Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Economic Contributions
• People
• Health and Well-being
• Environment
• Safety
• Governance and Integrity
• Animal Welfare

Environmental Achievements

• Invested approximately $96 million in capital to upgrade environmental infrastructure since 2001 and spent about $244 million to manage environmental programs.
• 95% of waste from 40 facilities (80% of production) diverted from landfill in 2012.
• Reduced 22,000 kilograms of foil from Dempster’s Original 100% Whole Wheat bread packaging.
• 50 million liters of biodiesel fuel produced from waste fats, recycled grease, and cooking oils.

Social Achievements

• Launched a people strategy with four core themes: develop superior people leaders, strengthen culture of accountability, build a deep talent base, and fully engage employees.
• Zero working time lost due to industrial disputes in 2012.
• 43% reduction in injury frequency over the past five years.
• Donations in cash and in-kind exceeded $1.5 million in 2012.
• Introduced Halal chicken to meet the needs of the growing Muslim population.

Governance Achievements

• Established a strong food safety culture and leading global standards following a Listeria contamination incident.
• Implemented a five-prong strategy for food safety: become a global leader, proactively mitigate risks, unify the food safety management system, drive supply chain alignment, and lead the industry to higher standards.
• 94% of production partners are certified to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards.
• Established a Food Safety Advisory Council comprised of five experts.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Dramatic rise in the Canadian currency, resulting in a non-competitive cost structure.
• Listeria contamination at a prepared meats plant.
• Need to increase productivity and competitiveness in a global industry.

Mitigation Strategies

• Restructured meat business, shedding some businesses and consolidating others.
• Invested significantly to increase scale and productivity.
• Implemented a plan to make Maple Leaf a more profitable and sustainable company.
• Invested $770 million to transform information systems and manufacturing/distribution network.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• All companies producing products for Maple Leaf must be GFSI certified and comply with safety and quality standards.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G3.1 Guidelines, GRI Food Processing Sector Supplement

Certifications: Null

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders Country Naturals, Dempster’s Whole Grains bread, Smart breads, Dempster’s Farmhouse.

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Economic Responsibility
• Social Responsibility
• Environmental Responsibility
• Consumer Responsibility
• Our People

Environmental Achievements

• Removed 12 million foam polystyrene trays from circulation
• Reduced annual metal usage by 363 metric tonnes by switching canned meat flakes products from steel to aluminum cans

Social Achievements

• Supported communities with more than $1.2M in gift-in-kind and monetary donations
• Launched MyMLF intranet, receiving about 3,500 unique visits a day and 70% daily employee visits
• Launched four campaigns to encourage employee volunteerism with more than $25,000 in prize incentives
• Converted first barn from gestation crates to open housing for sows

Governance Achievements

• Established a third-party ethics line for reporting illegal or unethical activities
• Established an Environment, Health and Safety Committee

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• High value of Canadian dollar impacting competitiveness
• Closure of food processing facilities in Ontario resulting in job losses
• Need to improve pace of progress on sustainability initiatives
• 26 notices of violation related to exceeding municipal wastewater bylaw requirements

Mitigation Strategies

• $1 billion investment to establish a highly efficient supply chain
• Formation of task forces with local and provincial governments to help affected communities
• Job fairs to help employees find new employment
• Entering into wastewater overstrength or surcharge agreements
• Capital projects to address wastewater issues

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• GFSI certification for all suppliers

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G3.1 Guidelines, GRI Food Processing Sector Supplement

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Naturals Selections® and Schneiders Country Naturals™ products
• Raised Without Antibiotics products
• Mina™ halal products

Awards & Recognition

• Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures of 2013
• 2013 Pinnacle Award for Supplier of the Year
• One of the most viral Canadian advertisements in 2013

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Advance nutrition and health
• Value our people and communities
• Treat animals well
• Eliminate waste

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced truck transportation by more than 9 million kilometers annually since 2010 baseline
• Transitioned more than 7,000 sows to open housing

Social Achievements

• Transitioned more than 5,000 employees to new owner of Canada Bread
• 29% improvement in Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR), 36.4% below food manufacturing industry average
• Almost $2 million in product donations and supported innovative programs

Governance Achievements

• Launched environmental sustainability strategy with dedicated leadership and resource support

