Paris, December 7th, 2021
Danone today announces that it has been highlighted for the third year in a row as a world environmental leader by the international non-profit organization CDP, whose disclosure and scoring system is recognized as the leading standard of corporate environmental transparency.
Out of the nearly 12,000 companies scored in 2021, Danone is one of the only 14 companies that achieved a place on the A List for the three environmental areas covered by CDP: climate change, forest preservation and water security.
Being included once again this year in this A list for each of the three areas is a strong recognition of Danone’s environmental actions, and progress towards its ambition of reaching net-zero emissions across its full value chain by 2050. Nature and climate challenges are inextricably linked and must be addressed together to build sustainable food systems – from how ingredients are grown, then how products are made and distributed, to what happens once people have used them.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Chief Executive Officer, declared: “Danone has been a climate pioneer for many years now, from embracing regenerative agriculture to building carbon neutral brands. We are proud that our leadership has been once again recognized by CDP, and I want to thank the teams and partners who have helped us in our progress towards net zero. Consumers feel more and more empowered to choose products that are good for them and for the planet, and sustainability will remain at the cornerstone of our brands and growth strategy in the years to come.”
Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP, said: “Many congratulations to all the companies on this year’s A List. Taking the lead on environmental transparency and action is one of the most important steps businesses can make, even more so in the year of COP26 and the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. The scale of the risk to businesses from climate change, water insecurity and deforestation can no longer be ignored, and we know the opportunities of action far outweigh the risks of inaction. Leadership from the private sector is essential for securing global ambitions for a net-zero, nature positive and equitable world. Our A List celebrates those companies who are preparing themselves to excel in the economy of the future by taking action today.”
The full methodology and criteria for the A List is available on CDP’s website at: https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores
As part of its Net Zero journey, Danone set intermediate carbon reduction targets for 2030. Danone’s climate action plan includes designing products for healthy and flexitarian diets; sourcing key ingredients from regenerative agriculture; eliminating deforestation from its supply chain in key commodities; protecting water resources; engaging its brands on carbon neutrality and co-creating nature-based carbon removal programs.
Danone’s approach putting nature at the heart of its climate action is delivering tangible impact: in 2020, half of carbon reduction was linked to the implementation of regenerative agriculture initiatives within Danone supply-chain. Since 2015, we reduced on a like-for-like basis our GHG emissions intensity[1] by 24.5% [2] on our full scope.
[1] Grams of CO2 equivalent per kilo of products sold
[2] The data is based on a constant consolidation scope and a constant methodology. The GreenHouse Gas protocol defines three scopes for carbon footprint assessment: Scope 1 covers direct emissions from equipment that is company-owned or under the operational control of Danone, scope 2 refers to indirect energy emissions related to the generation of electricity, steam, heat or cold purchased and consumed by Danone and scope 3 covers all indirect emissions due to Danone's activities, including emissions from raw materials used, the transport and distribution of products, the use and the end-of-life of products.Please refer to Danone 2020 Universal Registration Document (chapter 5 – Social, Societal and Environmental Responsibility) for more information on Danone’s GHG emissions across its entire value chain, its targets, its measures and its calculation methodology.
About Danone (www.danone.com)
Danone is a leading multi-local food and beverage company building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in 3 businesses: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With its ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action, which considers the health of people and the planet as intimately interconnected, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices. To accelerate this food revolution and create superior, sustainable, profitable value for all its stakeholders, Danone has defined nine 2030 Goals, and paved the way as the first listed company to adopt the “Entreprise à Mission” status in France. With a purpose to bring health through food to as many people as possible, and corresponding social, societal and environmental objectives set out in its articles of association, Danone commits to operating in an efficient, responsible and inclusive manner, in line with the Sustainable Development Go als (SDGs) of the United Nations. By 2025, Danone aims to become one of the first multinational companies to obtain B Corp™ certification. With more than 100,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €23.6 billion in sales in 2020. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Horizon Organic, Mizone, Oikos, Prostokvashino, Silk). Listed on Euronext Paris and present on the OTCQX market via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading sustainability indexes including the ones managed by Vigeo Eiris and Sustainalytics, as well as the Ethibel Sustainability Index, the MSCI ESG Indexes, the FTSE4Good Index Series, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and the Access to Nutrition Index
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 590 investors with over $110 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Over 14,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2021, including more than 13,000 companies worth over 64% of global market capitalization, and over 1,100 cities, states and regions. Fully TCFD aligned, CDP holds the largest environmental database in the world, and CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.