Lindt & Sprüngli publishes 2021 Sustainability Report and adds cocoa butter to its Farming Program

In its 2021 Sustainability Report, Lindt & Sprüngli highlights progress towards the Group’s sustainability strategy for creating long-term added value for society, the environment, and the economy. The 12th report has been prepared with reference to the GRI Standards 2021, a leading global standard for sustainability reporting.

Lindt & Sprüngli’s commitment for a better tomorrow – Highlights 2021

Expansion of the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program to seven cocoa countries of origin

In 2021, more than 91,000 farmers participated in the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program (2020: 80,000) and since 2020, 100% of cocoa beans have been sourced through the Program. As of 2021, 64% of the cocoa beans equivalent (beans, butter, powder, and chocolate) have been sourced through sustainability programs. In the reporting year, Lindt & Sprüngli extended the Program to cocoa butter and added two origin countries. Today, the Program covers seven countries of origin. With the
Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program, the Group aims to create decent and resilient livelihoods for cocoa farmers, their families, and communities. Find more information on the Farming Program Website.

Lindt & Sprüngli’s approach to addressing child labor in cocoa

Lindt & Sprüngli considers tackling child labor a priority. The Group’s goal is that 100% of cocoa from child labor risk countries[1] will be sourced from farming households covered by a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) by 2025. A CLMRS includes training and awareness-raising for farming households and community members, as well as monitoring and remediation of child labor. As part of the CLMRS, Lindt & Sprüngli completed an external stakeholder review of its Community Child Protection System (CCPS) implementation guidance document in 2021, developed a monitoring and reporting methodology, and began capacity building of Program staff at the supplier level. The CCPS guidance document provides clear guidelines to cocoa suppliers and a framework for individual case management as well as systemic preventive measures. In addition, the Group recently became an official member of the Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF). CLEF is an innovative public-private partnership focused on scaling investments to systematically improve access to quality education. Scaling education is an essential tool to promote children’s rights and combat child labor.

“Access to quality education for all children is at the heart of a holistic child protection concept. Through our new membership in the CLEF initiative, public and private stakeholders jointly invest into the education system to collaboratively contribute to creating a better future for the children of cocoa farmers and with the aim to prevent child labor at the landscape level,” says Martin Hug, CFO Lindt & Sprüngli Group.

Progress towards robust climate targets

Lindt & Sprüngli plans to announce its Science Based Targets (SBT) in 2023. Therefore, the Group developed its first complete carbon footprint in partnership with third-party experts covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in line with the GHG Protocol standards in 2021. The Group’s total GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3) reached 3.11 million tons CO2 equivalent in 2020. Emissions from the value chain (Scope 3) represent about 94% of the Group’s carbon footprint: cocoa, other raw materials (such as dairy), transport and packaging being the biggest contributors. The remaining 6% are direct (Scope 1) and indirect emissions (Scope 2) mainly from the production of chocolate within Lindt & Sprüngli’s own factories. Taking this carbon footprint as a starting point, the Group will work on its decarbonization roadmap and identify potential actions to reduce its emissions.

“Climate change has the potential to exacerbate social conflicts and challenge agricultural production of raw materials. Our first complete carbon footprint has revealed that our greatest leverage to limit climate change is in our value chain, namely in sourcing cocoa and other raw materials, as well as in transportation and packaging initiatives. This is an important guiding principle when implementing changes in our organization to drive emissions reduction actions,” commented Dieter Weisskopf, CEO Lindt & Sprüngli Group.
 

Please find detailed information on our commitments, progress and achievements here:
 

Lindt & Sprüngli Sustainability Report 2021

^[1] Lindt & Sprüngli considers Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea as child labor risk countries in its cocoa supply chain.

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About Lindt & Sprüngli
Lindt & Sprüngli has been enchanting the world with chocolate for over 175 years. The traditional Swiss company with its roots in Zurich is a global leader in the premium chocolate sector. Today, Lindt & Sprüngli produces quality chocolates at its 11 factories in Europe and the USA. Our products are sold by 32 subsidiaries and regional offices, in around 500 of its own shops, as well as via a network of more than 100 independent distributors around the globe. With more than 14,000 employees, the Lindt & Sprüngli Group reported sales of CHF 4.59 billion in 2021. High-quality cocoa beans are the heart of our chocolates. We, at Lindt & Sprüngli, take on responsibility from the selection of the cocoa beans to the production of the finished chocolate products – from “bean to bar”. That is why we initiated in 2008 our own sustainability program: the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. The goal of the Program is to create decent and resilient livelihoods for todays and future cocoa farmers, their families, and communities.