Greif Releases 2021 Sustainability Report Highlighting Environmental, Social, and Governance Priorities and Progress
13th consecutive annual report provides an update on Greif's sustainability progress, performance, and highlights in 2021, including significant milestones on climate, waste, and circularity commitments
DELAWARE, Ohio, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today the release of its online 2021 Sustainability Report describing the Company's efforts to advance its environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities. This is Greif's 13th consecutive annual publication and details the Company's continued commitment to creating shared value for customers, stakeholders, and the environment.
"Protecting Our Future is one of the four key missions of Greif’s Build to Last strategy. Sustainability is a critical component to this journey, and we made substantial progress in 2021 towards our vision for a sustainable future at Greif," said Ole Rosgaard, Greif's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are excited and proud to share that progress in this latest report and look forward to expanding upon our goals and commitments at our upcoming Investor Day on June 23, 2022."
The 2021 Sustainability Report features comprehensive information on our strategic sustainability focus areas, ESG data, and examples of how colleagues are supporting Greif in its commitment to sustainability and The Greif Way by delivering superior customer service; reducing our footprint; addressing risk; valuing our people; advancing the circular economy; financial performance; and profitable growth.
Report highlights include:
- Updates on key milestones, such as Greif achieving >90% waste diverted from landfills at 149 facilities, including 50 facilities achieving our Zero Waste to Landfill target.
- Review of our 2021 Materiality Assessment, including identified material sustainability topics and progress made on each topic.
- Discussion of Greif Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts and key milestones achieved.
- Results from our 2021 Climate Change Workshop (including opportunities identified and subsequent performance on those opportunities).
- Discussion of new key partnerships that will help further advance Greif’s sustainability leadership and attain our 2030 Goals.
Several reputable independent organizations recognize Greif as a leader in sustainability strategy:
- Awarded Gold Rating by EcoVadis for the 4th consecutive year, demonstrating continued excellence in implementing sustainability solutions.
- Recognized by CDP with a score of B, demonstrating excellence in carbon management, governance, strategy, and best practices, and outperforming the overall and North American average CDP score of C.
- Recognized as one of America’s "Most Responsible Companies" and "Most Loved Workplaces" by Newsweek.
- Obtained Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certification & Conservation Leadership Award for outstanding climate standards in our Land Management business.
The report is prepared in full accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Application Guidance. It fulfills the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) annual Communication on Progress (COP). This is also our second report that aligns our climate-related disclosures with recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
About Greif
Greif is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services and is pursuing its vision: to be the best performing customer service company in the world. The Company produces steel, plastic, fibre drums, intermediate bulk containers, reconditioned containers, containerboard, uncoated recycled paperboard, coated recycled paperboard, tubes & cores, and a diverse mix of specialty products. The Company also manufactures packaging accessories and provides filling, packaging, and other services for various industries. In addition, Greif manages timber properties in the southeastern United States. The Company is strategically positioned in over 35 countries to serve global and regional customers. Additional information is on the Company's website at www.greif.com.
Contact:
Matt Leahy
740-549-6158
matthew.leahy@greif.com
