Our ESG analysis ranks 69 European food and beverage companies on their results to achieving sustainability transformation.

In order to provide a solid data driven information framework on sustainability practices, we analysed the main European companies that communicate their strategies and sustainability reports. Most are listed companies, which have the obligation to publish the non-financial statement (so-called DNF), but also there is a good percentage of companies (19%) that voluntarily make their sustainability data available.

The purpose of the analysis is to verify which European companies have the best sustainability results through the verification of data and comparison with other companies in the sector. It is therefore a study that has as its basic assumption the existence of data, communicated by companies and certified by independent third parties, which measure the results of sustainability strategies.

For this reason, we collected data from 69 European companies (12 in the restaurant sector, 14 in the beverage sector, 19 in the retail grocery sector and 24 in the food processing sector).

The size of the companies is very different: the largest are giants that in 2020 have a turnover of over 70 million Euro (Nestlè, Ahold Delhaize and Carrefour), while the smallest have a turnover of less than 150 million Euro (Morato Pane and Biogaia).

The methodology

The data collected was divided into three categories:

• 1. Environment (Envinronment – E), measurements relating to energy consumption, carbon emissions, water use and waste;
• 2. Social (S) data on recruitment, dismissals, security and gender equality;
• 3. Governance (G), transparency topics, the composition of supervisory bodies in terms of independence and respect for gender diversity and remuneration policies.

The data of each company were compared with the others in the sector, using comparable measurements that thus highlighted the companies with the best results and vice versa those that under-performed. The companies with superior performance has had a positive score and negative scores were given to companies that did not publish the relevant data.

The conclusions that derives are therefore based on the existence or not of data published by the companies and have an objective and quantitatively measurable nature, moreover it is a ranking of companies that takes into account the results obtained compared to those of the competitors in the sector.

The results

The companies with the highest sustainability score are: Norway’s Orkla in the food processing sector, French Pernod Ricard in the beverage sector, Austria’s Do&Co in the restaurant sector and Portugal’s Jeronimo Martins in the retail grocery sector.

Orkla is the best in class in its sector in terms of Governance, with high level of transparency, diversity and independence of the board. In the following chart, an extract of the full report with the data about the independency of the board composition in the sector.

Pernod Ricard, in the Beverage sector, is the best performer in terms of emissions. In the following chart, the data about the energy consumptions in the sector.

Do&Co is among the few companies (only 4 out of 12 ) in the Restaurant sector reporting the full scope of the GHG emissions (Scope 1+2+3). In the following chart, the data about the Total Carbon Intensity of the sector.

Jeronimo Martins is in the Retail Grocery sector, the overall best performer due to good transparency and good performance in the Social KPIs (diversity of workforce and managers). In the following table, the data of the Retail Grocery sector about the diversity.

Retail Grocery – Diversity

For further information, please contact us at: team@ekuota.com

Disclaimer: although the information contained in this document is believed to be correct as at the time of publication (September 2021), no assurance can be given to you that this document is complete or accurate in the light of information that may become available after this publication.