General Mills announced its commitment to champion development of water stewardship plans by 2025 for the company’s most material and at-risk watersheds in its global value chain.
The commitment is in recognition of World Water Day and in conjunction with the White House Water Summit.
As part of this commitment, the company will lead corporate collaboration efforts, foster development of foundational tools, and advocate science-based policy in these watersheds, commensurate with the gap in stewardship in each individual watershed.
“Water stress is, in many cases, the embodiment of climate change,” said John Church, the company’s executive VP of supply chain.
“We’ve already made a commitment to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 28%, and we see our water stewardship commitment as another way we can address our business risk created by climate change.”
According to the commitment, in watersheds where sound plans exist and are moving toward a sustainable future, General Mills will be a participant; and in watersheds where stewardship plans are needed, the company will take action to lead particularly in areas where the company has unique skills or scale.
Through General Mills’ partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Sustainable Conservation, the company is currently working in the Los Angeles River and San Joaquin River watersheds in California to support development of science and tools to promote sustainable groundwater management.
This work is in alignment with the objectives of the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
General Mills also supports watershed efforts in the Snake River Basin in Idaho, and the Rio Grande Watershed in New Mexico.
In 2014, the company enacted a corporate water policy which provides a solid framework that guides General Mills’ engagement with stakeholders to improve the health of watersheds, particularly those in high-risk regions where the company operates.
The water policy also underscores the work of General Mills and TNC, in seven of the company’s most material and most at-risk watersheds around the world.
In China, particularly in the Shanghai and Beijing areas where General Mills has facilities and sources ingredients, joint work is underway to better understand water risks and determine appropriate action.
