Maple Leaf Foods Inc. and a coalition of Canada's leading corporations, shared a unified commitment to four strategic actions to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable, equitable and healthy future for all Canadians.
Companies that have signed the sustainability commitment to date include Maple Leaf Foods, CN, and Celestica Inc.
Their Paris Climate Accords-aligned commitments cover four key areas to be addressed by each signatory company in its own sustainability strategy:
- Reducing Carbon Emissions: We recognize the threat of climate change and the devastating consequences it has on the future of the planet. We acknowledge the urgent need to act, and we commit ourselves to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions aggressively as we transition to a low-carbon economy.
- Setting Science Based Targets: We are each among the eight companies in Canada and the 526 companies globally that have set emissions reductions targets through the Science Based Targets initiative in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and climate science. We believe that corporations can play a major role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and we have set targets aligned with climate science to future-proof our growth.
- Resource Stewardship: We are committed to ensuring our company operations follow sustainable practices to ensure our products and services are responsibly sourced, manufactured and distributed to Canadians. We believe in ensuring a healthy future and healthy planet for generations to come and pledge to minimize our environmental footprint and restore the planet.
- Sustainability Reporting: We are measuring our performance and reporting on our emissions reduction initiatives to track our progress and uphold corporate responsibility and transparency with Canadians.
"In 2019, Maple Leaf Foods became the World's First Major Carbon Neutral Food Company and is the only food company in Canada to adopt science-based emissions targets that are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change," says Michael McCain, President and CEO at Maple Leaf Foods. "If we can do it, others can too. We are proud to be a leader in sustainability and urge Canadian organizations to join us in our ambitious goal and take meaningful action to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and nurture a Better Planet for all."
The sustainability commitment is in direct response to Canadians' belief that corporations have a responsibility to make positive environmental change. In fact, a recent study conducted by Angus Reid showed that 91% of Canadians expect companies to do their part to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions, and 88% think companies should be doing more to protect the environment.
"We are proud to serve North Americans every day and recognize the responsibility we have to act in the interests of generations to come," explained JJ Ruest, President and Chief Executive Officer of CN. "As a historic nation building company and a modern trade enabler, we are motivated to ensure an environmentally sustainable future for all Canadians by offering sustainable transportation solutions to our customers and supply chain partners. We are committed to playing a key role in the transition to a low carbon economy."
Climate change is a matter of public concern and transparent sustainability communications are a key component of any corporate sustainability commitment. Transparent and ongoing communications demonstrate to Canadians' that organizations are committed to making positive environmental change and addressing the climate crisis now.
"For the past 10 years, sustainability has been integrated into everything we do and we firmly believe that our goals cannot be met by one person, or one organization alone, but through the power of many," says Rob Mionis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Celestica. "Collaboration is at the core of our sustainability strategy and we are proud to unite with these ambitious Canadian companies to take a stand against climate change and encourage others to join us in our sustainability commitment."
Organizations interested in joining the sustainability commitment can contact Maple Leaf Foods at [email protected] or learn more about the Science Based Targets initiative at sciencebasedtargets.org.
