Stratégie climatique
Driving operational change in a changing world.
Why Climate Strategy Matters
Greif integrates our climate strategy into all aspects of operations to ensure we are reducing emissions and combating climate change to our fullest extent. We manufacture our products as efficiently as possible, implement energy and emissions projects throughout our operations and engage with partners across our value chain to further extend our impact beyond our walls. In addition to being part of our responsibility as a global manufacturer, our climate efforts provide a competitive advantage.
Gouvernance
12%
energy sourced from renewables
Demonstrating excellence in carbon management, governance, strategy and best practices, and outperforming the overall and North American average CDP score of D.
In 2020 we implemented 73 energy efficiency projects, resulting in $724,419 of savings across our organization. These projects include replacing equipment and updating processes that reduce energy demand, such as replacing ovens, boilers and adjusting water temperatures and implementing energy efficiency practices, such as lighting and HVAC replacements. For more information about our energy efficiency projects, please see section C4.2 and C4.3b of our 2020 CDP Climate Response.
A focus in 2020 was fully integrating legacy Caraustar facilities into our energy and emissions reporting. Our legacy Caraustar facilities now account for approximately 45 percent of our energy consumption and emissions impact globally, which has changed the scale of our impact and led us to adopt new mitigation activities appropriate for our business.
In 2020, we began taking steps to better understand our broader climate impact and align to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) recommendations. To begin this process, we conducted a gap analysis of our current climate management practices against TCFD recommendations to identify priority areas of focus to advance our climate strategy and modeled potential climate targets under multiple temperature scenarios. This work led to the identification and approval of our new 2030 emissions target and revealed a need to conduct a more detailed scenario analysis to better understand both our transitional and physical climate-related risks and opportunities. Our currently identified climate-related risks and opportunities are summarized below and discussed in further detail in our CDP response. In 2021 we will conduct a scenario analysis intended to deepen our understanding of these risks and opportunities, validate if they are the most material climate-related risks and opportunities and uncover additional potentially material climate-related risks and opportunities that should inform our overall climate strategy. As we conduct this work, we are pleased to include our first TCFD index in this year’s report, demonstrating our current areas of alignment with TCFD recommendations. We are looking forward to building on this progress in 2021.
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Risk / Opportunity |
Sujet |
Description*
|
|---|---|---|
|
Risk |
Impacts to production capacity |
Climate change, to the extent it produces rising temperatures inducing sea level rise, may adversely impact our ability to manufacture and transport our products. Our operations include facilities in low-lying coastal areas such as Europoort, Vreeland, and Asterweg, in the Netherlands; Malaysia; and Singapore, all which may be significantly impacted by sea level rise. |
|
Risk |
Impacts to indirect (operating) costs |
Climate change, to the extent it impacts the price of our raw materials, fuel, transportation, and natural gas costs impacts our production and raw material supply costs. Impacts may be caused by increased regulation, changing market conditions, and impacts on our supply chain. |
|
Risk |
Impacts to revenues due to reduced production capacity |
Climate change, to the extent it impacts the frequency and severity of precipitation extremes and related natural disasters— including wildfires and flooding—may impact our ability to manufacture and transport our products. Such climate-related extremes may impact our footprint in any geography at any time.
|
|
Opportunity |
Development and/or expansion of low emission goods and services |
Greif works with our raw material suppliers, transportation partners, and internal teams to develop lighter weight and more energy efficient products and provide transportation and ancillary services to help our customers reduce emissions associated with our packaging (e.g. EcoBalance, NexDRUM®). Our engagement with customers through “Voice of the Customer” interviews and surveys, materiality assessment interviews, and other avenues, confirms that our customers have a desire for low emission products.
|
|
Opportunity |
Shift in consumer preferences
|
As corporations, investors, and the general public become increasingly attuned to climate change issues, industrial manufacturing clients are at risk of changing public perceptions around a company’s operations and product lines. By developing products and services that decrease customers' GHG emissions and waste in their value chain Greif can set itself apart from competitors, garner market share and reinforce its positive reputation.
