Jacobs Douwe Egberts

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

Plastic use and packaging waste
JDE demonstrates leading practice by setting a target to design 100 per cent of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. It discloses that 87% of its primary and secondary packaging abides by this target, and that 33% of its packaging comes from recycled materials. It still has an opportunity to improve by achieving 100% sustainable packaging across its operations.

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
JDE discloses a long-term sustainability strategy covering topics across environment, nutrition and social inclusion. However, the company has an opportunity to set targets in all of these dimensions and report against them.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
While JDE discloses that is has a Corporate Responsibility Governance Committee that reviews its materiality assessment and sustainability report, it has an opportunity to disclose its highest governance body’s remuneration policy regarding sustainability.

Stakeholder engagement
JDE discloses the outcomes of its stakeholder engagement and its integration into its sustainability strategy, which covers sustainability topics across environment, nutrition and social inclusion. The company has an opportunity to disclose its process for identifying its stakeholders.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
JDE has not set a target to reduce emissions but plans on releasing a new climate strategy by the end of 2021. While the company reports its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, no evidence is found that the company is reducing its emissions.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
JDE has a deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) target for all of its relevant high-risk commodities, and discloses the proportion of commodities that are DCF. However, while it discloses a map with sourcing regions, it has an opportunity to make clear what commodities are sourced from which regions.

Soil health and agrobiodiversity, and fertiliser and pesticide use
JDE is working to source 100 per cent responsibly sourced coffee, tea and palm oil by 2025. However, it is unclear whether this means it will abide by its responsible sourcing principles, which refer to soil health and fertiliser management.

Water use
JDE has a target to reduce water withdrawal across its operations and reports against this target. The company has an opportunity to demonstrate how it engages with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal in its supply chain.

Availability of healthy foods
JDE is working towards reducing sugar and saturated fat and ensuring compliance of all products to its Healthy Nutrition profile by 2025. It has an opportunity to undertake activities that contribute to increasing the production, quality or variety of healthy foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Clear and transparent labelling
JDE states that 100% of its product categories are covered and assessed for compliance with national product labelling requirements through the QMS. The company has an opportunity to provide nutritional information on key relevant nutrients through back-of-pack labels.

Responsible marketing
JDE does not disclose a responsible marketing policy, nor guidelines specific to marketing to children.

Child labour
While JDE prohibits child labour in its operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place.

Forced labour
JDE prohibits forced labour from its operations and supply chains, and indicates that suppliers shall not retain worker documents. However, it has an opportunity to disclose a commitment to respect workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining as well as specify that it does not interfere with workers seeking to exercise these rights.

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
JDE has 40 active projects with smallholders in 19 countries worldwide. It has reached over 380,000 smallholders directly since 2015, and has a target to reach 500,000 smallholders by 2025. The company can improve by demonstrating that it measures the outcomes and impact of its activities.

Jacobs Douwe Egberts provides a grievance mechanism for both its workers, as well as to external individuals and communities. While the company discloses the categories of stakeholders whose human rights may be affected by its activities, it does not disclose examples of any engagement activities. The company does not commit to respecting human rights, nor was evidence found regarding a due diligence process to identify salient human rights risks.

Jacobs Douwe Egberts publicly commits to the health and safety of all workers in its supply chain. The company also has a public expectation to require supply chain partners not to work more than the regular and overtime hours; however, this does not apply to its own workers. The company also discloses time-bound targets on gender equality and women’s empowerment. There are no public commitments to paying a living wage, nor does the company disclose the proportion of its workers by different diversity categories.

Jacobs Douwe Egberts publicly commits to protecting personal data and discloses its approach to data privacy. The company also prohibits bribery and corruption within its operations and supply chain, although it does not describe its process to identify its risks and impacts. The company does not disclose its approach to corporate tax, nor to lobbying and political engagement.