FDBusiness.com

Sustainability and in particular environmental protection have been key issues for Swiss milk processor Emmi for over 20 years. Now, the company is going a significant step further by setting itself specific objectives in four important sustainability-related areas. These objectives have been defined in communication with various stakeholders, including WWF Switzerland. The environmental protection organisation will also continue to support Emmi in implementing and cultivating its sustainability commitment as a critical and demanding partner in future.

Emmi’s sustainability commitments are as follows:

Reduce CO₂ emissions by 25 % by 2020 (compared to 2014, in relation to the quantity of processed milk)

To reduce its CO₂ emissions, Emmi will continue to lower its energy consumption as well as opting for more sustainable energy sources.

Process milk from sustainable production

To achieve this, all of Emmi’s Swiss milk suppliers will have to meet a catalogue of sustainability criteria by 2020. Particular importance in this regard will be given to the conditions in which the dairy cows are kept – most notably access to open pasture and feed – in the belief that milk production based on roughage is ecologically sensible and conducive to animal welfare. Switzerland provides a solid platform for achieving this natural and economical form of milk production. In return, Emmi is also committed to paying its Swiss milk suppliers an above-average price.

Reduce food and packaging waste by 20 % by 2020

Emmi will achieve this by generating less waste of packaging and raw materials in production and looking for ways to reintegrate waste into the materials cycle. Emmi will also contribute to reducing the food waste of its customers and consumers.

Invest in the development of employees

Emmi’s aim is for every single one of its 5,750 employees to have personal development objectives. This will not only contribute to employee satisfaction, but is also designed as a tool for combating skills shortages. By 2020, Emmi therefore aims to be in a position to fill half of its vacancies with internal candidates.

By setting itself these objectives, Emmi aims to develop in areas that are particularly important to sustainability. In addition, it will support flagship projects in each of the four focus areas that it considers to be particularly pioneering or exemplary from a sustainability perspective and that could influence the further development of its own sustainability commitment.

Emmi will publish an up-to-date review and initial measures to achieve its sustainability commitments in its Sustainability Report (to be released in summer 2017).

True sustainability is a competitive advantage

Competitive pressure among milk processors has steadily risen in recent years. Emmi’s goal in this competitive environment is clear: to position itself as a provider of innovative, high-quality products. An integral part of this positioning is a credible, ambitious commitment to sustainability.

Urs Riedener, chief executive of Emmi.

According to Urs Riedener, CEO of the Emmi Group: “Consumers are increasingly demanding true commitment from companies. However, they also reward this commitment with their loyalty. In this respect, Emmi’s ambitious sustainability efforts are an important prerequisite for future business success.”

After reporting extensively on numerous sustainability aspects throughout its entire value chain in recent years, Emmi is now going a decisive step further by committing itself with respect to the public and wider society to highly specific objectives in four particularly relevant areas.

WWF as a sparring partner

The commitments in these four focus areas were developed over several months in close communication with various stakeholders. Emmi’s main aim in doing so was to compile a range of expectations that it could then evaluate internally in terms of feasibility.

A particularly valuable partner in this process proved to be WWF Switzerland, which supported Emmi with valuable know-how related to climate protection and agriculture as well as carrying out a critical review of Emmi’s business activities. The WWF also demands that its partner companies set ambitious goals in their commitment to sustainability. To achieve these goals, Emmi will require the continued support of external specialists. The partnership with WWF Switzerland that was recently approved by the Emmi Board of Directors will ensure the company can count on this support. In return, Emmi is committed to maintaining openness and transparency with regard to its sustainability commitment.