Europe’s largest equal pay co-op shares Sustainability progress
Yorkshire-based equal-pay worker co-operative Suma Wholefoods has published its second annual Sustainability Impact Report. Suma’s report delves into the progress they made in 2024, the first year on record where the global average temperature passed the 1.5˚C warming limit set out in the Paris Agreement.
Highlights include a 3.6% reduction in their electricity use, sending 7.5 tonnes of food waste to anaerobic digestion, a robust updated Buying Policy strengthening their listing criteria and sustainable sourcing commitments, and a reduction in their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 3.7% compared to the previous year.
For 48 years, Suma has been dedicated to facing environmental concerns head-on, and they continue to operate with the long-term future in mind.
As a worker co-operative, Suma has maintained their policy of equal pay. Every worker receives an equal wage.
Other notable achievements include –
- Working with carbon consultants Carbon Footprint Ltd, Suma is now able to show their emissions forecast, allowing them to outline that their Net Zero long-term target is in line with a 1.5 degree warming scenario (SBTi aligned).
- Making a biogas pledge. After discovering that cheap, falsely labelled Biomethane production overseas has caused the price of sustainable BioMethane to rise, Suma decided to uphold their ethical values and commitment to sourcing sustainable fuel. They committed to the increased price premium for sustainable BioMethane.
- Their updated Buying Policy, which outlines Suma’s preferences for bringing in new products that follow the principles of reduce, re-use, and recycle to promote sustainable living. It also details their preference for working with suppliers who follow sustainable agricultural practices such as Organic, Regenerative Agriculture, and Biodynamic growing methods.
- Naturally, in the decent work category, Suma leads the way on gender equality and equal pay, as they already operate on 100% equal pay. With all workers paid the same, there are no pay gaps in sight.
Suma’s commitment to transparency is evident in their report. Ben Pearson, Suma’s Sustainability Coordinator, says ‘Despite a turbulent year, it has been encouraging to see the tangible results our actions are having in reducing our impact as we strive towards net zero. We are proud of the effort and collaboration across our teams to update our buying policy. As a wholesaler, our supply chain is critical to how we do business, and setting out our guidelines and standards is crucial for us to uphold our strong ethical values and continue sourcing responsibly.
Board member Kasia Breska said, “More than ever, our co-op’s commitment to sustainability focuses on how our business affects communities and ecosystems. We see it as part of our compliance, not just a nice-to-have. We’re thankful for all our dedicated workers, loyal customers, and wider network for their continued support.”
Rebecca Kinnard, a product developer, said: “It’s hard not to feel despair seeing the climate crisis play out in front of us now, so working on our report has been a real positive amongst the negative. By sharing our commitments and achievements, we hope to inspire more businesses and prove that operating sustainably isn’t just possible, it’s vital.”
Read the report at www.suma.coop/sustainability