At Campbell, we’re proud that our CEO, Denise Morrison, takes an active role in leading our company to become increasingly sustainable and socially responsible. And apparently, we’re not the only ones taking notice.
Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine recently honored Denise with one of its “Responsible CEO of the Year” awards for 2013. Now in its sixth year, the award recognizes chief executives who excel in employee relations, environmental impact, human rights, philanthropy, and corporate responsibility practices.
Every day, we are relentlessly seeking out innovative, impactful ways to nourish our consumers, our neighbors, our employees, and our planet. For example, our largest manufacturing facility, in Napoleon, Ohio, will soon be replacing as much as 25 percent of its annual electricity use with renewable biogas. Next door, the 24,000 solar panels on the 60-acre, 10-megawatt solar power system are already offsetting 15 percent of the power needed to operate our Napoleon plant.
In fiscal year 2012, we continued to make progress against our 2020 goal to reduce our environmental footprint in half. Throughout our production facilities, we’re invested to save more than 400 million gallons of water and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 83,000 metric tonnes. We’re sending almost 7 percent less waste to landfills. And we’re active in the community, from our 10-year, $10 million Healthy Communities program to reduce childhood obesity and hunger in our hometown of Camden to the more than 22,000 hours our U.S. and Canadian employees volunteer each year in the places where they live and work. Last year, we provided over $40 million of support to non-profit organizations through a range of programs, including product donations, foundation giving, employee giving campaigns, and corporate donations.
Elliot Clark, CEO of CR Magazine publisher SharedXpertise, says that the group’s honorees “exude a commitment to their stakeholders and society.” Unlike greenhouse gas emissions, our commitment to social responsibility is indeed something we’re focused on radiating at the highest levels.
CEO Denise Morrison rang the closing bell at NYSE on Oct. 9, 2013, with the other award winners.