This year, in addition to a slate of existing activities, we began work toward creating a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory management plan (IMP) with a view to setting science-based emissions reduction targets and steadily reducing our contribution to climate change.
Operational footprint. In addition to meeting the responsibilities specific to our industry — such as preventing overfishing — we’re committed to improving our performance on dimensions common to most sectors and industries, like minimizing the amount of energy and water we use. In 2021, we engaged external consultants to perform a comprehensive review of processes and equipment at our Lunenburg plant and to identify opportunities to increase our efficiency. We’ve already made a number of specific changes in Lunenburg in response to the consultants’ recommendations — from equipment upgrades to improved energy metering and monitoring approaches — and plan to extend the changes to our other plants in the coming year.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2021, we began work on a comprehensive inventory of our Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions — a first step toward measuring High Liner Foods’ contribution to climate change. Our new inventory management plan (IMP) defines the process of gathering emissions source data and calculating GHG emissions for our North American operations. By first understanding our current GHG inventory, we can then begin the process of setting credible, science-based targets for emissions reductions. We’re beginning to embed GHG considerations into everything we do: how we manage our supply chain, how we develop our products and how we operate our plants and warehouses. To choose just one example, in 2021 we added climate and other sustainability factors into the analysis we undertake to assess requests for new capital expenditures.
Waste reduction. We work with customers and suppliers to minimize food waste and loss across the entire supply chain — from ocean to table. Although fish and seafood account for only about 2% of food loss and waste globally each year, we’ve challenged ourselves and our partners to do even better. This year, we adopted new cutting tools and techniques to ensure that every catch delivers as much nourishment as possible. We also improved our waste separation practices to boost recycling and minimize the amount of material that goes to landfill. When one of our facilities adopts an effective technique, we make sure it’s quickly shared across our plants and warehouses. Also in 2021, we undertook a comprehensive review of the current composition of our packaging in order to set baselines in areas like recyclability. Next year, we’ll begin to set goals and targets for improvement, increasing the share of recyclable materials and seeking innovations to replace elements like plastic liners.