Empire has been serving Canadians with pride for more than 115 years, and throughout the years our promise to people across the country has not changed. We are committed to delivering the highest quality, most consistent offering, while always seeking ways to deliver value, now and in the future, because we believe Canadians deserve the best. In the 21st century, being the best means making a real commitment to sustainability. Our customers and our teammates expect it, our investors demand it and evolving regulations make it a necessity. It’s the right thing to do for people and the planet. Sustainability leadership is also a critical driver of future growth and we have made it an integral part of our business strategy at Empire.
In recent years, Empire has taken bold action to improve our sustainability leadership. We were the first national grocery chain to eliminate single-use plastic checkout bags. We launched a robust Climate Action Plan to set and track our progress on clear, science-based targets. In collaboration with our supplier partners, we continue to drive our shared sustainability goals through initiatives such as the CDP Supply Chain program. Our efforts will continue to evolve: we keep listening and learning, updating our strategy and action on material topics and improving our sustainability disclosures every year.
Building on that momentum, in fiscal 2024 we renewed our sustainability strategy to further our growth as a sustainable business leader. Empire will continue to decarbonize and transition our business and our supply chain to thrive in a low-carbon economy. We will:
- Find new ways for customers to shop and live with reduced plastic waste;
- Direct more food to Canadians’ plates rather than landfills;
- Continue to embed responsible business practices in all our sourcing decisions to ensure everyone in our supply chain is treated fairly; and
- Make it even easier for Canadians to make practical choices that are healthy for themselves, for their communities and for the planet.
Across the board, we are making real, measurable progress. We reduced combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 27% since our 2019 baseline and completed over 500 carbon-reduction projects. We surpassed our food rescue goal to donate 30 million meals annually in partnership with Second Harvest. For the second year in a row, we were recognized as Canada’s Top Food Rescue Partner. We completed the removal of the five banned single-use plastic items according to the Federal Single-use Plastics Prohibition. We renewed our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and People Strategies, deepening our commitments to nurturing strong, inclusive teams and communities. Our new Commitment Statement to Indigenous Peoples Across Canada enhances our engagement and business-wide reconciliation efforts. In May of this year, we published our first stand-alone report addressing forced labour and child labour risks in our supply chain, upholding our support for human rights. As always, our biggest priority is to deliver exceptional value to our customers, which includes pulling every lever possible to ensure grocery prices remain competitive.
Empire is not alone in this journey. Bringing our very best to Canadians depends on being a sustainable business, and being a sustainable business depends on collaboration. We are grateful for those who join us in this effort every day—including government decision-makers, industry peers, supplier partners, teammates, customers and community members. Together we face major global challenges and risks presented by climate change, economic headwinds and geopolitical instability. We all have a part to play in building a better, more sustainable future. Thank you for stepping up and for continuing to help Empire evolve as we work to bring our very best to Canadians.