|
|
Opportunity |
Use of more efficient production and distribution processes
|
Due to potential changes in legislation/regulation, we could incur increased energy, environmental and other costs and capital expenditures to comply. However, this also affords us the opportunity to further improve our energy efficiency, thereby reducing our costs and exposure to these risks. |
Goals & Progress
2020 marked the end of our current energy and greenhouse gas goal, but not the end of our commitment to reduce our environmental impact. In 2020, we conducted a detailed analysis and evaluation with a third party of our ability to commit to a goal that would be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). We are excited to announce our commitment to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 28 percent by 2030, from a 2019 baseline. This new target is aligned with prevailing climate science to limit overall global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and builds upon the company’s 11 percent emissions reduction per unit of production accomplishment achieved in 2020. By the end of 2023, Greif will also complete an assessment of its Scope 3 emissions and determine the feasibility of a long-term net zero emissions aspiration in alignment with the Science-based Targets Initiative.
To achieve our new target, we will build upon our existing investments in energy efficient equipment, onsite solar power, and grid-sourced green electricity with a strategic approach that will include additional energy efficiency initiatives and sourcing of offsite, large-scale renewable energy.
2020 Goal: 10 percent reduction in energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of production, from a fiscal 2014 baseline.
Progress: As of the end of fiscal 2020, we achieved an 11 percent emissions reduction per unit of production decrease from a fiscal 2014 baseline and 1.1 percent reduction in energy consumption per unit of production from the 2014 baseline.
Objectif 2030 : Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 28 percent over a 2019 baseline. Greif will also complete an assessment of Scope 3 emissions and determine the feasibility of a long-term net zero emissions aspiration by the end of 2023.
Performance
|
|
FY |
FY |
FY |
FY 2017 |
FY |
FY |
FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Energy |
|||||||
|
Total Energy Consumption (MWh) |
3,228,000 |
3,057,000 |
3,009,000 |
3,058,000 |
3,103,200 |
5,398,000
|
5,423,000
|
|
% Reduction in Energy per Unit of Production |
(Baseline year) |
N / A |
1.8% |
3.1% |
4.2% |
0.0%
|
1.1%
|
|
% Reduction in Emissions per Unit of Production** |
(Baseline year) |
6.0%
|
2.0% |
8.4% |
10.3% |
11.0%
|
11.0%
|
|
GHG Emissions (Metric Tons) |
|||||||
|
Scope 1 |
362,300 |
322,500
|
345,700 |
367,700
|
376,700
|
675,900
|
692,900
|
|
Scope 2 (Location-based) |
496,000
|
438,600
|
446,700
|
416,000
|
415,900
|
637,300^
|
589,500
|
|
Scope 3 |
251,500
|
221,900
|
2,927,000
|
3,089,000
|
2,867,090
|
4,403,000
|
4,148,000
|
|
Total |
1,109,800 |
983,000
|
3,719,400
|
3,872,700
|
3,659,600
|
5,716,200^
|
5,430,400
|
Notes:
- Source: Greif 2020 CDP Climate Response
- Energy and emissions data accounts for all legacy Greif and Caraustar facilities from 2019 forward.
- Emissions data accounts for CO2, CH4 and N2O.
- Scope 3 emissions takes into account upstream transportation and distribution. In 2017, scope 3 was expanded to include purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel and energy related activities not included in Scope 1 and 2, including waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting and end of life treatment of sold products. Data based on legacy Greif Facilities only.
- 2020 GHG Verification Statement
**Our percent reduction in emissions per unit of production dropped from FY 2015 to FY 2016 due to increased fugitive emissions from our Riverville, Virginia, paper mill and total emissions from our Massillon, Ohio, paper mill. Updated emissions and global warming potential factors also contributed to this change. Data based on legacy Greif facilities only to maintain comperability with 2014 baseline.
