AAK has today released its Sustainability Report for 2019. The report outlines ambitions, activities and achievements within the five focus areas of the company’s model for sustainable growth – Our Customers, Our Suppliers, Our Planet, Our People, and Our Neighbours.
“We continue to see strong progress within our sustainability activities and in our contributions towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals”, says Johan Westman, President and CEO. “Significant improvements have been made within our raw material supply chains and with regards to resource efficiency in our operations. Additionally, we have continued to create solutions that are good for both people and our environment, for example AkoPlanet™, our portfolio with solutions for plant-based foods.”
A key AAK achievement during 2019 has been the significant increase of women involved in the company’s direct shea sourcing program in West Africa. The program now involves more than 230,000 women, a 72 percent increase compared to 2018. AAK has also increased the impact on smallholder livelihoods in its palm supply chains by significantly strengthening collaborations with important partners in Malaysia and Mexico.
Furthermore, AAK has reduced its environmental impact by decreasing the company’s energy consumption, water consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per processed unit raw material.
“Another key achievement has been to initiate climate change risk assessments at all production sites, and during 2020 we will do the same for our raw materials in order to identify the overall climate roadmap for the future”, says Anne Mette Olesen, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer. “This and all other achievements that we share in our report are results of a tremendous amount of dedication from AAK colleagues and collaboration partners around the globe.”
Please visit www.aak.com to access a digital version of the report. To obtain a printed copy, please contact comm@aak.com.
| For further information, please contact: | |
| Anne Mette Olesen | Fredrik Nilsson |
| Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer | CFO |
| Mobile: +46 708 39 93 14 | Mobile: +46 708 95 22 21 |
| E-mail : annemette.olesen@aak.com | E-mail: fredrik.nilsson@aak.com |
The information was submitted for publication at 1:00 p.m. CET on April 15, 2020.
AAK is a leading provider of value-adding vegetable oils & fats. Our expertise in lipid technology within foods and special nutrition applications, our wide range of raw materials and our broad process capabilities enable us to develop innovative and value-adding solutions across many industries – Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Special Nutrition, Foodservice, Personal Care, and more. AAK’s proven expertise is based on more than 140 years of experience within oils & fats. Our unique co-development approach brings our customers’ skills and know-how together with our own capabilities and mindset for lasting results. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has more than 20 different production facilities, sales offices in more than 25 countries and more than 3,800 employees. We are AAK – The Co-Development Company.