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Environmental footprint increased slightly in 2014 due to ramping up new facilities while operating legacy plants

Mitigation Strategies

• Closed older facilities, expecting reduced footprint going forward

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI 3.1

Certifications: Global Food Safety Initiative

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Naturals products

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Advancing Nutrition and Health
• Valuing Our People and Communities
• Treating Animals Well
• Eliminating Waste

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced energy intensity by 27.6%
• Reduced water intensity by 20.9%
• Achieved 91.5% landfill diversion rate
• Reduced emissions intensity by 33.2% (CO2e)

Social Achievements

• Launched the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security
• 87.5% improvement in Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) since 2012
• Executed action plans following 2015 employee engagement survey results
• Launched year one of Diversity & Inclusion strategy

Governance Achievements

• Regular reporting to the Safety & Sustainability Committee of the Board
• Implemented a world-class listeria monitoring program
• Achieved 100% unannounced internal food safety audits

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing sodium levels in prepared meats while maintaining food safety and quality
• Reducing antibiotic use in animal production without negatively impacting animal welfare
• Meeting increasing global demand for food while decreasing environmental footprint
• Data limitations in reporting on some environmental and social metrics

Mitigation Strategies

• Developed a sodium reduction strategy for all branded products
• Implemented alternative management strategies and vaccination protocols to reduce antibiotic use
• Established an aggressive goal to cut environmental footprint in half by 2025
• Enhanced internal data controls and improved data collection methods

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 85% of direct suppliers and 100% of co-manufacturers achieved GFSI certification

Responsible Procurement

• Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards
• Canadian Quality Assurance program
• National Farm Animal Care Council’s Codes of Practice

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G4 Guidelines (Core option)

Certifications: Null

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• Goal 13: Climate Action

Initiatives related to food security, renewable energy, waste reduction, and emissions reductions

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders® Country Naturals®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co.™

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Better Food
• Better Care
• Better Communities
• Better Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced total energy intensity by over 20% against the baseline year.
• Reduced environmental footprint by 70,786 MWh of electricity, 986,519 m3 of water, and 6,428,408 m3 of natural gas.
• Achieved a 91.8% landfill diversion rate.

Social Achievements

• Transitioned approximately 33,000 sows to enhanced open housing.
• Invested more than 1% of pre-tax profit to advance sustainable food security.
• Achieved an 86.6% improvement in Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) since 2012.
• Launched remote video auditing (RVA) at one facility and conducted pre-implementation planning at others.
• Developed dashboard reporting on the progress of various animal care projects and initiatives for all operations.

Governance Achievements

• Established a Food Safety Advisory Council.
• Hosted the ninth Annual Food Safety Symposium.
• Developed a five-year strategy for food safety and quality.
• Launched a new paradigm for food safety and quality metrics.
• Implemented a comprehensive utility management system.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing sodium levels in prepared meats while maintaining taste, food safety, and quality.
• Reducing the environmental footprint of food production.
• Addressing food insecurity in Canada.
• Achieving 100% completion of OHS training for all retained hourly employees (due to staff turnover).
• Data limitations in measuring water use from farm properties using local wells.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developed a sodium reduction strategy that includes all branded products.
• Established an aggressive goal to cut environmental footprint in half by 2025.
• Launched the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security.
• Implemented a new Behavioural-Based Safety (BBS) program.
• Implemented a new comprehensive utility management system to improve data collection.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: All meat production facilities audited annually by internal and third-party auditors.

Responsible Procurement

• All companies that produce meat products for Maple Leaf Foods must commit in writing to safety and quality standards.
• All raw material suppliers required to have GFSI-benchmarked standard certification.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards (Core option)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Natural Selections
• Schneiders Country Naturals
• Greenfield Natural Meat Co.
• Lightlife Foods
• Field Roast Grain Meat Co.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Better Food
• Better Care
• Better Communities
• Better Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced electricity usage and solid waste ahead of 2025 target.
• 90.8% landfill diversion rate.

Social Achievements

• Invested more than 1% of pre-tax profit to advance sustainable food security.
• Improved Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) by 89.4% compared to 2012 baseline.
• Launched the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security.
• Continued progress towards 50% gender equality at manager level and above by 2022 (reached 37% in 2018).

