Alimentation Couche-Tard

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
In its 2020 Sustainability Report, the company has identified four sustainability priorities through the use of a materiality matrix. These priorities are “fuel, energy use, packaging and waste and health and safety.” The company has set time-bound targets against these priorities. Indeed the company has assigned a sponsor for each of its four priorities and set medium term targets for 2025 and long term aims for 2030. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by setting targets that cover all three benchmark dimensions (environment, nutrition and social inclusion).

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
The company assigns responsibility and accountability for its sustainable development strategy to its highest governance body. The company discloses that the global Sustainability Steering Committee, which is supported by the Sustainability Core Team, report to the Board of Directors. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by linking board-level remuneration to the achievement of sustainability objectives.

Stakeholder engagement
The company only discloses undertaking stakeholder engagement as part of its materiality process. The company could improve its performance by disclosing a separate stakeholder engagement process that covers topics across the three benchmark dimensions. Disclosure on this separate stakeholder engagement process should cover how relevant stakeholders are identified, the channels through which stakeholders are engaged and how the outcomes of stakeholder engagement are integrated into the company’s sustainability strategy.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
The company has set a time-bound target that 30% of its sites will be operating as carbon neutral by 2030. The company has the opportunity to improve its performance by reporting against this target, and setting targets that include scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
The company has commitments to deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains for some of its relevant high risk commodities. For example, the company has a target to offer Rainforest Alliance certified coffee products in its stores in Europe and the US by 2021. Alimentation Couche-Tard has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets for achieving DCF supply chains for all of its relevant high-risk commodities and by reporting against this target through disclosing the proportion of its relevant high-risk commodities which are currently DCF.

Food loss and waste
While the company is addressing food loss and waste in its own operations, through its ‘Sell out program’ in Latvia and ‘Too Good To Go’ program in Norway which allows customers to buy food nearing the end of its shelf life at a discount, it has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by setting targets to reduce food loss and waste across its own operations and supply chain and reporting against these targets.

Plastic use and packaging waste
The company has set two time-bound targets in relation to plastic use and packaging waste. By 2025 the company is targeting an 20% increase in sustainable packaging for private brand consumable products (compared to a 2020 bassline). By 2030 the company is targeting that 100% of its own packaging is recyclable or reusable. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by reporting progress against these two targets.

Animal welfare
While the company discloses a time-bound target to “sell 100% cage-free eggs at our corporate stores by 2025” which it reports against, it does not disclose targets to address animal welfare issues for all key species across all geographies and products.

Antibiotics use and growth-promoting substances
The company does not disclose that it is reducing or prohibiting the prophylactic use of antibiotics and growth-promoting substances for aquatic and farm animals relevant to the company. It has an opportunity to disclose a commitment on antibiotics which addresses the topic across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Availability of healthy foods
The company discloses quantitative evidence of product reformulations to reduce quantities of fat and salt. For example in Norway, Alimentation Couch-Tard has reduced salt in its new hamburger buns by 75% and in its on-site bakery bread by 12%. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by setting targets to reduce the levels of salt, sugar, fat and increase the levels of fruit and vegetables, nuts, wholegrain in products.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment and activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups.

Clear and transparent labelling
The company does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Responsible marketing
While the company has a commitment to market its products responsibly, particularly to children, it has an opportunity to disclose evidence of activities promoting healthy foods.

Workforce nutrition
The company does not disclose sufficient evidence of having any workforce nutrition programmes.

Food safety
The company does not disclose evidence of ensuring safe food for consumers through compliance with national regulations or the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene. Furthermore while the company states that it ‘considers’ the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards it does not disclose that its facilities are certified by a GFSI-recognised scheme.

Child and forced labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child labour or forced labour in its operations and supply chain.

Living wage
The company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company does not disclose that it specifically recognises the health and safety risks to vulnerable groups, such as migrant and temporary labourers, women and young farmers.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
The company does not disclose a commitment or examples of activities to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers and fishers in its supply chain.

Land rights
The company does not commit to recognising and respecting the legitimate tenure rights related to the ownership and use of land of local communities.

Alimentation Couche-Tard has a commitment to respect human rights and has grievance mechanisms for both workers and external stakeholders to raise human rights issues. However, the company lacks disclosure of a due diligence process that identifies and assesses human rights risks in its own operations and supply chain. In addition it does not disclose on how it takes action on salient human rights risks.

Alimentation Couche–Tard has a commitment to respect the health and safety of workers. In addition the company discloses the rate of recordable and high consequence work related injuries but lacks disclose on the main types of work related injuries. The company has committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment however it does not disclose any time-bound targets on the topic. Moreover Alimentation Couche – Tard lacks disclosure on paying living wages, regulating working hours or supporting collective bargaining.

Alimentation Couche–Tard has a commitment to protect personal data, however its privacy statement only applies to the US and Canada. The company has a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption but does not disclose its tax strategy. Finally while the company has a publicly available policy statement prohibiting political contributions, it does not disclose its overall approach to lobbying and political engagement.