Who’s doing the work? Danone.
Highlighting corporations already working towards the SDGs
The UN’s SDGs are intrinsically linked — often one action that a company takes can affect multiple sustainable development goals in various ways. This can make it difficult to organize and communicate alignment with the goals effectively. Danone, the multi-national food production company and creator of brands such as Silk, Activia, Evian, and more, provides clarity to their sustainability mission through a matrix that visually connect in-house company goals to SDGs and furthermore provides a hierarchy from Major Focus to Commitments to Contributions.
Danone’s mission, “One Planet. One Health”, drives three models of business, brand, and trust all of which have three associated internal goals. Together, these 9 company goals address 13 of the 17 SDGs, to varying degrees of commitment. Major Focus areas are categorized as integral to their missions ‘to bring health through food to as many people as possible”, either through their product offering, or through source, production, and operation. These include the following: Zero Hunger (#goal2), Good Health and Well-being (#goal3), Clean Water and Sanitation (#goal6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (#goal8), Responsible Consumption and Production (#goal12), and Climate Action (#goal13). Next, Danon’s Commitments address SDGs on which the company’s actions have moderate impacts including: No Poverty (#goal1), Life Below Water (#goal14), Life on Land (#goal15), Peace Justice and Strong Institutions (#goal16), Gender Equality (#goal5), and Affordable and Clean Energy (#goal7). Lastly, the company has identified 4 Contributions that, through their work and business model, are indirectly impacted including: Quality Education (#goal4), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (#goal9), Reduced Inequalities (#goal10), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (#goal11).
Major Focus: 2, 3, 6 | 8, 12, 13, 17
Zero Hunger: As a company who focuses on providing food and water across the globe through 20 + brands, Danone’s goal to “offer superior food experiences and innovate, always” includes providing access to healthy, nutritious food for consumers via products and messaging. As of 2018, 82% of Danone sales reached nutritional benchmarks in accordance with the Health Star Rating System. In addition to product offerings, Danone prides itself on extensive knowledge of local food cultures and appropriate positioning to provide nutritious food to a variety of communities. Lastly, by focusing on fostering inclusive growth through their venture funds, Danone is reaching food and water insecure populations while also providing economic prosperity to local entrepreneurs. Check out their social ventures here: Danone Communities, Livelihoods Funds, and Danone Ecosysteme
Health and Well-being: In addition to a variety of healthy products, Danone aims to promote health and well-being globally and locally through employee ownership. An extensive knowledge of local communities and their food culture and eating habits allows education and promotion of improved habits and behavior. Additionally, a long list of employee resources and programs fosters internal health and well-being. Dan’Cares aims to provide all employees globally with health care regardless of local market. Health@work is an in-house initiative focused on promoting employee awareness and knowledge of healthy diet and practices. Danone’s Global Parenting Policy ensures prenatal support, parental leaves for both parents, and ensured job-security.
Clean Water and Sanitation: Danone’s water policy is organized into the following three initiatives: 1) preserve water resources and the natural environment, 2) drive water circulatory in and around production sites, & 3) provide safe drinking water to vulnerable people and communities. Preservation prioritizes regenerative agriculture and proper watershed maintenance. Agriculture in particular accounts for 89% of their overall water footprint and, as such, sustainable and healthy water usage is a top priority. Water circulation and efficiency focuses on water usage related to operations and processing. Through a commitment to the 4R — reduce, reuse, recycle, and reclaim — water usage has been reduced by up 52% in some of their factories. Lastly, Danone’s goal to provide safe drinking water has led to a variety of ventures through the Danone Communities fund.
Decent Work and Economic Growth: Danone employs upwards of 100,000 people and continuously finds new and innovative ways to provide decent work through its value chain. Danone’s Ecosysteme fund alone boasts impressive numbers including 57,300 people professionally empowered (35,700 of them being women), 4,100 jobs created, and 4.4 million direct beneficiaries. Check out some of their impact reports for a more detailed look.
Responsible Consumption and Production: Danone’s focus on a circular economy & preservation of resources promotes a more responsible system of consumption and production.
Climate Action: The company is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 through reduction and sequestration. To reduce carbon emissions in Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions, Danone uses Science-Based Targets as a benchmarking tool for hitting global goals. As agriculture accounts for 60% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (and 57% percent of the company’s emissions) Danone is dedicated to regenerative agricultural practices. In addition to reduction, the company is focused on sequestering carbon in the ground, eliminating deforestation, and offsetting it’s continued carbon contributions through carbon funds. While Danone uses offsetting as a tool to achieve its larger goals sooner, its main focus is updating practices core to the operation of the company. This distinction is notable and one to be mimicked.
Commitments: 1, 14, 15, 16 | 5, 7
No Poverty: Through their three funds, Danone is stimulating local economies throughout the world, providing jobs, and giving communities the necessary resources to achieve financial independence.
Life Below Water: In partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Danone intends to keep polluting plastics and other materials out of the oceans.
Life on Land: The company’s commitment to eliminating deforestation and destructive farming practices will improve life on land for animals and people alike.
Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions: Danone claims commitment to fighting injustice in all its forms.
Gender Equality: Danone ranks as one of the best workplaces for gender equality in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index due to a variety of programs, partnerships, and initiatives: HeforShe, LEAD Network, Eve Program, & Danone Ecosysteme.
Affordable and Clean Energy: Danone plans to transition fully to renewable energy by 2030 with the help of the RE100.
Contributions: 4, 9, 10, 11
Quality Education: Danone provides quality education through proper training and improvement courses for all employees based on role.
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: By funding innovative new technologies through funds and partnerships the company is moving the needles forward toward SDG 9.
Reducing Inequalities: Danone reduces inequalities through its work with gender equality and local communities.
Sustainable Cities and Communities: Danone’s commitments to affordable energy and reduction in pollution aid in the progression of sustainable cities and communities.
By prioritizing efforts key to the success of the company as a major focus point, Danone is ensuring integrity and sustainability through all parts of its business model. While philanthropic efforts are valiant, it is necessary for companies to imbue the core of business with sustainable policy and practice. The company’s focus on improving operations, creating sustainable value chains, and empowering employees and communities makes Danone a leader in the global corporate effort to achieve sustainability by 2030. While this article provides a thorough overview of Danone’s commitment to the SDGs, their resources are extensive. Check it out for yourself at Danone.com
More on Sustainability Business:
- Ready to join the movement? — Find other values-based companies here.
- Own it — In order to battle collective inertia in the wrong direction, take ownership of a sustainable future.
- The path to profitability — A growing list of CEO’s can envision a more sustainable path forward.
- Impact reports — Read some of Danone’s funding research findings: Ukraine Milk Impact, Socio-Economic Impacts in Indonesia, & Nursing in Romania
- Circular Economy — Read more about Danone’s partner, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