Governance Achievements

• Regular reporting to Senior Leadership Team, CEO, CFO, COO, and Safety & Sustainability Committee of the Board.
• Implemented a new paradigm for food safety and quality metrics.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Performance on natural gas and water efficiency fell behind target.
• Increased natural gas and water consumption due to new facility, expansions, and colder weather.

Mitigation Strategies

• Re-auditing key facilities to update environmental sustainability action plans.
• Developing a comprehensive carbon management strategy.
• Developing a comprehensive sustainable packaging strategy.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Annual audits of co-manufacturers and raw material suppliers.

Responsible Procurement

• Requirement for GFSI-benchmarked food safety certification for suppliers.
• Developing a formal responsible sourcing policy.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards (Core option)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Greenfield Natural Meat Co. (sustainable meat)
• Lightlife and Field Roast (plant-based protein)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Better Food
• Better Care
• Better Communities
• Better Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Became the first major food company in the world to be carbon neutral.
• Reduced the intensity of its environmental footprint since 2014 by: 21.8% Electricity; 9.8% Natural Gas; 16.7% Water; 19.2% Solid Waste
• Achieved a 90.7% landfill diversion rate.

Social Achievements

• Contributed over $8 million to initiatives working to advance food security.
• Donated more than $5.3 million of healthful products.
• Achieved 38% representation of women at the manager level and 31% representation of women at the director level.
• Achieved a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.60 and a Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) Rate of 0.21.

Governance Achievements

• Finalized carbon management strategy and set science-based targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Not moving fast enough towards a 50% reduction of its environmental footprint by 2025.
• Increased footprint from acquisitions of Cericola Farms Inc. and Viau Food Products Inc.
• Supply chain emissions (Scope 3) accounted for 78.4% of the Company’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Mitigation Strategies

• Upped its game by setting science-based greenhouse gas emissions targets (Scope 1, 2 and 3) approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
• Commenced re-auditing facilities to update environmental sustainability action plans and working with local partners on conservation programs.
• Developing comprehensive GHG emissions reduction plans for Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions.
• Developing a plan to drastically reduce Scope 3 emissions.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Partnering with Cascades for sustainable packaging.
• Using CHEP reusable pallets.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards (Core option)

Certifications: Null

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Prime® Organic, Raised Without Antibiotics products, plant-based protein products

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Better Food
• Better Care
• Better Communities
• Better Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Celebrated one year as the first major carbon neutral food company in the world
• Reduced the intensity of its environmental footprint: 25.9% for electricity; 19.5% for natural gas; 21.6% for water (2014 baseline); 12.1% for solid waste (2015 baseline); and 30.9% for food loss waste (2016 baseline)
• Achieved 98% landfill diversion certification at its New Hamburg Hatchery in Ontario
• Intermodal transportation accounted for 88% of cross-country resupply

Social Achievements

• Donated more than $2M to support emergency food access and donated over $2.5M of healthful products, a 67% increase from 2019
• Announced its Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint
• Achieved 38% representation of women at the manager level and 32% representation of women at the director level
• Delivered mental health training to 88% of people leaders
• Achieved a world-class TRIR of 0.48 and a DART of 0.24

Governance Achievements

• Implemented a robust Food Safety and Quality Management system
• Established the Food Safety Incident Rate (FSIR) and the Quality Incident Rate (QIR)
• Met and exceeded its FSIR target by 41% and QIR target by 63%

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Delays to some sustainability projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Irregularities in environmental footprint performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Reduced community engagement activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Mitigation Strategies

• Adapted and adopted best practices that prioritized the health and safety of its employees and the stability of the food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Developed and implemented a COVID-19 pandemic plan
• Paused execution of some environmental footprint reduction initiatives due to COVID-19 but completed re-audits of facilities and worked with local partners on conservation programs

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Annual audits of meat production facilities; internal and third-party audits of suppliers; internal audits of broiler farmers (paused due to COVID-19)

Responsible Procurement

• Commitment to GFSI benchmarked standards for food safety; animal welfare standards in procurement contracts; requirement for raw material suppliers to have GFSI certification

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme temperatures
• Freeze-thaw
• Water stress
• Extreme wind and rainfall

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes around carbon pricing

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products
• Regenerative agriculture

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards (Core option), SASB Standards

