Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Greenhouse gas emissions reduction
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Food waste reduction
• Circular economy
• Employee well-being
• Diversity and inclusion
• Data security
• Community engagement
• National security (related to waste management)

Environmental Achievements

• Scope 3 emissions declined by 13 percent in 2020
• 40 percent increase in the volume of recycled plastics from 2018 to 2019 (though this decreased in 2020 due to the pandemic)
• Diverted more than 17,000 tons of dairy waste from the landfill, avoiding more than 9,000 tons of CO2e
• Helped Beyond Meat avoid 513 metric tons of CO2 emissions through food waste diversion
• Estimated 10 million candy wrappers diverted from landfills through Trick or Trash campaign
• Planted more than 12,000 trees

Social Achievements

• Launched RUBI, an intranet site for internal communication
• Introduced a permanent remote work policy
• Offered financial wellness seminars
• Established multiple affinity groups (African American, AAPI, Latin American and Caribbean, LGBTQ+, Women and Leadership, Veterans, Parents)
• 87% of employees recognize Rubicon as a great place to work
• Supported USA CARES through various campaigns and financial aid

Governance Achievements

• Active ESG Committee guides goal development and reporting
• Intellectual Property committee manages and protects employee-created IP
• B Corp certification (fourth recertification)

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Scope 3 emissions (primarily from waste transportation and management) constitute nearly all of Rubicon's total emissions.
• Complexity of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
• Economic slowdown impacting commercial recycling volumes.
• Challenges in accurately tracking Scope 3 emissions.
• Plastic waste remains a significant challenge.
• COVID-19 pandemic impacting operations and recycling efforts.
• Illegal dumping in rural areas.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developing a credible plan by 2025 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, focusing on decarbonizing the hauler network, reducing landfill dependence, and promoting circular economy practices.
• Partnership with XL Fleet Corp. for alternative fuel vehicles.
• Developing an independent hauler financing program.
• Partnership with rePurpose Global to help companies go plastic neutral.
• Implementing RUBICONRegWatch™ to help businesses comply with regulations.
• Using the EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) to measure carbon emissions avoided.
• Launching Rubicon Rural Waste Innovation Challenge to address rural waste issues.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Screening new suppliers using environmental criteria
• Supporting minority-, veteran-, and women-owned businesses

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB

Certifications: B Corp

Third-party Assurance: Stacks Data (limited assurance)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• RUBICONRegWatch™
• RUBICONVision™

Awards & Recognition

• Smart 50 Award (2021)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Sustainable technology and innovation
• Circular economy
• Waste management
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Climate change resilience, strategy
• Transparent reporting
• Leadership accountability
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
• Talent attraction, retention, development

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved SBTi emissions reduction goal for Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions in 2020, 10 years ahead of target; decreased overall Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 82% from 2019 to 2022.
• Received an A- score on CDP Climate Change submission in 2022, placing Rubicon in CDP’s “Leadership band”.

Social Achievements

• 86% of employees say Rubicon is a great place to work (2022 Great Places to Work survey).
• Launched employee rewards and recognition platform (ICON) in 2021.
• Established six affinity groups and two resource groups to foster inclusion.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Scope 3 emissions (nearly all of total emissions)
• Inconsistency around acceptable items, types of containers, and fee structures in organics recycling.
• Lack of standardized, uniform, nationwide model for organics recycling in the US.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developing a plan to achieve net-zero emissions, including Scope 3 Category 1 emissions from the transportation and disposal of customer’s waste (anticipated completion by 2025).
• Partnering with suppliers who measure and reduce their emissions-generating activities (e.g., Amazon Web Services).
• Building relationships with vendors with expertise in hauling and processing organics.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Vendor portal to survey and screen haulers to verify compliance with laws and sustainable business practices.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events (floods, wildfires, tornadoes)
• Heatwaves
• Sea level rise
• Drought
• Cyclones

Transition Risks

• Current and emerging regulation (EPR, waste reduction legislation)
• Technological innovation
• Climate-related disclosure requirements
• Market shifts towards low-carbon products and services
• Growing scrutiny by customers and consumers

Opportunities

• Development of climate adaptation, resilience, and insurance risk solutions
• Use of public-sector incentives
• Commodities markets

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB, GRI, CDP, TCFD

Certifications: ISO 22301:2019

Third-party Assurance: Stacks Data (2019-2021); Cameron-Cole (2022)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• RUBICONConnect
• RUBICONPremier
• RUBICONPro
• RUBICONSmartCity
• FleetRoute

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed