2. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
Table of Contents
Resources for Completion, By Section ………………………… 3
Energy Data Section ……………………………………….….. 3
Waste & Water Section ……………………………………..... 4
Supplier Section ………………………………………………… 4
Frequently Asked Questions ………………………………………. 5
Glossary …………………………………………………………………….. 6
3. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
Welcome!
You have been invited to participate in the Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative.
The program is designed to measure environmental impacts made by your organization
and within Summit Brands’ supply chain. The process will walk you through data collection
for the following key sustainability categories:
• Energy Use and Emissions
• Waste Generation and Disposal
• Water Consumption and Disposal
This data will be used to develop a baseline (or beginning) measurement of your facility's
environmental impacts. This measurement, as well as ongoing performance tracking, will
be used to identify efficiency opportunities and assess improvements. Furthermore, this
program will allow your company to comply with both Walmart's and Summit Brands'
sustainability initiatives.
Resources for Completion, By Section
Energy Data Section
High energy consumption exposes companies to unnecessary political and economic risks,
contributes to climate change, and impacts Summit Brands’ ability to remain competitive.
By requesting supply chain partners to report their energy use data, Summit Brands will
begin to develop a baseline, or point of reference for, energy and emissions measurement
within its supply chain.
Once this baseline is established, Summit Brands will be able to support you and other
suppliers in setting efficiency and reduction targets that mitigate impacts relevant not only
to your company but also the communities supporting your business.
The Energy Use sections of the data collection tool will ask for the following, which you
should be able to obtain from your utility bills, HVAC service records, and fleet vehicle
records:
• Basic information about the size and type(s) of your operations
• The total purchased electricity consumption for your facility in 2012
• Volume of steam purchased by your facility in 2012
• Amount of natural gas, diesel, and propane fuels consumed by your facility in 2012
• Information about your HVAC system emissions (referred to as fugitive), including
volume of refrigerant used in 2012
• Details about your fleet vehicles, including:
o Type of vehicle
o Total fuel use of vehicle in 2012
o Total distance traveled by vehicle in 2012
4. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
Waste & Water Section
Waste and water are the two other impacts addressed by the data collection portal.
Summit Brands is interested in reducing waste, reducing water consumption, and using
natural resources more efficiently.
You will need your waste management and water billing statements to complete this
section, along with the details of any of your waste diversion programs and information
about any waste reduction projects or water efficiency projects your company has
undertaken.
In this section, you will be asked to report (for 2012):
• How much waste your company sent to landfill
• The amounts and methods of waste diversion employed by your company (e.g.
recycling, composting, etc.)
• How much waste was diverted from landfill
• Details of any waste reduction or diversion projects completed
• How much water your company used
• How much water was recycled/reused by your company
• Details of any water reduction or efficiency projects completed
Supplier Info. Section
The final section in the data collection tool will be used to assist your company to report to
CDP. CDP is an independent, non-profit organization that houses the largest database of
corporate climate change information in the world. 64 companies, including Walmart,
request that suppliers report to CDP. As part of Summit Brands’ environmental initiatives
and our participation in the Walmart Sustainability Index program, we are requesting that
our suppliers also report to CDP.
Summit Brands' consulting partners at Renewable Choice Energy will create an account for
you and assist you in responding to the CDP questionnaire. However, some of the
information that you will report to CDP will be entered via the data collection portal.
Specifically, you will be asked to report:
• The amount of product(s) produced by your company and the percentage of
product(s) sold to Summit Brands
• Who is responsible for tracking environmental impact data at your facilities
• Details of any environmental projects you have undertaken in the past year
• Your sustainability goals and any analysis you have performed on your climate-
related risks and opportunities
• How your employees are engaged in environmental initiatives
5. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I being asked to participate in this process by Summit Brands?
Developing a baseline measurement of your facility’s impacts and tracking its performance
over time is essential for identifying risks and efficiency opportunities or assessing
improvements, and helping your staff understand how their actions can positively impact
your bottom line.
Who should complete the data collection?
The person in your factory who is responsible for your environmental management system,
facilities, or related departments is likely the best person to complete the data collection,
although multiple employees and/or departments may have responsibility for its
completion.