Certifications: ISO/IEC 17025 (laboratories), GreenCircle Certified (New Hamburg Hatchery landfill diversion)

Third-party Assurance: KPMG (limited assurance over environmental data)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Maple Leaf Foods' sustainability strategy is well aligned with these SDGs.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Maple Leaf Prime® Raised Without Antibiotics (RWA) products
• Carbon Zero products
• Products with recyclable packaging

Awards & Recognition

• First major carbon neutral food company in the world

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Better Food
• Better Care
• Better Communities
• Better Planet

Environmental Achievements

• Maintained carbon neutral status since 2019
• 92.7% landfill diversion rate
• 33.3% reduction in food loss waste intensity (2016 baseline)
• 21.8% reduction in electricity intensity (2014 baseline)

Social Achievements

• 100% of owned sow spaces transitioned to Advanced Open Sow Housing
• 98.9% reduction in antibiotic usage across hog operations since 2014
• $3M of healthy food products and food relief donated
• 39% women representation at manager level and above
• 88% of people leaders received mental health training
• 0.48 Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)

Governance Achievements

• Strong corporate governance reinforced at all levels
• Sustainability governance with strategic oversight and accountability
• Regular communication of sustainability initiatives and performance

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Slowdown in plant-based protein growth rates
• Plateaued environmental footprint reductions in the past three years
• Challenges in achieving environmental targets without major strategic shifts and investments

Mitigation Strategies

• Re-evaluating outlook for Plant Protein Group and launching a comprehensive review
• Investing in high-impact GHG reduction technologies (anaerobic digestion and regenerative agriculture)
• Teaming up with Nutrien and Indigo Ag to incentivize regenerative agriculture practices
• Developing a comprehensive carbon reduction roadmap

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• GFSI certification requirement for raw material suppliers

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather
• Drought
• Water stress

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes around carbon pricing

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products
• Anaerobic digestion
• Regenerative agriculture

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: TCFD, GRI, SASB, SDGs, CDP

Third-party Assurance: KPMG

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Greenfield Natural Meat Co.™ products
• Lightlife® and Field Roast™ plant-based products
• Prepped and Ready portfolio packaging with Halopack

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change

Environmental Achievements

• Carbon neutral company since 2019
• Implemented initiatives to reduce electricity, natural gas, water, food waste, solid waste, and wastewater consumption.
• Implemented a national LED lighting retrofit program and equipment efficiency upgrades.

Social Achievements

• Not disclosed

Governance Achievements

• Board oversees sustainability strategy and climate-related risks and opportunities.
• Safety and Sustainability Committee reviews and provides oversight for sustainability and climate-related strategies, performance and reporting.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Extreme temperature days impacting processing and livestock health
• High risk of extreme wind or rain by 2030, increasing risk of asset damage or operational disruptions
• Medium to high risk of water stress impacting feed and water resources
• Potential for freeze-thaw cycles impacting operations and transportation logistics
• Evolving climate-related regulations requiring regular monitoring and assessment
• Reputational risks associated with sustainability performance and communication

Mitigation Strategies

• Diversifying commodity sourcing regions
• Maintaining temperature-controlled barns
• Maintaining contingency plans for extreme weather and livestock transportation
• Insurance of assets
• Reducing water consumption
• Investing in regenerative agriculture practices
• Exploring transformative technologies like anaerobic digestion and regenerative agriculture

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme temperature days
• Extreme wind or rain
• Water stress
• Freeze-thaw cycles

Transition Risks

• Evolving climate-related regulations
• Market shifts towards lower-carbon protein alternatives

Opportunities

• Resource efficiency
• Renewable natural gas from anaerobic digestion
• Growth in sustainable financing market
• Increased consumer demand for lower-impact protein

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: TCFD

Certifications: Null

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• New product lines in development
• Products with “Carbon Zero – Made by a Carbon Neutral Company”™ logo

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Water consumption
• Energy consumption
• Safety

Environmental Achievements

• Not disclosed

Social Achievements

• Not disclosed

Governance Achievements

• Not disclosed

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Not disclosed

Mitigation Strategies

• Not disclosed

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Not disclosed

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Not disclosed

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, Revised Edition

Certifications:

Third-party Assurance: KPMG LLP

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Not disclosed