National Co+op Grocers and Climate Collaborative to Recognize Exemplary Leadership on Climate Change

At the first-ever Climate Day event held at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California on March 8, National Co op Grocers (NCG) joined with the newly formed Climate Collaborative to announce a cutting-edge awards program for natural products companies that are demonstrating exemplary leadership on climate change.

“As environmentalist Paul Hawken told us during Climate Day, the data shows that food production and agriculture are major sources of climate-warming greenhouse gases,” said Nancy Hirshberg of the Climate Collaborative. “This means that our community of thoughtful, engaged leaders is especially well positioned to work together to be a powerful force in reversing climate change; just as we have worked together on so many other issues important to consumers and our world.”

The “National Co op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards” will be presented for the first time in 2018 to companies that commit to at least three of the nine Climate Collaborative areas of climate action and that expand the boundaries of current industry practices by taking innovative and meaningful action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in at least one commitment area.

The awards selection committee will consider manufacturers, distributors, brokers, suppliers and/or service providers in three categories: emerging (under $10M in revenue), mid-sized ($10M-$100M) and large (over $100M) companies. Climate Collaborative will support all companies that make commitments by providing resources, peer networking and opportunities to report on progress. In addition to choosing winners in these categories, the Climate Collaborative selection committee will also recognize outstanding climate action among retailers.

“The National Co op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards will shine the spotlight on companies that are leading the way on best practices to help reverse climate change,” continued Hirshberg. “Importantly, these awards provide a platform to share successful innovations, inspiring hope and continued action within our industry and beyond.”

NCG contributed $100,000 in 2016 to help launch Climate Collaborative and is an underwriter of the awards program. Officially launched with Climate Day at Expo West, Climate Collaborative is a new initiative within the natural foods industry bringing concerned companies together to take bold, meaningful action to reverse climate change.

“Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the business community,” said Robynn Shrader, NCG’s Chief Executive Officer. “We know that businesses, including NCG, can and must do more. The Climate Collaborative is the unifying force that will engage and inspire the natural products industry to lead the way on behalf of consumers. We invite and encourage others to join us in this effort.”

NCG has made Climate Collaborative commitments in the areas of policy, agriculture and food waste. Additionally, since 2012, NCG has been offsetting a portion of its own greenhouse gases by funding and growing a Co op Forest in the Peruvian Amazon.