Darling Ingredients has been recognized by Morningstar Sustainalytics as an ESG Industry Top Rated company in 2023. As of March 2023, Darling Ingredients received an ESG Risk Rating of 20.6, placing the company in the top 4th percentile in the Food Products industry and top 2nd percentile in the Packaged Foods subindustry, as assessed by Sustainalytics.
Morningstar Sustainalytics' ESG Risk Ratings measure a company's exposure to industry-specific material ESG risks and how well a company is managing those risks. This multi-dimensional way of measuring ESG risk combines the concepts of management and exposure to arrive at an assessment of ESG risk (i.e. A total unmanaged ESG risk score or the ESG Risk Rating) that is comparable across all industries. Sustainalytics' ESG Risk Ratings provide a quantitative measure of unmanaged ESG risk and distinguish between five levels of risk: negligible, low, medium, high and severe.
"As a company, we take our ESG responsibilities very seriously, and we are pleased that our efforts are being recognized," said Randall C. Stuewe, chairman and CEO of Darling Ingredients. "Our value proposition is simple, we eliminate waste from the meat industry and upcycle those products to their highest value. Sustainability is at the core of our business and we are committed to continuously improving our ESG performance–not just to meet the expectations of our stakeholders, but because we believe it is the right thing to do."
Darling Ingredients repurposes edible by-products and food waste into sustainable products, and it is a leading producer of renewable energy. It is the largest publicly traded company that takes the 50 percent of the animal that does not make it to the dinner plate and turns it into valuable ingredients. Darling Ingredients creates food ingredients that are used to make gelatin capsules for pills, thickeners for foods and collagen peptides for health and nutrition. The company sells ingredients to companies that make feed for pets and livestock like swine, cattle, poultry and fish. And if it cannot be fed to a human or an animal, Darling Ingredients takes those materials and makes green energy.
"We are thrilled to be recognized as an ESG Industry Top Rated company in 2023 by Sustainalytics," said Suann Guthrie, senior vice president of Investor Relations, Sustainability & Communications. "Where others often see waste, we see opportunity–for both our shareholders and the planet. This rating is a testament to our commitment to sustainability, responsible business practices and strong governance."
Darling Ingredients' commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues starts at the top with its board of directors and senior leadership and is embedded throughout the organization. The company has committed to setting science-based targets, in line with its long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions from its operations by 2050. Details on Darling Ingredients' ESG commitments are outlined at darlingii.com/sustainability.
