PepsiCo Canada Will Achieve 100 per cent Renewable Electricity Target in 2023 from Canadian Sources

The Transition Supports the Company's pep+ Sustainability Agenda and Clean Energy Goals

MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Every megawatt-hour of electricity used to make some of Canadians' favourite snacks and beverages – from Lay's, Doritos and Miss Vickie's to bubly, Gatorade and Pepsi – will soon be matched with renewable energy from Canadian sources. All of PepsiCo Canada's owned operations will leverage Canadian renewable energy, thanks to the company's commitment to purchase enough renewable energy (RE) to match 100 per cent of its operations starting in 2023. 

The Canadian operations transition will secure the benefits of more than 160,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity from renewable sources annually, equal to powering more than 14,000 Canadian homes per year.ⁱ In addition, the shift to sourcing renewable electricity will help offset the climate impacts of the company's electricity usage.

PepsiCo has set an ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, and Canada's shift to RE helps advance progress toward that global goal, with more than 70 per cent of PepsiCo's direct operations meeting its global electricity needs with renewable sources.

PepsiCo Canada will reach its target of matching its electricity consumption with 100 per cent RE this year through a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with a subsidiary of TransAlta for a new wind farm in Alberta and the purchase of Canadian Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs)  from other Canadian wind sources.ⁱⁱ The 12-year partnership with TransAlta includes the Hanna, Alberta-area Garden Plain Wind Project; a 14,000-acre plot of land that is expected to produce 130 megawatts (MW) of wind power per year. As the company transitions to more renewable energy sources, its diversified energy portfolio will aim to invest back into the Canadian market.

"We're incredibly proud to share that we're on track to achieve our goal of sourcing 100 per cent renewable electricity," said Chris Johnson, National Engineering and Sustainability Senior Manager, PepsiCo Canada. "This is just another step forward in our journey to build a more sustainable food system and ultimately, building a more circular economy in Canada with renewable electricity generated right in our own backyard."

For over 111 years, TransAlta has been a responsible and credible operator and a proud member of the communities where they operate. TransAlta is one of Canada's largest producers of wind power and Alberta's largest producer of hydroelectric power. TransAlta helps companies like PepsiCo Canada to reach their clean energy goals. 

"TransAlta congratulates PepsiCo Canada for making a significant commitment to renewable energy through our Garden Plain Wind Project," said Ross Piché, Vice President, Projects & Construction, TransAlta. "We are excited to partner with them to deliver a customized, sustainable, and reliable energy solution the company can rely on. The delivery of clean, renewable energy supports PepsiCo Canada's sustainability goals while providing renewable electric energy to the region."

This comes at an exciting time for PepsiCo, as the company recently announced the opening of an industry-leading R&D Greenhouse Learning Center, a key milestone against its goal to have 100 per cent of packaging be completely recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable.  

Furthering the company's PepsiCo Positive (pep+) journey, PepsiCo Canada will begin to replace plastic drink carriers with cardboard carriers and pilot electric fleet vehicles in Canada later this year. In addition, its direct operations are on track to achieve nearly zero waste to landfills in direct operations in 2023.

PepsiCo Canada is the country's largest food and beverage company, employing over 11,000 Canadians and operating over 96 manufacturing and distribution facilities across the country.  The company is organized into two business units: PepsiCo Beverages Canada and PepsiCo Foods Canada. PepsiCo Beverages Canada includes brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade, and Aquafina.  PepsiCo Foods Canada is comprised of Frito Lay Canada (which includes brands such as the Lay's, Doritos, and Tostitos brands) and Quaker (which includes brands such as Quaker Chewy, Life, and Harvest Crunch). PepsiCo Canada, in turn, is part of the global PepsiCo, Inc., family. 

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated?more than $86 billion?in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than?$1 billion?each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit?www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with clean, affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada's largest producers of wind power and Alberta's largest producer of hydro-electric power. For over 111 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its climate change strategy with CDP (formerly Climate Disclosure Project) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 68 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 22 million tonnes since 2015 and has received scores of A- from CDP and A from MSCI.

SOURCE PepsiCo Canada

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