Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Sustainability
• Social Responsibility
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved zero-waste certification at one manufacturing plant (Allentown, Pennsylvania) in 2020.
• Consolidated and closed aged facilities to reduce carbon footprint.
• Consolidated warehouses to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

Social Achievements

• Launched a comprehensive health and wellness program with four pillars (Physical, Emotional, Social, and Financial).
• Achieved voluntary employee turnover of 14.6%, below the 15% goal.
• Maintained a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 1.55, better than the 1.68 goal.
• Increased employee engagement through enhanced communication and recognition programs.
• Provided 24 hours of paid time off for employee volunteering through the 'SunOpta Cares' program.
• Donated to community initiatives in response to events in 2020.

Governance Achievements

• Revamped and modernized Employee Code of Conduct and Supplier Partner Code of Conduct (implementation in 2021).
• Company-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
• Established a Women’s Leadership Program, increasing the percentage of female leaders to 37.5%.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• COVID-19 pandemic impacting employee health and safety, and operations.
• Maintaining sustainability efforts during a challenging year.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented daily health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, and mask requirements.
• Increased cleaning protocols and provided personal protective equipment.
• Offered special pay and leave policies and emergency assistance grants.
• Enabled remote work where possible.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable sourcing of ingredients and packaging materials.
• Collaboration with suppliers on sustainability efforts.
• Supplier Partner Code of Conduct (to be implemented in 2021).

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Plant-based milks and bases
• Fruit-based foods and beverages
• Aseptic packaging

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• GHG Emissions
• Energy Management
• Water Management
• Waste Management
• Sustainable Packaging
• Supply Chain Management
• Employee Health and Safety
• Labor and Human Rights
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Employee Engagement
• Community Involvement
• Business Ethics
• Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved zero waste to landfill in three facilities (Allentown, PA and two in Alexandria, MN)
• Improved energy efficiency by 6% compared to the 2019 baseline
• Saved 261.25 tons of carbon emissions from load mode optimization
• Estimated elimination of over 15 million freight miles annually from supply chain changes

Social Achievements

• Increased percentage of female leaders at Director level and above from 31% in 2020 to 37% in 2021
• Achieved an 80% average employee engagement score
• Provided 24 hours of paid time off annually for employee volunteerism
• 92 employees took time off to volunteer for a total of 423 volunteer hours
• Improved food safety culture survey score by 6% to 83%

Governance Achievements

• Created a Sustainability Steering Committee
• Updated Supplier Partner Code of Conduct
• Implemented cross-functional quarterly communications with sourcing and plant operations to review supplier nonconformance results
• Enhanced and updated supplier risk assessments for all locations
• Launched Intelex quality management software to manage supplier information

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Higher than anticipated employee turnover rate (20% companywide)
• Increase in water usage at some production facilities
• Challenges in tracking water usage at Breckenridge, MN facility due to only well water being accessible
• Minimal amount of palm oil derivatives identified in some products
• Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Mitigation Strategies

• Engaging employee focus groups to address employee turnover
• Engaging engineers and consultants to identify causes of increased water usage and work towards solutions
• Installing a water meter at the Breckenridge, MN facility
• Assessing supply chain to identify if palm oil derivative suppliers are RSPO certified
• Proactively implementing COVID-19 safety measures, providing education on the vaccine, and holding onsite vaccine clinics

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Partner Code of Conduct
• Supplier risk assessments
• Intelex quality management software
• Sourcing from certified suppliers (Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Gluten Free, Non-GMO)

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 2
• SDG 3
• SDG 12
• SDG 13

SunOpta's initiatives contribute to these goals through product development, employee well-being programs, waste management, sustainable packaging, and climate action.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• OatGold oat protein powder (Upcycled Certified™)
• Compostable fiber bowl (to be commercialized in 2022)

Awards & Recognition

• 2022 Clean Choice Awards (SOWN)
• Progressive Grocer 2021 Editors’ Picks (SOWN)
• NEXTY Awards finalist (SOWN)
• Minnesota’s Top Workplaces (2021)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Manufacturer of the Year (2021)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• GHG Emissions
• Biodiversity/Ingredient Sourcing
• Product Environmental Impact
• Supply Chain Management
• Water Management
• Energy Management & Usage
• Environmental Management
• Customer Welfare & Satisfaction
• Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
• Product Safety
• Social Impact of Products
• Community Engagement
• Labor Practices
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Employee Engagement & Satisfaction
• Employee Health & Safety
• Employee Recruitment, Development & Retention
• Board Effectiveness
• Board Diversity
• Whistleblower Program
• Bribery & Corruption
• Business Ethics
• Compliance Procedures
• Shareholder Alignment
• Oversight of ESG Issues

Environmental Achievements

• Six facilities achieved zero waste to landfill (90% diversion from landfills), with two more awaiting verification.
• Improved CDP score to B- (above the food and beverage industry average of C).
• New Texas facility designed with sustainability features, reducing energy consumption by 45% and water usage by up to 20 million gallons per year.
• New Texas facility location expected to eliminate 15 million freight miles annually, reducing carbon emissions by 59 million pounds.
• Reduced electricity usage by 31.7% in US and Canadian plants from 2019 baseline.
• Donated 2,312,427 pounds of food to Feeding America.

Social Achievements

• Published updated Diversity Policy.
• Increased diversity of company leadership.
• Joined Sedex for supply chain assessment.
• Launched Latino Employee Resource Group (SOL Network).
• Improved average employee engagement score to 80% for the third year in a row.
• Provided companywide diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

Governance Achievements

• Created Sustainability Steering Committee and ESG Action Committee.
• Developed and published an Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy.
• Updated and published policies on insider trading, harassment and discrimination, and ethics reporting.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Higher than anticipated employee turnover rate (22%).
• Increased water use by 11.8% per pound of product produced (attributed to improved data management and identification of opportunities for improvement).
• Increased natural gas usage by 8.2% (attributed to timing differences between usage and utilization from capital project investments).

Mitigation Strategies

• Deploying location-specific interventions to improve employee culture, retention, and engagement.
• Implementing projects to reduce water usage identified by Plant Sustainability Ambassadors.
• Improving data management to identify key areas for water conservation opportunities.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Partner Code of Conduct
• Supplier risk assessments (biannual)
• Focus on sustainable, traceable materials
• Requirement for RSPO certified palm oil derivatives

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB

Third-party Assurance: HDR Inc. (zero-waste data)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 2
• SDG 3
• SDG 12
• SDG 13

SunOpta's initiatives contribute to these goals through sustainable food production, health and wellness programs, waste reduction, and climate action.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• OatGold upcycled oat protein powder

Awards & Recognition

• Food Processing Magazine’s R&D Team of the Year (2022)
• One of three “Cold Food Processors to Watch in 2023” by Refrigerated and Frozen Foods Magazine
• Minnesota’s Top Workplaces by the Star Tribune (2022)