UNFI Commits to Aggressive 10-Year Targets in Waste Reduction, Climate Action, & Food Access Through the Introduction of Bett...
January 11 2021 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Better for All will drive significant
priorities spotlighted in 10th annual ESG report
United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI), today released its 2020
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report which showcases
the Company’s bold commitments to building a brighter future,
transforming today’s foodscape by delivering greater freedom of
food choice and by taking innovative action on global social and
environmental issues. In the report, UNFI not only highlights the
substantial progress made in 2020, including the creation of a
CEO-led executive steering committee and completion of a full
materiality assessment, but also outlines its strategic and
data-driven 2030 goals which will accelerate positive and critical
change over the next decade.
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“As pioneers in our industry since 1976, leading by example on
pressing social and environmental issues is both part of our DNA
and our inherent responsibility,” said Steven L. Spinner, UNFI
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “UNFI made great strides in
building our wholesale, services, and brands business in 2020 while
putting a heightened focus on issues such as the safety and
wellbeing of our associates and the communities we serve. As we
look to the future, we now have an exciting plan to pursue real
solutions for climate change, food justice and insecurity as well
as diversity and inclusion. We view ourselves as a force for
positive change, helping to define the future of food.”
UNFI’s 10th annual edition of the report, which can be read at
BetterForAll.UNFI.com, is guided by leading frameworks, including
GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and SASB (Sustainability
Accounting Standards Board). The report also includes the Company’s
first disclosure aligned to recommendations of the Task Force on
Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD).
2030 Vision: BETTER FOR ALL
UNFI’s 2030 agenda is centered on the theme “Better for All,”
aligned to three pillars: Building Better for Our World, Our
Communities, and Our People. Better for All will act as a unifying
message to inspire pride across UNFI and as an umbrella platform to
share updates on its ESG progress in the months and years
ahead.
Better for All focuses on six key priorities: climate action,
waste reduction, food safety, food access, safety and wellbeing,
and diversity and inclusion. To ensure progress against each of
these areas, UNFI has established several consequential goals and
commitments, including:
- Establish science-based emissions reduction targets covering
operational and value chain emissions (scopes 1, 2, and 3) by
2022
- 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2023
- 50% reduction in food waste by 2025
- Zero waste to landfill from distribution center operations by
2030
- 30% reduction in distribution center energy intensity by
2030
- Donate 250 million pounds of food–equivalent to approximately
208 million meals by 2030
- Log 200,000 associate volunteer hours by 2030
2020 Progress
Throughout 2020, UNFI took several steps to advance it’s ESG
practices, including the following activities:
- Adopted robust, award-winning safety measures to continue to
protect our frontline associates during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Piloted its first all-electric solar powered refrigerated
trailer with an eye towards further expansion
- Announced new Paid Parental Leave benefits
- Improved its CDP Climate Change response score to an A- through
enhanced disclosures and actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate
risks, and further the low-carbon economy
- Achieved a 7% year-over-year improvement in food waste diverted
from landfills
- Delivered 23 million pounds of donated food, equivalent to
roughly 19 million meals
“2020 was a pivotal year for ESG at UNFI. We completed a robust
strategic planning process and significantly deepened our focus on
key priorities,” said Alisha Real, UNFI Director of Sustainability
and Social Impact. “The steps we will take over the next decade are
critical to ensuring a future that is Better for All. UNFI impacts
the lives of millions of people throughout North America and we are
dedicated to taking meaningful action by activating our 27,000
associates, 15,000 customers, and more than 11,000 suppliers to
accelerate progress toward achieving our near-term and 2030
commitments to transform the foodscape and our world.”
About United Natural Foods
UNFI is North America's premier food wholesaler delivering the
widest variety of products to customer locations throughout North
America including natural product superstores, independent
retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce retailers and
food service customers. By providing this deeper 'full-store'
selection and compelling brands for every aisle, UNFI is uniquely
positioned to deliver great food, more choices and fresh thinking
to customers everywhere. Today, UNFI is the largest publicly traded
grocery distributor in the United States. To learn more about how
UNFI is Moving Food Forward, visit www.unfi.com.
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Investor Contact Steve Bloomquist 952-828-4144
steve.j.bloomquist@unfi.com
Media Contact Jeff Swanson 952-903-1645
jeffrey.s.swanson@unfi.com
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