Loblaw hits carbon emission and food waste targets

No Frills cashier serves customer (CNW Group/Loblaw Companies Limited)

BRAMPTON, Ont. — Loblaw Companies Limited has released its 14th annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, the most comprehensive public disclosure of its kind for a Canadian food retailer.

In a statement to shareholders, Loblaw’s Chairman and President, Galen G. Weston said the following in a statement:

“In spite of the many challenges of 2020, we made great progress on the items that matter most to our colleagues, customers and shareholders: We dramatically accelerated our reduction of food waste and carbon emissions; we helped formulate and introduce new global packaging standards to eliminate plastic waste; and we increased female representation in our executive ranks and succession pipelines, while expanding and improving our support for colleagues from diverse communities.

All of these actions reflect our long-standing belief that businesses have both an opportunity and responsibility to have a positive effect in the communities they serve. A belief which has led Loblaw to consistently be at the forefront of tackling important issues. We are proud of our track record in CSR.

As a growing number of organizations and investors are seeing this imperative more clearly than ever before, new standards have emerged for how we report against them. That is why, in our latest report, we demonstrate clearer accountability by employing ESG reporting standards, in line with the Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainable Accounting Standards Board, and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As we make headway in these areas, as well as in advancing our strategy and maintaining momentum in our core business, we are pleased with our progress and motivated by what is next.”

Among the highlights in Loblaw’s latest CSR report, various company achievements stand out:

• The 2030 goal of reducing Loblaw’s carbon emissions from operations by 30 per cent has been achieved. The company has increased the goal to 50% by 2030.
• The 2025 goal of reducing food waste 50% has been achieved.
• Loblaw purchased enough local produce from Canadian suppliers in 2020 to achieve its 2025 goal of re-patriating $150 million of goods that would otherwise be purchased internationally.
• In 2020, Loblaw helped create and became a founding member of the Canada Plastics Pact, which is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network. As part of its efforts to reduce plastic waste, over the previous year Loblaw eliminated 1.8 million plastic hangers, all individual plastic straws and stir sticks from in-store takeout counters and all single-use plastic items for food sampling in corporate stores. Loblaw has committed that all PC plastic packaging will be either reusable or recyclable by 2025.
• In 2020, Loblaw corporate and franchised stores donated more than five million kilograms of food to local food banks and food rescue agencies across Canada, including its most successful national holiday food drive campaign since its 2009 launch, raising $2.6 million and collecting 1.1 million kilograms of food for those in need.