Profile and key figures

Transcription

1 Naturally Sustainable Sustainability Report 2011

2 Profile and key figures Suiker Unie produces granulated sugar and develops sugar-based products. We sell our products mainly in northwest Europe. Suiker Unie is a member of Royal Cosun, a cooperative of about 9,000 sugar beet growers. They are the owners of Suiker Unie and also the suppliers of its raw material, the sugar beet. Suiker Unie operates four factories in the Netherlands: two sugar factories in Dinteloord and Hoogkerk, and two factories in Puttershoek and Roosendaal that produce sugar specialities such as soft sugar, icing sugar and syrups. Suiker Unie s head office is located at the sugar factory in Dinteloord. Suiker Unie has a third sugar factory in Anklam, in the northeast of Germany. In addition to granulated sugar it manufactures bio-ethanol. The beet harvest was substantial in 2011 and the campaign ran very smoothly. At 13.6 tonnes per hectare, the sugar yield was the highest ever bar 2009 (2009: 14.0 tonnes/ha). In total, the factories in the Netherlands processed 5.9 million tonnes of beet into one million tonnes of sugar. In Germany, nearly 1.4 million tonnes of beet were processed into 172,000 tonnes of sugar. Thanks in part to the favourable weather conditions, the beet could be processed quickly and the campaign was shorter than planned. Energy consumption per tonne of sugar was accordingly lower. Financial Turnover ( 1,000,000) 770 Investments ( 1,000,000) 51 Ecological Netherlands Sugar production (tonnes x 1,000) Anklam Cane sugar processed (tonnes x 1,000) 30 0 Sugar carbon footprint (kg CO 2 eq / tonne of sugar) 480 Not yet known Energy (kwh / tonne of sugar) Groundwater and tapwater (m 3 x 1,000) Social Number of permanent employees Number of lost-time accidents 5 5 * Note: This Sustainability Report relates to the locations in the Netherlands. For the sake of completeness, figures on the sugar factory in Anklam are stated separately. For more information, see:

3 Permanent development Anklam in Suiker Unie will then be the largest supplier of green gas in the Netherlands. We are exceedingly proud of this important step to becoming a more sustainable business. The continued growth in the size and prosperity of the world population is increasing demand not only for food but also for energy and raw materials. Across the world, however, they are becoming scarcer. The biobased economy is an important response to this dilemma. In it, fossil sources are replaced with green raw materials, for example in biofuels and bioplastics. Sugar beet can make a significant contribution to the biobased economy. Beet will remain the main source of our sugar and sugar products, of course, but we want to get far more out of them. In addition to producing sugar and animal feed products, Suiker Unie intends to extract even more value from the beet, for example by producing bio-energy. A good example of this is our first biomass digester, which came on stream in Dinteloord in Similar digesters will come into operation in Vierverlaten and But this is only just the beginning for Suiker Unie intends to extract even more valuable substances green chemicals from the beet, including the raw materials for bioplastics. Suiker Unie is developing specialised knowledge and competences for the biobased economy. We are working with educational institutions on many fronts. Our ultimate ambition our mission is to extract all the valuable components from the sugar beet. The biobased economy offers many opportunities. Despite the uncertain outlook for the European sugar market, Suiker Unie has identified significant opportunities for the years ahead: opportunities that hold out the prospect of a bright and sustainable future. Albert Markusse Managing Director, Suiker Unie

