Why It Matters
We are committed to reducing our environmental impacts to ensure we are using resources sustainably and reducing waste. These efforts protect the communities where our teammates, customers and partners live and work. They also contribute to our progress in reducing climate-related impacts throughout our supply chain.
Fiscal 2024 Performance Highlight
of cumulative amount donated in partnership with Earth Day Canada to support environmental initiatives since 2008
Our Approach
Guided by Policies and Targets Our Environmental Policy reinforces our commitment to environmental stewardship and underscores our dedication to safeguarding the environment. The policy, aligned with the ISO 14001:2015 standard, recognizes global environmental challenges and their relevance to our business, as well as the imperative to act. It addresses key impact areas defined by our materiality assessment and includes climate change, energy management, food waste, plastics and packaging and ethical and sustainable sourcing.
To deliver on OurPartR to protect the environment for future generations, we’ve set targets in material areas of environmental impact within our business (see Food Waste, Climate Action, Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing).
We aim to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and to demonstrate due diligence in the protection of the environment. Given the national reach of our operations, we keep up to date with all new, emerging and existing environmental regulations across all three levels of government in Canada.
Working With Suppliers and Partners
In addition to our Environmental Policy, we have developed policies related to reducing environmental impacts in our supply chain. This year we’ve initiated work with supplier partners to set forestry, land and agriculture (FLAG) targets, which include GHG emissions related to land-use activities. Our progress on FLAG targets is detailed in our Climate Action section. We also have a robust waste management approach, ensuring all parts of our business are working to reduce waste while dealing with it responsibly.
We participate in several industry-wide working committees, including the Retail Council of Canada’s Working Committees on Extended Producer Responsibility/Stewardship and Plastics and other working groups. We continue to work with Earth Day Canada/Jour De La Terre on strategic waste-management-related projects. They are a key partner in developing strategies to prevent store waste going to landfills.
Looking Ahead to Support Nature & Biodiversity
We have a track record of working to reduce environmental impacts and support ecosystem health. Our partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit environmental charity, led to 45,000 new trees being planted across Canada. Looking ahead, we aim to keep making progress on our Climate Action Plan by investing in more nature-based solutions.
Informed by the guidance of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), we aim to conduct a full nature and biodiversity assessment in fiscal 2026 to understand relevant risks and opportunities and guide our planning. Opportunities may include conservation and restoration initiatives that increase natural carbon stores and other work to support ecosystem adaptation and resilience.
Highlights
Analyzing Store Waste Management
In fiscal 2023 we completed a compliance-based waste audit project in select Ontario stores to provide detailed insight about store-related waste, recycling and various diversion streams. That data has informed a national store waste-diversion strategy project for Sobeys banner stores, intended to set ambitious goals to improve resource circularity and develop a comprehensive approach to improve waste-reduction and waste-diversion efforts. The initiative is anticipated to be completed in fiscal 2025.
Building Green Champions
Building on a successful pilot initiated in our Longo’s stores last year, we expanded our Green Champions program to office-based teammates in our corporate offices across Canada in 2024. The Green Champions sustainability training and engagement program provides opportunities for teammates across our business to build their knowledge about sustainability, explore ways to protect the environment and learn how to influence and drive change in their stores and business areas. The online training program teaches teammates about our sustainability commitments and how they can be part of achieving them, with modules focused on the circular economy, food waste, plastics and packaging and climate action. Green Champions participants are encouraged and empowered to be ambassadors for sustainability, helping their teams and other business areas to work in ways that are better for people and the planet.
Action/Reduction Impacts in Quebec
Almost 300 of our stores in Quebec are now participating in Earth Day Canada’s Action/Reduction waste management program, which aims to give a second life to cardboard, food waste and other store waste. Store teams receive training, support and tools to implement leading residual waste-management approaches.
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Our commitment to environmental management includes our work to take climate action, reduce waste from packaging and food and use energy responsibly.
As a family nurturing families, we want to ensure Canadians are taken care of today, tomorrow and in the future. By doing OurPartR for the environment, we hope to inspire our customers to do theirs. Every step we take together—big or small—can make a difference.
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