SunOpta Releases 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report
Achievements include installing 742 solar panels to reduce 317 metric tons CO2 per year; maximizing the warehouse network to reduce ~100,000 pounds of CO2 emissions annually and achieving zero waste status at six of seven manufacturing facilities.
“Since SunOpta’s inception 50 years ago, sustainability has been at the root of what we do as a producer of plant-based food and beverages,” said
Specifically,
Key ESG achievements for 2023 include installing 742 solar panels to reduce 317 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, maximizing the warehouse network to reduce ~100,000 pounds of CO2 emissions annually, and saving 40.4 billion gallons of water through plant-based production.1 Additionally,
Following are highlights from the 2023 report:
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Planet
- Installed 742 solar panels on headquarters roof that are estimated to produce up to 447,667 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, reducing 317 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year
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Opened a new warehouse in
Alexandria, Minn. that will help reduce ~100,000 pounds of CO2 emissions annually compared to current warehouse network -
Donated 3.4 million pounds of food (the equivalent of 2.8 million meals) to
Feeding America - Saved 150+ tons of CO2 emissions from load mode optimization
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Reduced 12.6% in natural gas usage in our
U.S. and Canadian plant facilities -
99.2% by weight of all packaging sourced by
SunOpta is recyclable3 - Saved 40.4 billion gallons of water based on plant-based production volume
- Achieved zero waste to landfill at 6 of 7 facilities
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Products
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SunOpta’s OatGold™, an oat protein powder certified by the
Upcycled Food Association , was featured as the primary ingredient in the first-ever Oat Protein Cereal introduced by Seven Sundays -
30 own branded products enrolled in the
U.S. Non-GMO Project - Achieved a complaint per million units score of less than 1.6%
- Attained zero incidents of noncompliance with industry or regulatory labeling and/or marketing codes
- Received an external food safety audit score of 9.64 (“excellent” range)
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SunOpta’s OatGold™, an oat protein powder certified by the
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People
- 49% of employees at the Director level and above are female, making progress towards our goal of 50% female directors
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37.5% of SunOpta’s
Board of Director members are female - Launched leadership development and supervisor development programs
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Governance
- Appointed a dedicated, full-time sustainability director to lead ESG efforts
“SunOpta thrives on the challenge and opportunity to execute on our environmental, social, and governance goals and continuously improve our reporting,” said
About
1. This figure was determined with an estimated global average water savings of plant-based milk when compared to equivalent production of dairy milk based on SunOpta’s annual plant-based milk production volume consisting of almond, oat, soy, rice, and coconut milks which represent over 99% of
2.
3. Recyclability is based on local municipality capabilities.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240502615176/en/
Investor Relations:
ICR
646-277-1260
investors@sunopta.com
Media Relations:
Claudine.galloway@sunopta.com
612.730.9178
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