How will the information I provide be used?
Summit Brands will use the information to identify risks and best practices, develop a
baseline environmental supply chain metric, and the isolate potential reduction and/or
efficiency targets. The information that is provided to Summit Brands is confidential; it will
not be shared with anyone outside of Summit Brands, Walmart, and their consulting
partners.
We do not currently disclose our environmental impact information. What are the
reasons for doing so?
Disclosing your environmental impact information can have many benefits for your
organization, including:
• The potential to attract new customers or retain current customers
• The opportunity to connect with preferred suppliers who share your values
• Improved relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Public approval and media risk mitigation
There is increasing pressure for companies to disclose and take responsibility for their
environmental impacts. Customers and investors are demanding that businesses reduce
their energy and resource use. Future legislation may require companies to reduce
environmental impact. Pressures like these are driving businesses around the world to
increase disclosure in this area.
6. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
Glossary
Baseline measurement
Basic or beginning measurement. Baseline measurements are valuable when setting
management and/or reduction goals in order to have something to compare against when
making improvements, diagnosing inefficiencies, or tracking progress.
CDP
An independent, non-profit organization that houses the largest database of corporate
climate change information in the world. More than 3,000 companies from around the
globe report their environmental impacts to CDP on an annual basis, and more than 6,000
suppliers were invited to report during the 2011 Supply Chain Program. Formerly known
as the Carbon Disclosure Project.
Emissions
The exhaust gas(es) produced as the result of fuel combustion.
Emission Scopes
Categorization of emission types as Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3. Scope 1 emissions are
direct emissions and occur onsite or from sources that a company owns and controls (e.g.
the combustion of fuels, refrigerants, etc.). Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions that
result from the generation of purchased electricity, heat, or steam. Scope 3 emissions are
indirect emissions that a company has little control over, such as emissions within the
supply chain. For the purposes of this program, suppliers will measure and report only
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
Fleet vehicles
Vehicles which are owned or leased by your company for the purposes of product delivery,
corporate travel, or other business reasons. Vehicles in this category may include both
automobiles and airplanes.
Fugitive emissions
The exhaust gases produced by pressurized equipment due to leaks, commonly occurring
in certain industrial processes (e.g. HVAC refrigerants).
Purchased electricity
Electricity that is sourced by a third-party provider and purchased by the organization. For
example, power purchased from a utility.
Purchased steam
Steam that is generated by a third-party provider and then purchased by the organization.
Walmart Sustainability Index
In 2009, Walmart committed to leveraging its size and scale to help develop a global
Sustainability Index, a new retail standard for the 21st century. One goal is to improve the
7. Summit Brands Supplier Sustainability Initiative
sustainability of products sold at Walmart by creating a more transparent supply chain.
The Index uses a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess and track supplier
performance towards addressing the critical sustainability issues for consumer goods.
Waste diversion
Waste diversion is any solid waste that is diverted away from the landfill via recycling,
reuse, composting, or incineration. Total solid waste is generally made up of that waste
which cannot be diverted from the landfill and that which can.
Waste reduction and/or diversion improvement projects
Capital investment in an organization’s facilities that results in the creation of less waste or
an increase in the diversion rate from the waste-to-landfill stream. For example, the
creation of a composting program for the employee canteen that diverts food waste from
landfill. Some reduction and/or diversion projects may include human behavioral change
such as training employees to utilize recycling bins.
Water consumption
Water use for the technical goals of industry including steam generation, cooling, and the
development or washing of products.
Water discharged (sewage)
Wastewater that includes industrial contaminants or pollutants and is released back into
the environment by an organization.
Water efficiency projects
Capital investment in an organization’s facilities that results in an overall reduction in water
consumption and/or wastewater generation or a less water intensive production process.
For example, the installation of low flush toilets or urinals that do not require water for
operation. Some efficiency projects may include human behavioral change such as training
employees to turn off water sources when not in use.
Water recycled
Wastewater (effluent, sewage) that has been treated to remove certain impurities and is
reused in landscaping, irrigation, or to replenish groundwater aquifers.
