From sustainable agriculture and energy-efficient manufacturing processes to eco-friendly packaging initiatives, Heinz is proving that smart business is compatible with environmental stewardship. In factory after factory, a transformation is underway to improve sustainability measures and reduce operating costs by installing more efficient equipment, modernizing business processes and implementing new technologies.

We are focused on these key environmental areas:

• Lowering GHG emissions, including those related to agriculture and the transportation of goods,
  while increasing awareness programs for employees to implement at home and at work
• Reducing waste through packaging innovation and recycling
• Conserving water
• Improving energy efficiency

Operations risk managers at each Heinz factory are responsible for the safety and environmental impacts of the plant. They monitor compliance with environmental and safety regulations and develop and coordinate programs for energy management, GHG reductions, recycling, packaging waste and waste disposal.

Our commitment to protecting the global environment accelerated with our formal announcement of Company-wide sustainability goals in May 2008.

These global goals, which we hope to achieve by Fiscal 2015, include a 20% reduction in the generation of GHG emissions per unit of finished production, compared to the baseline year of Fiscal 2005. Heinz is pleased to report significant progress in reaching this goal, with an approximate 13.4% reduction in GHG emissions per unit of production through the implementation of various programs as of the end of Fiscal 2009.

The Company’s sustainability goals also include:

Heinz is targeting areas of our operations that most impact the environment, as well as our manufacturing costs. Heinz facilities around the world have been proactively implementing new technologies, equipment and processes to operate more efficiently. We are investing millions of dollars in our plants and expect to recoup those investments through operational savings. Importantly, these improvements and investments are reducing the Company's environmental impact and enhancing the ecological health of the planet. 

We are proud of our accomplishments thus far as Heinz seeks additional ways to enhance our environmental performance. Outcomes for our areas of focus with standardized metrics are showcased in the chart below.

While the measurement metrics for GHG emissions, energy consumption, water consumption and waste amounts are standardized for all Heinz regions worldwide, we are currently working to develop an internal standard for the measurement process for our other areas of focus, including renewable energy, packaging, agriculture, transportation and employee engagement. Global results for those areas are reported individually throughout the Environmental Areas of Focus section of this report.  We look forward to sharing standardized results for all of our goals in our next report.

 

* Heinz is using 2005 results as the baseline for our sustainable efforts

** Carbon Dioxide equivalents (CO₂-eq) – A metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential (GWP). USEPA – Glossary of climate change terms, 9-8-09

Note: We have calculated our global GHG emissions using the methods outlined in the GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Use of this internationally acclaimed protocol provides consistency in accounting among Heinz facilities. The emission factors used in our application are applied per the Stationary Combustion tool of the WRI GHG Protocol. The emission factors are from "StationaryCombustion.xls" and are transformed to match the energy units in which data are tracked. Global warming potentials from the IPCC Third Assessment Report are used to convert emissions into carbon dioxide equivalents. We have recalculated our emissions and numbers reported in our 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The changes are a result of our continued evaluation of baseline comparables and greater access to more accurate data.