with us at Deli Market News.