4 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Mission & Vision Mission Suiker Unie s mission is to be the best at maximising the value and sustainability of all components of the sugar beet for its customers, growers and staff. Vision Suiker Unie is working with its growers and partners towards a better future. We are doing so by continuously improving the local growth and production of food and other useful materials from sugar beet, with respect for people and planet. To Suiker Unie, a better future entails: Climate control and the closure of mineral cycles in combination with the biobased economy. In the longer term, products based on fossil oil will be replaced with products made from renewable materials produced, for example, at local farms. Food security instead of food shortage. Higher yields per hectare so that scarce raw materials can be used for food, energy and chemicals. Goals We are working hard on lowering our emissions and energy consumption and making more efficient use of fertilisers and pesticides to grow sugar beet. Production of renewable energy in the form of green gas is a key goal. Plant & Planet Suiker Unie s sustainability policy is underpinned by four pillars: Chain Responsibility, Climate & Energy, Natural and Social Engagement. These pillars come together in our Plant & Planet sustainability programme, which embraces all of Suiker Unie s sustainability initiatives. >20 million m³ of green gas in % 50% reduction in energy consumption and associated sugar production emissions during the term to achieve the European goals under the Kyoto protocol ( ). >30% CO 2 emission reduction from sugar transport by 2014 relative to the Lean & Green reference year of

5 Chain Responsibility Climate & Energy Suiker Unie seeks the Natural Sugar, a natural Social Engagement Suiker Unie is an right balance between product made from Our social engagement advocate of quality and sustainability and sugar beet and sugar is closely related to the sustainability throughout profitability in all aspects cane, is an excellent cooperative structure the value chain: from of its operations. We treat source of energy. It is of our business. Suiker growing the sugar beet by our natural raw materials an important part of a Unie is known as a good our farmers to delivering with the greatest of healthy and varied diet employer that recognises the sugar and other care and constantly and an active lifestyle. the importance of the products to our customers. and successfully take We inform consumers personal development We work with our partners measures to reduce our about the properties and health and safety in the chain and respect energy consumption, of sugar through the of our employees. We the interests of other work more efficiently and Van Gilse brand. Suiker also carry out national stakeholders. We give reduce our emissions. Unie also works to and international social high priority to customer We are helping to make guarantee the future of projects on themes that service, the continuity a better environment by sugar beet growing in draw on our professional of beet growing and the increasing the availability the Netherlands. Sugar competences. sustainability of our of renewable fuels in beet are important production and logistics the form of green gas for biodiversity in the processes. and green electricity farming industry. generated from vegetable residual flows from the sugar production. 5

6 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie ISO Embedding the sustainability policy The Board of Suiker Unie sets the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and goals. The CSR steering group is made up of various departments and is chaired by the Research & Development director. It meets about 12 times a year to discuss sustainability issues and implement the Championship Programme for the implementation of ISO The R&D director is also a member of the Cosun-wide CSR platform. ISO Suiker Unie launched the Championship Programme in 2011 in order to implement ISO ISO is a worldwide standard for organisations to embed CSR in their organisations. It comprises CSR standards, values and priorities and guidance on how to secure CSR in the operations. ISO has seven core subjects and associated issues. We are studying which issues are relevant and significant to us. The Prevention of Pollution issue, for example, covers atmospheric emissions such as odour, dust and noise. We will then determine what has already been done in each of the seven core subjects, what initiatives are still ongoing and where we can make improvements. Stakeholder dialogue In accordance with the ISO Championship Programme, we improved the structured dialogue with our stakeholders in Our stakeholders include customers, growers, staff, suppliers, industry associations, NGOs and public authorities. We identified the CSR issues in each of ISO s core subjects that are of importance to each type of stakeholder. Suiker Unie uses the dialogue to improve the match between CSR interests and its stakeholders. Hans Kröder, international ISO expert, is advising Suiker Unie on the programme: Suiker Unie is already doing a lot in the field of CSR. It is now time for Suiker Unie to show what they are doing. Suiker Unie can save even more energy in the value chain between growers and customers. Suiker Unie is also on the eve of the biobased economy and has everything to gain. 6

