Environmental Policy
Introduction
The cooperative nature of Sollio Cooperative Group and its divisions is inherently in line with the principles of sustainable development, as we support farming families, who are mindful of their environment, and make impactful investments that promote the long-term viability of our members’ and customers’ businesses.
Sollio Cooperative Group and its divisions have also had an environmental policy since 1994, which was last updated in 2015. This latest version is part of Sollio Cooperative Group’s environmental management system update, based on ISO 14001. It will ensure that the company’s practices are consistent with current environmental and stakeholder concerns. In addition, it will reflect the company’s changing size and scope by better conveying the importance that Sollio Cooperative Group and its divisions place on environmental stewarship within their operations. The updated environmental policy is in line with the commitments made by the company as part of its corporate and cooperative responsibility process.
1. Commitment and goals
Sollio Cooperative Group and its divisions, including Sollio Agriculture, are committed to a cohesive, structured, and pragmatic process. Our new mission statement reflects the fact that sustainable development is central to Sollio Cooperative Group’s purpose.
Since December 2019, we have aligned our process with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Continuous improvement
These goals translate into additional measures for continuous improvement in the various stages of our value chain, including:
Our operations
Implement and maintain local environmental management systems based on ISO 14001 in the most at-risk facilities to help identify the environmental impacts of our operations and take proactive and preventive measures to reduce them
Leverage our environmental management system to properly address environmental incidents and reduce environmental and financial risk
Improve our facilities’ energy performance
Our suppliers and partners
Establish responsible procurement guidelines
Work with our partners to develop, test, and refine innovative technological solutions that reduce environmental impacts
Implement measures to preserve water and soil quality
Our retailers
Raise awareness among our stakeholders on the responsible use of our marketed products
3. Governance, roles and responsibilities
Sollio Agriculture will involve each pillar of governance internally to monitor its environmental goals and performance.
The Board of Directors of Sollio Cooperative Group will oversee the sustainable development process and provide a framework for it. The Board will direct the Audit Committee to see to the application of this environmental policy, as part of its three-year activity plan, and to report on it periodically to the Board. The Board will also direct the Corporate Responsibility Committee of Sollio Cooperative Group to periodically monitor the progress of the company’s environmental situation.
The Environmental Department of Sollio Cooperative Group will support Sollio Agriculture in the environmental management of its facilities. All Sollio Agriculture employees must abide by the environmental commitments made.
4. Compliance, performance, monitoring, and accountability
Sollio Agriculture will implement measures and controls to help all facilities across Canada covered by this policy to comply with applicable laws, environmental regulations, and other requirements. Each of our facilities will be subject to an environmental compliance audit, and we will monitor them on an ongoing basis for continued compliance.
We will monitor and improve our environmental performance by:
Collecting data on performance indicators
Setting quantifiable targets to help facilities achieve the commitments in our action plan
Regularly assessing our facilities’ activities for compliance
Identifying the environmental impacts of our operations and taking proactive steps to minimize them
Being mindful of the environmental risks of our mergers and acquisitions
Various accountability processes have been introduced to closely monitor our performances. These processes will be used to regularly report to the Sollio Cooperative Group Board and to the Sollio Agriculture Executive Committee on the progress of divisions’ environmental performance as well as the actions taken to manage risk and improve, if necessary. Our environmental performance data and progress towards our goals will also be publicly shared in our annual cooperative and corporate responsibility report.
5. Stakeholder relations
Sollio Agriculture will listen to its stakeholders’ concerns and expectations so as to integrate these into our commitments and actions. We will take the necessary precautionary measures to mitigate any negative environmental impact that may result from our operations.
6. Training and awareness
We are integrating the policy into day-to-day operations by implementing environmental management training and awareness programs for our employees and managers.
In line with our goals, we will also spread good environmental practices in our industry within our networks so as to encourage our partners and peers to adopt such practices.
7. Scope and review of the policy
Sollio Cooperative Group’s environmental policy is the main reference for this policy, which applies to all of Sollio Agriculture’s wholly owned facilities and is the main reference for the policies of partner subsidiaries under its control. Interested stakeholders may request a copy of this policy, which is available on Sollio Agriculture’s intranet. It is also posted in all facilities concerned.
Sollio Agriculture will regularly review this policy and make the changes required to keep it in line with the company’s sustainable development priorities and commitments, as well its stakeholders’ priority expectations.