Sustainability commitment

Climate Positive
Our sustainability commitment is at the centre of our Group mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature. We have always looked to nature as our partner and feel we need to do even more to drive change. Therefore, we are making a commitment to be net positive in our environmental impact – we will give back more than we use.
It’s not just about packaging – the scope is far broader than that. In our ambition to be climate positive we will consider the full impact from “Farm to Fork”.

Focusing our efforts
Our sustainability strategy is based on our commitment to Planet, Products and People. We are implementing actions to become climate positive. Over the last few years, we have spoken to hundreds of partners to understand the impacts our operations have on the world, and are taking the right steps to achieve our sustainability commitment.

Our ambition
We want to make a positive difference, not only for our customers, consumers, partners, and employees, but for the planet as a whole.

Planet
To reduce our environmental footprint and give back to nature more than we take

Product
To conserve nature’s goodness via naturally healthy food

People
To positively contribute to the lives of the people who make Hero a success

Our Climate Pillars
Sustainable sourcing
Conserving raw materials, packaging and finished goods via strategic sustainable sourcing to ensure we have a positive impact on biodiversity, healthy soils, and local farms. We will need to do this in close partnership with our suppliers and farmers.
Net neutral production
Conserving natural resource is via carbon neutral production on all our products.
We will do this by reducing and optimizing our use of energy, water, and waste within our production facilities, but also work with our co-manufacturers to drive this ambition together.
Naturally healthy food
Conserving nature’s goodness via naturally healthy food. We will leverage our brands to educate and collaborate with consumers on a holistic diet good for us and for the planet. We will enhance our portfolio to give consumers more naturally healthy options – more of the good like nuts and whole grain and less of the bad like refined sugar and red meat.
Purposeful people
Growing and developing our people. Hero is a values-led, family company, and that’s reflected in our culture. We invest in training and development and are committed to providing our people with what they need to thrive. Hero is an equal opportunities employer with programs in place that aim to make our workforce diverse and our workplaces inclusive and safe.

Sustainability Report 2021
Sustainability is not a trend, it’s about taking responsibility for our and future generations.
Our first-ever Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability report for the Hero Group underlines this commitment and highlights the path we have been on, our destination, and goal to give back more to the planet than we take.


“ Sustainability is key to future profitable growth and to achieve our goals for people and planet. I look forward to implementing measurable initiatives to further embed sustainability in our business, brands and food system. ”

Christine Crosby - Sustainability Director Hero Group

Working behind the scenes to deliver on our commitment

Leopold Oetker
Shareholder Hero Group
Member Board of Directors
Sponsor of Sustainability

Rob Versloot
Chief Executive Officer
Sustainability Executive Sponsor

Witte van Cappellen
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Sustainability Executive Co-sponsor

Mita Sen
VP Strategy & Business Development
Hero Group

Sebastian Portius
VP Product Development & Innovation
Lifecycle Assessment Lead

Christine Crosby
Sustainability Director Hero Group
Sustainability Lead

Désiré Mouanga
Director Procurement Hero Group
Pillar 1 Lead

Luisma Sanchez
Director Research & Nutrition Hero Group
Pillar 3 Lead

Stephen Stones
Head of Technical & Sustainability
Core Team

Garmt Nieuwsma
Front End Innovation Scout
Research & Nutrition Hero Group
Core Team

Marleen van der Wende
Sustainability Manager
Semper
Core Team
