The Hershey Company has set new goals to reduce its global emissions as part of its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda.
Specifically, Hershey plans to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by more than 50 percent and its absolute Scope 3 emissions by 25 percent by 2030.
“Climate change is one of the most urgent threats to our planet that we face today. In order to deliver on our purpose to make more moments of goodness, we must operate with sustainability at the forefront and commit to doing our part to address climate change,” Michele Buck, The Hershey Company president and CEO, said. “We will continue to use our scale and apply the full force of our business to reduce our greenhouse emissions and drive climate action forward.”
Hershey will reduce emissions through targeted investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, packaging innovations as well as sustainable land-use policies.
The primary focus is on renewable energy investments and energy efficiency projects to reach its Scope 1 and Scope 2 commitment. To that end, the company has signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) to get solar power from two utility-scale solar farms. The company will continue to increase its reliance on clean and renewable energy across all operations. These efforts will help Hershey reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40 percent by 2024. These efforts will be driven by designated Energy Champions at Hershey locations around the world. The Energy Champion is responsible for implementing carbon savings, meeting energy conservation goals, promoting employee engagement, and identifying opportunities for energy reduction and efficiencies.
Hershey is also implementing innovative packaging solutions in reducing its environmental footprint and lowering its Scope 3 emissions. In 2015, Hershey committed to reduce its packaging weight by 25 million pounds by 2025 and has already achieved that five years ahead of schedule. The company has a new goal to reduce packaging weight by an additional 25 million pounds by 2030. Ultimately, Hershey plans to have 100 percent of its plastic packaging be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2030.
Further, Hershey is committed to end deforestation across its supply chain by 2030 with a new \deforestation policy. It applies to all suppliers across its raw material supply chains. Any supplier that is not in compliance with the policy will be suspended or removed from the supply chain.
“These environmental commitments are critical to the long-term sustainability of our business,” Jeff King, senior director of global sustainability and social impact at Hershey, said. “The work is interconnected across our business and requires us to bring together all efforts across the company, from manufacturing, energy buying, and packaging to make it work seamlessly to reach our goals.”
Hershey, based in Hershey, Pa., has approximately 17,000 employees around the world.