Thai Union Group Commits to Ocean Breakthroughs and Transforming Food Systems Initiatives
Adam Brennan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Thai Union Group (far left), joined a panel discussion discussing the importance of protecting the world’s oceans, which also included Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean at United Nations (8th from left), and H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion fo COP28 (10th from left).
DUBAI – December 12, 2023 - Thai Union Group, the world’s seafood leader, has become a signatory to two ambitious global environmental initiatives - Ocean Breakthroughs and Transforming our Food Systems – at the UN Climate Conference in Dubai, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to sustainable practices and responsible stewardship of the planet’s resources.
“Thai Union's support of these critical calls to action marks a significant milestone in our sustainability journey," said Adam Brennan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Thai Union Group. "These initiatives represent an important step in addressing two of the most pressing environmental challenges facing our planet, and becoming a signatory underscores Thai Union’s commitment to playing a leading role towards a more sustainable and resilient future.”
The Ocean Breakthroughs initiative, spearheaded by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, aims to harness the ocean's potential to contribute up to 35 percent of the required GHG emissions reductions by 2050. Signatories to Ocean Breakthroughs call on all governments by 2030 to develop and implement Sustainable Ocean Plans, a framework for ocean-related governance which outlines policies and mechanisms that allow for the sustainable utilization of the ocean’s resources. The plans foster cooperation among ocean users and balance climate considerations, marine ecosystem protection, and economic development.
The Transforming our Food Systems initiative calls for a resilient, fair, and sustainable transformation of food systems. It addresses the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable practices in global food and agriculture. The initiative seeks to ensure food and nutrition security while reducing the environmental impact of food systems.
Thai Union Group Chief Sustainabilty Officer Adam Brennan, second from left, on a panel discussion at COP28 on the importance of protecting the world’s oceans.
“These commitments are also in line with Thai Union's vision of a sustainable future where the ocean continues to be a source of life and livelihood for millions of people around the world,” said Brennan. “Through our SeaChange® 2030 sustainability strategy, we aim to contribute significantly to global efforts in combating climate change and promoting sustainable food systems. It is a responsibility we take seriously as a leader in the seafood industry.”
SeaChange® 2030 strategy includes 11 interconnected goals that will drive global impact for both people and planet, while actively supporting the delivery of 10 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The goals include a 42 percent reduction to Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050; a THB 250 million (more than USD 7 million) investment towards the protection and restoration of critical ecosystems; ensuring 100 percent of branded ambient products meet nutritional guidelines and 100 percent of new ambient products drive positive nutrition; and ensuring that 100 percent of soy and palm oil will be certified and there is zero deforestation across Thai Union’s supply chain.
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About Thai Union
Thai Union Group PCL is the world's seafood leader, bringing high quality, healthy, tasty and innovative seafood products to customers across the world for 46 years.
Today, Thai Union is regarded as one of the world's leading seafood producers and is one of the largest producers of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 155.6 billion (US$ 4.4 billion) and a global workforce of more than 44,000 people who are dedicated to pioneering sustainable, innovative seafood products.
The Company’s global brand portfolio includes market-leading international brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, Hawesta, and Rügen Fisch, Thai-leading brands SEALECT, Fisho, Qfresh, Monori, OMG Meat, Bellotta and Marvo, and ingredient and supplement brands UniQ®BONE, UniQ®DHA and ZEAvita.
With a commitment to “Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans,” Thai Union is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a founding participating company of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), and current Chair of Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS).
Thai Union's ongoing leadership in sustainability has been taken to the next level with the announcement of SeaChange® 2030, the Company’s expanded sustainability strategy with more ambitious goals for people and planet. Through SeaChange®, the Company was recognized and listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the ninth consecutive year in 2022, and ranked number one on the Food Products Industry Index of the DJSI, a position it previously held in 2018 and 2019. The Company was ranked number one on the Seafood Stewardship Index (SSI) in 2023, listed in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 after being ranked in the top 1% of more than 7,800 companies assessed, and also named to the FTSE4Good Emerging Index for the seventh straight year in 2022. Find out more about the Group’s sustainability strategy at seachangesustainability.org.
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