7 Esther de Lange, Member of the European Parliament Economy and ecology, two sides of the same coin Esther de Lange (37) believes higher priority should be given to the strategic importance of food. She is a Christian Democrat (CDA) member of the European Parliament and a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development and Environmental Management Committees. Farmers have to earn a living. How can you let the economy and ecology reinforce each other? According to De Lange, the big challenge is to reform European agricultural policy. In answer to the question, she notes that food security has fallen completely off the agenda. That surprises me. Look at what is happening in China. It is still important that we grow a lot of our own food. What s more, society is demanding so much from farmers, from biodiversity to pretty landscapes. If they are to deliver, the European Commission must not micromanage. For example crop rotation, which is important for maintaining healthy soil. The average farmer already knows this because it produces higher yields. The economy and ecology are two sides of the same coin. De Lange thinks the sugar industry is taking important steps towards a more sustainable production. But she also notes that its customers, from industrial manufacturers to supermarket chains, are not keeping pace. Have the guts to say that the water consumption of sugar beet is far more sustainable than that of sugar cane. So if you want to produce sustainable chocolate, you should use local sugar, produced from sugar beet.

8 Chain Responsibility > 73,000 hectares of sugar beet and nearly six million tonnes of beet in the Netherlands.

9 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Chain Responsibility Suiker Unie makes efficient use of farmland, water, residual flows, raw materials, consumables and fuels. Chain integration, landscape conservation and cooperation with partners are at the heart of our policy. Our goals are to secure profitable and sustainable beet cultivation for the future and to continuously improve yields per hectare. We are seeking further improvements in cooperation with our artners in the chain. Chain Responsibility activities in 2011: Start of the construction of the new Nieuw Prinsenland Agro & Food Cluster at the sugar factory in Dinteloord. Launch of the National Action Plan to make beet growing more sustainable. Cosun concluded a Green Deal with the government for Suiker Unie to make maximum use of the digestate from the biomass fermentation and optimise the mineral cycle. Nieuw Prinsenland Agro & Food Cluster A new business park for enterprises in or related to the agro and food sector and the biobased economy is emerging next to the sugar factory in Dinteloord: Nieuw Prinsenland. The cluster will create more opportunities for profitable symbiosis and cooperation between businesses, including the sugar factory. Purified process water from the sugar factory, for example, will be treated so it can water the plants in the greenhouses. The first greenhouse started growing aubergines at the end of ,600 kg 17.0% sugar yield per hectare in 2011 beet sugar content in

10 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie The NAP: National Action Plan for sustainable beet Suiker Unie is working on a National Action Plan (NAP) to make beet growing even more sustainable. The European Union has set criteria for the NAP. Eight criteria must be satisfied by Crop registration must be properly organised and food safety must be ensured. Suiker Unie s Unitip growth management programme and 100% food safety certification already provide the right response to these demands. Growers must minimise their use of pesticides and herbicides by using beet varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests. If pesticides are nonetheless necessary, advisory systems must help the growers to select the most appropriate agent at the right time. To reduce the use of herbicides, lower doses of environmentally friendly agents must be used. Mechanical weeding must reduce their use even further. Appropriate use of alternative herbicides must prevent resistances. All agents will be tested for their environmental impact and safety. The choice of insecticide must also consider selectivity. Some agents are effective against, for example, aphids but do not harm their natural enemies, ladybirds. All agents will be tested for their environmental ìmpact and safety. The choice of insecticide must also consider selectivity. Green Deal Green Deals between businesses and the government foster sustainable initiatives. At present, too many initiatives are stymied by laws and rules. Cosun has concluded a Green Deal with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (ELI) for Suiker Unie to make maximum use of the biomass digester and optimise the mineral cycle. Barriers will be removed wherever possible so that the digestate can be used as an organic fertiliser. 10

11 Ad Backx, Environment and Health & Safety Manager, Suiker Unie Encourage co-generation Industry has a big part to play in solving the energy problem. Unfortunately, the authorities are ignoring the opportunities to encourage them, thinks Ad Backx, Environment and Health & Safety Manager at Suiker Unie. Encourage the use of co-generation. The Netherlands and the EU have set ambitious targets to save energy and produce renewable energy. Suiker Unie is successfully playing its part, says Ad Backx. We have already achieved more than double the European target of a 20% cut in energy consumption by 2020 relative to And the renewable energy we produce will satisfy between 15% and 18% of our total consumption. The European target for the Netherlands is 14% in Backx, who represents the food industry on the Environment, Energy and Sustainability Committee of the Confederation of Dutch Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), believes there are still promising opportunities. Factory-based co-generation plants have a very high energy efficiency rating, in our case 92% on average. We use both the electricity and the steam. The energy efficiency of power stations doesn t get above about 50%. But the government and the EU are letting the chances slip, Backx regretfully concludes. A business won t even be awarded CO 2 emission allowances for the co-generated electricity it consumes. Nevertheless, we will continue to argue the case for co-generation with the authorities and politicians.

