Net Zero Carbon in Our Operations
We aim to build a supply chain that keeps the planet at the heart of our efforts and contributes to reversing climate change. By 2030, we aim to source 100% of energy for our processing facilities from renewable sources, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our own operations by 50% and work with our partners to reduce GHG emissions across the value chain.
The Why
CO2 emissions have created an energy imbalance that is causing the world’s temperature to rise. Food production accounts for around one quarter of the world’s emissions and, of those, one-quarter comes from food that is never eaten.
Climate change is a significant threat for our company and our farmers’ livelihoods, which is why we have a responsibility to look at the way we do business and reduce the impact our operations have on the environment.
of the total carbon budget by 2050 will be from plastics
of global greenhouse gas emissions are from food waste
Switch
To renewable energy
We are committed to using electricity from renewable sources where we can. Targeting first how we power our operations, we are moving towards 100% renewable energy sources such as solar power across all our processing facilities by 2030. This includes building renewable energy generation plants that repurpose our fruit waste.
In 2021, we reached an overall total of 48% renewable energy use across our processing facilities. In Dole Philippines, we have already gone one step further and reached 100% and 80% renewable energy sourcing respectively for our cannery and agricultural operations.
Reduce
Carbon emissions in and beyond our operations
Beyond energy production, we need to tackle the other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. We are investing in biogas not only to power and heat our factories but to reduce emissions from waste. We aim to find carbon-efficient solutions to lower our emissions, from the fuel in our vehicles, the refrigerant for our storage to the fertilizer we use on our farms..
In the United States, we are doing this by maximizing our road transportation with a state-of-the-art monitoring system, which we estimate can reduce our truck transportation emissions by the equivalent of 462 tCO2e per year. In the Philippines, the first of two planned biogas plants is now generating steam and power for our Polomolok and Upper Valley facilities.
Engage
In regenerative agriculture
We are piloting regenerative farming practices that can prevent the degradation of our critical farmland. Improving soil health and biodiversity is central to growing good, nutritious produce, and our work will positively impact farmers, communities and our consumers.
We are piloting a 40-hectare regenerative agriculture farm in the Philippines to understand the impact of carbon sequestration and evaluate best practices in pineapple farming.
See how Dole is spreading Sunshine For All®
fossil fuel-free packaging
spent over the last 2 years in research and development projects with partners