^ These figures have been restated to better account for steam usage at one of our mills.
Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs)
In an attempt to lower Greif’s emissions of air pollutants such as Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Greif’s paperboard mills in Los Angeles, California and Fitchburg, Massachusetts replaced equipment with more energy efficient technology that reduces air pollutants. Operations in Massachusetts, alone, saved 96 tons of NOx and 27 tons of VOCs in a single year. The updates also allowed Greif to take advantage of Cap-and-Trade programs in California and Massachusetts that provide ERCs for similar activates. In 2019, Greif was awarded $1,037,100 in ERCs through these programs.
Transitioning to Electric Forklifts
As part of our overarching goal of having more efficient and sustainable equipment, in 2018 we began transitioning our fleet of forklifts from being powered by combustion gasoline to electricity, which reduces our forklift emissions approximately 50 percent. Through 2020, we have converted 99 percent of our forklifts in EMEA to electricity power while we reduced fleet size by 17 percent and realized a cost savings of $352,000 in 2020. In North America, we have replaced 2 percent of our fleet and saved $250,000 in 2020. Due to the success of the program, and in support of our overall Renewable Forklift Policy, the program will continue to be rolled out globally. In addition to the environmental benefits, the transition provides a safer working environment for our colleagues by reducing the need to keep containers of gasoline in our facilities.
Energy Efficiency in Production
Greif recently made a large scale investment in a new blow molding machine used to manufacture Greif’s plastic jerrycans at our Casablanca, Morocco plant. The new machine uses up to 30 percent less energy than older generation machines while also delivering significantly higher productivity levels. The new equipment increases production capacity by up to 25 percent for our one- to five-liter bottles and is designed to optimize and reduce raw material usage, extending the environmental benefit of the machine beyond energy use.
The team in Morocco also implemented other energy efficiency projects such as eliminating air leakages in our plastic and steel plants, replacing hydraulic extruders with electric ones on four machines, upgrading old equipment and replacing DC motors with AC motors on several blow molding machines that help to significantly reduce our energy consumption.
Advancing Renewable Energy
Renewables, such as biomass, solar and wind energy, will play a major role in addressing the challenges of climate change over the long term. We are committed to testing and expanding the use of renewable energy technologies across our global operations when doing so is economically viable and in the best interest of our stakeholders. Across our global operations, we have installed over 6,800 solar panels capable of 1.84 million kilowatt hours of solar production and annual savings of $120,000. Due to our continued investment, renewables now account for 12 percent of Greif’s energy use.
In North America, we have installed more than 2,000 solar panels in seven facilities, delivering 640,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and saving more than $100,000 annually.
In 2016, three of our largest Brazilian plants began sourcing their energy partly through renewable resources. In 2017, we expanded the program to three additional plants in Brazil, reducing emissions by 70 percent and saving $1.4 million USD annually.
In April 2017, Greif’s Shanghai RIPS facility completed installation of solar panels, converting 15.4 percent of the facility’s electricity to a renewable source and saving over $16,000 USD annually. Throughout our China operations, we source renewable energy through 4,800 solar panels via energy purchase contracts.
Our Turkey FPS operations produce over two million kWh of energy through wind turbines and windmills.
Replacement of Boiler with 10% Energy Efficiency Improvement
Greif’s paperboard mill in Fitchburg, Massachusetts was operating a boiler that was initially installed to support two paper machines. The boiler was oversized for the mills operating needs and as a result was not operating as efficiently as possible and causing reliability problems. In 2019, a new boiler was purchased to allow for improved steam efficiency and reliability. Due to these improvements, the new boiler is expected to generate 15,811,200 kWh and $324,000 savings annually.
EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership
To manage logistics in an environmentally-responsible manner, Greif uses carriers that are approved through the EPA’s SmartWay initiative whenever possible. We include SmartWay certification during our new carrier certification process. Greif’s SmartWay-approved carrier base accounts for 82 percent of ton miles traveled.