12 Climate & Energy Suiker Unie will produce more than 20 million m 3 of green gas in the Netherlands, enough for 15,000 households.

13 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Climate & Energy Energy savings are high on the agenda at Suiker Unie. Natural gas is not only a source of emissions, it is also a significant cost item. Most energy is used to produce sugar, about 80% of our total consumption. This is where the greatest savings can be made. We are investing a great deal to reduce our energy consumption. And with success. In comparison with 1990, we have cut our energy consumption by 44%. Climate & Energy activities in 2011 The biomass digester in Dinteloord was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince of Orange on 8 November. The first pile was driven home for the biomass digester in Vierverlaten. A comprehensive Road Map study for the Multiyear Energy Efficiency Agreement was carried out with the goal of reducing energy consumption by 50% by beet trucks were replaced with lighter models and weighing units were fitted to 86 beet trucks to prevent overloading. We opened our own green gas truck filling station. Suiker Unie received a Lean and Green Award for its substantial cut in CO 2 emissions in the logistics for bulk sugar. Replacing water-cooled compressors with air-cooled compressors in Dinteloord reduced water consumption by 35,000 m 3 and energy consumption by 304,000 kwh per annum. Actual energy consumption per tonne of sugar was 937 kwh (excluding thick juice processing), comfortably below the target of 975 kwh per tonne of sugar. In comparison with 2010, NO X emissions per tonne of sugar were 3.8% higher. To prevent a further increase we will invest in low NO x burners in CO 2 emissions were 3.4% per tonne of sugar lower than in CO 2 Ambition At the request of the Brabant Environmental Federation (BMF) Suiker Unie took part in the CO 2 Ambition project launched by the provincial nature and environmental federations. The federations are working with businesses in ten provinces to reduce CO 2 emissions. The circumstances and potential at each business are studied to determine how the aggregate target of a 210 Ktonne CO 2 reduction can be achieved. The reduction is equal to the CO 2 emission caused by the gas and electricity consumption of 44,000 households. 7.0% 44% less water consumed per tonne of sugar in 2011 relative to 2010 energy saving per tonne of sugar in 2011 relative to

14 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Biomass digester Beet processing produces residual flows such as beet tops and leaves. Until recently, they were sent to a composter. This was inefficient on both financial and energy grounds. It is better to ferment them on site. Fermentation produces biogas and preserves all the valuable minerals in the residual material, the digestate. The digestate can be sold to farmers as a fertiliser thus closing the mineral cycle and maintaining the health of the soil. His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange officially opened the biomass digester at Suiker Unie s Dinteloord site on 8 November The digester will process more than 100,000 tonnes of vegetable residuals every year. Most will come from our own production processes but suitable residual flows such as potato peelings and vegetable waste, will also be sourced from other businesses. The Vierverlaten facility is also building a biomass digester. It will be almost identical to the one in Dinteloord and will come on stream in At full capacity, Suiker Unie s two digesters will produce more than 20 million m³ of green gas per annum in the Netherlands. Biogas from fermentation contains less methane than natural gas. It therefore has to be upgraded before it can be fed into the public natural gas network as green gas. Suiker Unie has also identified opportunities to ferment surplus beet pulp instead of drying it. Drying requires a great deal of energy whereas fermentation produces energy. 14

