The list of companies taking a stand with Climate Collaborative against climate change in their business practices grows larger and larger every year. Among these companies, eight are being specially recognized and awarded this year with the National Co+op Grocers (NCG) Climate Collaborative Award. On March 7 at Natural Products Expo West, the largest natural products industry trade show, these eight award recipients were announced.
“Our industry’s moment to work in close unity to reverse climate change is here, and we applaud the 2018 award winners for leading the way,” said Chief Executive Officer, National Co+op Grocers, Robynn Shrader, on the progress of these companies.
Each of the awarded companies were nominated by their peers for expanding their business boundaries in at least one of nine areas that the Climate Collaborative has identified as having potential to slow or reverse the effects of climate change.
The awards are focused around nine areas in agriculture (carbon farming), increasing energy efficiency, reducing food waste, eliminating commodity-driven deforestation, reducing the climate impact of packaging, advocating for responsible policies, committing to 100 percent renewable power, reducing short-lived climate pollutant emissions and transportation-related emissions.
The eight companies were awarded through three different categories: Outstanding Company, Influencer, or Outstanding Value Chain Engagement. Here are the 2018 National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative Award recipients:
Outstanding Company Award Recipients
• Alter Eco, a company that specializes in chocolate and granola snacks, received this award for developing a scalable agroforestry model that is able to regenerate farmlands and compensates for carbon emissions.
• Community Food Co-op (WA) was voted the best grocery store in Bellingham, Washington three years running. They are being recognized for improving energy efficiency in retail groceries, which fosters resilient farming communities.
• Organic Valley, one of the largest organic companies in America, has implemented a community solar program to help Wisconsin residents increase their solar energy use by 15 percent.
• Veritable Vegetable, an organic produce distributor, is being awarded for its successful approach to reducing emissions throughout its fleet and warehouse.
Outstanding Value Chain Engagement Award Recipients
• Guayaki is responsible for creating a beverage that reduces your carbon footprint by sequestering more carbon than they emit making the product. They have received this award for their work maintaining a carbon-positive footprint for 22 years and counting.
• Lotus Foods has been awarded for their many years of work educating their workers and customers on the benefits of System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an ecological rice production method.
Outstanding Influencer Award Recipients
• Albert Straus, founder of Straus Family Creamery, has been recognized by the NCG for his constant leadership in developing a carbon-positive reality for organic dairy farming, including creating the first electric truck powered entirely by cow manure.
• Clif Bar & Company is one of the biggest business leaders in environmentally positive business practices, reducing their carbon footprint t every chance they get. They are a receipt of this award for their constant support of organic research, and for providing renewable energy consulting to other businesses.
In honor of Climate Day, these awards are designed to celebrate companies that have made huge advances in environmentally positive business practices, as well as inspire others to follow their leadership.
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