Dutch fresh produce marketer The Greenery says it is aiming to cut carbon dioxide emissions from its entire business by 25 per cent this year compared with 2008, as part of a major sustainability programme drawn up to improve the group's environmental credentials over the next seven years.
The action plan, which targets a number of different objectives during the period up to 2020, has been compiled in accordance with newly established social responsibility guidelines referred to as ISO SR.
'The Greenery will continue to develop its sustainable trade practices through to 2020, confirmed Arie van der Linden, the company's director of quality and the environment. 'After all, achieving sustainability is never quite complete. In the years ahead, our priorities will be to tighten current objectives and define concrete actions to fulfil our sustainability vision for 2020, with an emphasis on the dialogue between us and our partners in the chain.'
Publishing its 2012 Sustainability Report this week, The Greenery said it had already achieved a number of significant successes in the previous 12 months, including a Modern Employer Award, Nature Counts designation for five more of its growers and the signing of a Sustainable Business Initiative covenant.
The company now sees sustainability as a fundamental element of its business, underpinned by a philosophy it refers to as ‘Healthy is more' and focused on improving in four key areas: production, innovation, communication and business operations including employees.
'Sustainability forms an absolutely integral part of our business strategy,' Van der Linden confirmed. 'The past few years have shown a transition from great ideas to concrete action.'
Ethical covenant
Together with a number of Dutch supermarket chains and trading companies, The Greenery recently signed up to the Sustainable Business Initiative (Initiatief Duurzame Handel) and, in doing so, promised that all fruit and vegetables it buys from Central and South America, Africa and Asia would be sourced in a fully sustainable manner – that is, ensuring good working conditions, pay and benefits for those workers involved – by 2020.
The Greenery also now demands that its suppliers operate in accordance with the International Labour Organisation’s code of conduct and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Elsewhere, The Greenery said its Healthy Business Operations concept was on track to make its logistics processes more efficient, primarily by reducing CO2 emissions by a quarter this year relative to 2008.
'The most significant savings have already been achieved by reducing energy consumption in the distribution centres, vehicle mileage and fuel consumption for transport purposes,' the company reported, adding that investments were also being made to boost the personal development, health and safety of its employees.