15 Logistics Overloading The beet are transported by more than 200 trucks. In 2009 Suiker Unie concluded a voluntary agreement with the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) to prevent overloading. To this end, we applied an investment grant to encourage the acquisition of 64 lighter trucks and 86 on-truck weighing units in 2010 and Driving on our own green gas Several vehicles in our fleet drive on green gas. They can fill up at our own biogas filling station. They emit 90% less CO 2 and NO x than diesel vehicles and 95% less soot. Furthermore, they are 70% quieter. Biogas is also cheaper and the vehicles require less maintenance because their engines wear less. Lean and Green Award Suiker Unie received the Lean and Green Award in This award is conferred on businesses that reduce CO 2 emissions in their logistics operations by 20% in five years. Suiker Unie, however, intends to go one better and reduce the emissions of its bulk sugar transport by more than 30%. Its action plan has been evaluated and approved by the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Since autumn 2011, Suiker Unie has been using three bulk trucks that drive on a mixture of natural gas and diesel. Their number will be increased in the years ahead. We will make more investments in the coming years to develop and use green gas for transportation. Blue Road: more transport by water Suiker Unie has signed a declaration of intent known as The Blue Road, a new industry scheme for inland shipping. Transporting bulk sugar by water cuts both CO 2 emissions and congestion on the roads. 15

16 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Biobased economy In the biobased economy, society is no longer reliant on fossil raw materials such as natural gas and oil but on renewable resources such as biomass. This is more sustainable because biomass is constantly available. In net terms, its use, unlike that of oil and natural gas, does not produce any additional CO 2. In the biobased economy the entire sugar beet plant is a source of biomass. This offers enormous opportunities for products other than sugar. We are already working on bioplastics produced from thick juice, fibres from beet pulp, protein from beet leaves and green gas from beet tops and tails. The biobased economy requires far-reaching cooperation between sectors that currently operate separately: agrofood, chemicals, pharma, horticulture and energy. Together they will form the biobased production chain. As a supplier of biomass, Suiker Unie is at the beginning of the chain. We work very closely with educational institutions such as Avans University of Applied Sciences, HAS Den Bosch and the Wageningen University. Members of staff give guest lectures and Suiker Unie offers work placements and graduation assignments concerning the biobased economy. In a hundred years? The entire economy might be biobased by then. The transition might be slow but it is certain. Johan Raap is an environmental technologist at Cosun and a part-time lecturer in Biobased Energy at Avans University of Applied Sciences. 16

17 Aalt Dijkhuizen, President and Chairman of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Research Centre Biorefinery makes better use of plants Suiker Unie has taken an important step by producing bio-energy in its biomass digester. But it is only a first step, says Aalt Dijkhuizen, President and Chairman of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Research Centre. You can still extract many more useful ingredients from sugar beet. Producing energy is the least you can do with biomass. Most value is to be gained from ingredients for medicines. You can hit the jackpot with just one ingredient. Next are foods for people and animals, bioplastics, bulk chemicals and then fuel. Beet leaves, for example, contain proteins that would be great on a pizza. You can t build an industry on finding ingredients for pharmaceuticals alone. That s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You have to do it all. The answer is biorefinery, unravelling the green mass into components that currently take a lot of energy to produce chemically. What is in the plants? How do we get it out? And how do we put it back together again to make, for example, biodegradable plastic? The more accurately you can isolate the ingredients, the more you can use the residual material for other purposes as more refining techniques become available. Sugar beet are used now mainly to make sugar. We don t make use of the rest of the plant. But in 25 years we ll have a battery of machines that all get something out of the beet. At the end of the process there will at most be material that can be returned as fertiliser to the beet fields.

18 Natural Marathon and endurance runners on average need the energy provided by the sugar from one sugar beet every day.

