Claiming to be the first major food company to be carbon neutral, the business introduced a policy of “aggressively reducing emissions by meeting the gold standard of widely respected Science Based Targets, which align global greenhouse gas emission reductions with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change”.
Since 2015, Maple Leaf Foods has reduced over 86 million kilowatt hours of electricity – equal to 12,912 passenger vehicles driven for one year -- and over 4.3 million m3 of natural gas, which equals annual energy usage for 1,000 homes. Through its water conservation efforts, Maple Leaf has reduced water usage by over 1.2 billion litres. By committing to setting Science Based Targets, Maple Leaf will work even more aggressively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations and more broadly within its supply chain.
Maple Leaf Foods President and CEO Michael McCain said: “There is simply no more time to waste. The devastating impact of climate change on our planet must be confronted head-on by business leaders with decisive and immediate action. The global food system must change dramatically if we are to sustainably feed the world's growing population. We recognize that producing nutrient-dense foods takes vital planetary resources, and we are staking our future on being carbon neutral today, and every day going forward.
"Today's actions are not just about being socially responsible; they are about survival," added McCain. “Consumers rightfully expect business and political leaders to solve these problems and address the profound consequences of our climate crisis. Our announcement demonstrates that carbon neutrality and Science Based Targets for emissions reduction are both achievable – and urgent. We hope our actions inspire food companies and businesses broadly to join us in the critical fight against climate change.”
Global Meat News will be hosting a webinar on sustainability within the meat industry on 3 March 2020. For commercial opportunities associated with this webinar, contact Aline Henderson on aline.henderson@wrbm.com.
