Environmental Leader

H. J. Heinz Company has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, solid waste, energy use and water consumption over the past year, keeping the company on track to meet its 20 percent reduction target across the board by 2015, according the firm’s 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

Here are several environmental highlights from the report. All compared with the base line year of 2005:

- 13.4 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions per metric ton of production globally

- 27.4 percent global reduction in solid waste per 100 metric tons of production globally

- 15.8 percent decrease in energy use per metric ton of production globally

- 15.7 percent global reduction in water consumption per metric ton of production globally

Heinz expects to meet several other goals by 2015. These include deriving 15 percent of its energy from renewable resources such as solar, wind, biogas and biomass; reducing packaging by 15 percent, and cut fuel consumption related to transportation by 10 percent.

In the area of agriculture by 2015, the company wants to cut its carbon footprint by 15 percent , reduce water usage by 15 percent, and improve tomato crop yields by 5 percent through use of hybrid tomato seeds that require less water, fertilizer, pesticides and fuel to harvest.