19 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Natural Sugar, like other carbohydrates, is an excellent source of energy. It is an important part of a varied diet. Carbohydrate is the collective term for starch and sugars. It occurs naturally in all manner of products, such as bread, potatoes, cereals, fruits and vegetables. We use the energy they provide when we move. Suiker Unie provides information on the importance of a healthy and varied diet and an active lifestyle. Natural activities in 2011 The Dutch beet growers may supply beet only if they have a food safety certificate to guarantee that the plants are not grown on polluted land and that only authorised fertilisers and crop protection agents are used. All production sites have an ISO certificate for their Food Safety Management Systems. Various Van Gilse consumer packagings explain that sugar is a 100% natural product. To highlight the natural source of sugar, Suiker Unie s customer Campaign Day was held in the fields at the growers. In cooperation with the Dutch Sugar Foundation, the knowledge centre for sugar and nutrition, we organised conferences and seminars on the theme of sugar and nutrition. Together with growers for biodiversity The Brabant Environmental Federation (BMF) wants to raise the importance of biodiversity in the fields. The decline in biodiversity is a matter of concern, says Nol Verdaasdonk, the federation s managing director. How can we, together with the growers, manage land in rural areas so that it benefits flora and fauna? You can t do it by using every square centimetre for economic gain. You have to leave land for herb vegetation. 1 kg 1 kg the average weight of a sugar beet. It can be cm high and wide of sugar is produced from six sugar beet 19

20 Social Engagement Suiker Unie gives high priority to a good relationship with local residents.

21 Sustainability Report 2011 Suiker Unie Social Engagement In its pursuit of continuous improvement, Suiker Unie encourages its staff to develop their talents. Furthermore, it recognises the importance of their health and safety. They are the pivot of our organisation. We do so by actively entering into dialogue with them and taking measures to minimise inconvenience. Social Engagement activities in 2011 Various measures were taken to reduce inconvenience to local residents. In Dinteloord, the beet conveyor belt was soundproofed and embankments were built around the factory. In Vierverlaten, a traffic survey was carried out to reduce inconvenience from beet transport. Suiker Unie is active in the National Platform Rio+20. This network organisation is made up of participants from a variety of civil society organisations to pave the way for the transition to a green economy: The introduction of new consumer packagings for soft sugar will save 14,000 kg of foil every year. Van Gilse s new packaging for icing sugar, unlike the old one, is made from a single material that can be sorted as plastic waste. All Van Gilse s sugar cubes are now packed in FSC cardboard. Its kilo bags were already FSC certified. Free Nature manages land around the factory in Puttershoek on behalf of Suiker Unie. Free Nature restores natural areas in which nature is able to form itself. Helmets were made compulsory for all staff and visitors in and around the sugar factories. There were five accidents resulted in absence during the year, in comparison with 14 in Guest lectures Ad Backx, Environment Manager at Suiker Unie, gives guest lectures to higher vocational students: Suiker Unie is part of society and must have an open relationship with the government and education. I once gave the last lecture on a Friday afternoon. Some of the students already had their bags with them to go away for the weekend but they stayed and asked question after the lecture had finished. They must really like the guest lectures. And that is what s important. 2.9 training days on average per employee per annum 3.9% the rate of sick leave among Suiker Unie s employees 21

22 Nol Verdaasdonk of the Brabant Environmental Federation: Increase the organic content of the soil We found that Suiker Unie is reasonably sustainable, Verdaasdonk continues. Improvements could be made chiefly in the form of large-scale energy savings in the buildings and the processes. Suiker Unie has taken an important step towards reducing its CO 2 output and enhancing its energy management by taking a biomass digester into operation. The recycling concept at Nieuw Prinsenland is also a good point. But Suiker Unie could do even more. The Brabant Environmental Federation (BMF) has made agreements in 2012 with Suiker Unie on reducing its CO 2 emission by 7,000 tonnes. Suiker Unie is already doing a lot and there s a lot more in the pipeline, says Nol Verdaasdonk, managing director of the BMF. It s important to set challenges and that s what Suiker Unie has done. The sugar factory in Dinteloord had its CO 2 emissions and related energy consumption reviewed during the year. CO 2 also influences soil fertility. If we could increase the CO 2 content of soil throughout the world by 1%, we could largely resolve climate change. Organic residuals can be used to increase the organic content of the soil. Organic substances can lock up a lot of nutrients and carbon, taking it out of the atmosphere. So if we set up a project with Suiker Unie to increase the organic content of the soil, we could use its residual flows to tackle climate change and improve soil fertility.