Palsgaard sets CSR standards
Palsgaard’s newly released 2014 CSR report details how the Denmark-based food ingredients producer continues to set sustainability standards, including working towards an ambitious goal to achieve CO2-neutrality by 2020.
The report maps global progress on the company’s sustainability agenda within four strategic areas: corporate governance, energy and environment, products and employees. It describes the impacts and risks raised by business activities, as well as measures taken to address them.
During 2014, Palsgaard made significant progress in addressing environmental sustainability – a challenging ambition in an industry where the production of high-quality emulsifiers tends to be energy-intensive. Objectives include achieving global CO2-neutrality by 2020. In as little as five years, Palsgaard has reduced emissions by an impressive 61 per cent, and is on track to meet the 2020 target.
CEO Jakob Thøisen says: “We’ve more than halved CO2 emissions already. Our footprint for 2014 is now equivalent to the emissions produced by burning 2300 tonnes of coal, or from the electricity usage of 653 homes in a year. Since 2009, we’ve already made cuts equivalent to powering 1,112 homes for a year. And we have more initiatives under way, too. At our plant in Mexico, for example, solar panels can now produce up to 85% of its electricity.”
International standards Sustainability efforts at Palsgaard are in line with the principles of the UN Global Compact, which are integrated into the company’s Code of Conduct and general activities. Reporting follows the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.
