METRO unveils its 2022-2026 Corporate Responsibility Plan

A third plan that builds on the company's approach

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 25, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - METRO today unveiled its 2022?2026 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Plan for its food and pharmacy activities. This third plan builds on METRO's CR approach initiated more than 10 years ago and reflects the business environment that has significantly evolved in this area over recent years.

The disclosure of the new 2022?2026 plan takes place in parallel with the release of the 2021 CR Report which concludes the 2016?2020 CR Plan, extended by one year in light of the events related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new roadmap is the expression of a rigorous and committed approach to continue integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into our business practices in order to create value for METRO and society.

"We are facing often complex ESG issues and well-informed and demanding stakeholders?consumers, employees, investors," said Eric La Flèche, President and CEO. "The ambitions we are pursuing in our 2022?2026 plan were determined within the broader context of global sustainable development and are driven by the commitment of our teams, of the management team and the support of our Board of Directors."

"With a decade of solid achievements and learnings, we are always determined to progress in our approach," stated Marie-Claude Bacon, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications. "Our CR governance structure is integrated into our corporate life, as well as management tools that allow us to measure our performance and report on our progress."

Working on significant issues

The selection of ESG issues at the heart of this new plan is based on a materiality assessment carried out through a desktop review of the company practices worldwide and the expectations of METRO's stakeholders. The exercise was conducted in accordance with internationally recognized sustainability standards.

Eight priorities have been identified: responsible procurement; equity, diversity and inclusion; climate change; health, nutrition and well-being; waste; food waste; packaging and printed materials; socioeconomic contribution.

METRO is committed to eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags by the end of 2022, to increase the number of women and people from culturally diverse backgrounds in management positions, to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37.5% by 2035 compared to 2020, to improve its diversion rate for its locations and reduce food waste.

See the 2022?2026 CR Plan and the 2021 CR Report. For more information on METRO's CR approach, visit metro.ca/responsibility.

About METRO inc.

With annual sales of $18 billion, METRO Inc. is a food and pharmacy leader in Québec and Ontario. Its purpose is to Nourish the health and well-being of our communities. As a retailer, franchisor, distributor, and manufacturer, the company operates or services a network of some 950 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as some 650 drugstores primarily under the Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Food Basics Pharmacy banners, providing employment to almost 90,000 people. For more details, visit corpo.metro.ca.

SOURCE METRO INC.