Sustainability commitment

Climate Positive

Our sustainability commitment is at the center of our Group mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature. We have always looked to nature as our partner and feel we need to do even more to drive change. Therefore, we are making a commitment to be net positive in our environmental impact – we will give back more than we use.

It’s not just about packaging – the scope is far broader than that. In our ambition to be climate positive we will consider the full impact from 'Farm to Fork'.

Focusing our efforts

Our sustainability strategy is based on our commitment to Planet, Products and People. We are implementing actions to become climate positive. Over the last few years, we have spoken to hundreds of partners to understand the impacts our operations have on the world, and are taking the right steps to achieve our sustainability commitment.

Read about our Materiality matrix

Our ambition

We want to make a positive difference, not only for our customers, consumers, partners, and employees, but for the planet as a whole.

Planet

Reduce our environmental footprint and give back to nature more of what we take.

Product

Conserve nature goodness through naturally healthy products

People

To positively contribute to the lives of the people who make Hero a success

Our sustainability pillars

1

Sustainable sourcing

We work in partnership with our suppliers on sustainable agriculture and fair labor conditions. We are also innovating to make our ingredient sourcing and packaging more sustainable.

2

Net neutral production

We are making our operations carbon neutral by conserving energy and water, reducing waste, switching to renewable energy, and balancing our footprint.

3

Naturally healthy food

Conserving nature's goodness via naturally healthy food. We will leverage our brands to educate and collaborate with consumers on a holistic diet good for us and for the planet. We will enhance our portfolio to give consumers more naturally healthy options – more of the good like nuts and whole grain and less of the bad like refined sugar and red meat.

4

Purposeful people

Growing and developing our people. Hero is a values-led family company, and that's reflected in our culture. We invest in training and development, and are committed to providing our people with what they need to thrive. Hero is an equal opportunity employer with programs in place that aim to make our workforce diverse and our workplaces inclusive and safe.

Sustainability Report 2022

Sustainability is not a trend – it’s about taking responsibility for our and future generations. Our Hero Group Annual Report 2022 integrates our GRI Sustainability Report, underlining our commitment and highlighting the path we have been on, our destination, and goal to give back more to the planet than we take. The Sustainability Report can be found starting page 183

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“Sustainability is key to future profitable growth and to achieve our goals for people and planet. We are implementing measurable initiatives to further embed sustainability across the Hero Group”

Christine Crosby

Sustainability Director Hero Group

Working behind the scenes to deliver on our commitment

Leopold Oetker

Shareholder and Member of the Hero Group Board of Directors, Sponsor of Sustainability

Leopold Oetker

Shareholder and Member of the Hero Group Board of Directors, Sponsor of Sustainability

Leopold Oetker joined the Hero Board of Directors in 2016. Since March 2019, he has been a member of the Hero Finance and Audit Committee.

Oetker successfully completed his studies in Culture Studies and History in Berlin and Copenhagen.

He undertook a two-year international business development traineeship at the Hero Group’s former partner Yildiz Holding, and worked at the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. He is involved in charitable work, helping underprivileged children in his hometown Berlin, Germany.

Oetker has taken an active role in formulating and promoting the Hero Group’s sustainability commitment to become net neutral.

Rob Versloot

Chief Executive Officer, Sustainability Executive Sponsor

Rob Versloot

Chief Executive Officer, Sustainability Executive Sponsor

Sebastian Portius

VP Product Development & Innovation, Lifecycle Assessment Lead

Sebastian Portius

VP Product Development & Innovation, Lifecycle Assessment Lead

Christine Crosby

Sustainability Director Hero Group

Christine Crosby

Sustainability Director Hero Group

Désiré Mouanga

Director Procurement Hero Group, Pillar 1 Lead

Désiré Mouanga

Director Procurement Hero Group, Pillar 1 Lead

Luisma Sanchez

Director Research & Nutrition Hero Group, Pillar 3 Lead

Luisma Sanchez

Director Research & Nutrition Hero Group, Pillar 3 Lead

Garmt Nieuwsma

Sustainability & Transformation Manager Hero Group, Core team

Garmt Nieuwsma

Sustainability & Transformation Manager Hero Group, Core team

Marleen van der Wende

Sustainability Manager Semper, Core team

Marleen van der Wende

Sustainability Manager Semper, Core team

Anne Ferbus

Chief People Officer Hero Group, Pillar 4 Lead

Anne Ferbus

Chief People Officer Hero Group, Pillar 4 Lead

Julia Schäfer

Sustainability Manager Hero Group, Core Team

Julia Schäfer

Sustainability Manager Hero Group, Core Team

Antonio Peran

Sustainability Data Analyst Hero Group, Core Team

Antonio Peran

Sustainability Data Analyst Hero Group, Core Team

Kyriakos Kasapidis

CFO Supply Chain Hero Group, Pillar 2 Lead

Kyriakos Kasapidis

CFO Supply Chain Hero Group, Pillar 2 Lead

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