CSR 2022 snapshots from across the region

SEPROD

Seprod Foundation is the proud title sponsor of the Seprod Foundation Budding Farmers Grow Club in Jamaica that was officially launched in May of this year. This initiative, which was triggered by supply challenges during the pandemic, is aimed at promoting agriculture among Jamaicans and encouraging them to appreciate the importance of food security to the development of communities.

Seprod Limited (“Seprod”) is a food manufacturing, distribution and agribusiness group. Seprod was founded in 1940 and is a blue-chip company listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. Seprod represents leading global and regional principals and also has a significant manufacturing base spanning oils and margarine, wheat and corn milling, integrated dairy and biscuits and snacks.

Linking food production to food consumption is central to Seprod’s strategy to grow its food manufacturing and distribution business regionally as the Caribbean Community grapples with the notion of food insecurity.

At the 42nd Caribbean Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in July, The Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) deliberated on advancing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) food systems agenda. The Council was mandated to look at initiatives and programmes that will remove non-tariff barriers to intra-regional trade by rationalising several attendant issues including the approval of the Draft CARICOM Trade Policy for Animals and Animal Products. Also on COTED’s radar is accelerating the CARICOM agri-food systems agenda to address the current food security challenges and rising food prices; and to determine a pathway for CARICOM to achieve its 25 by 2025

Vision which is the reduction of its food import bill by 25 percent by the year 2025.

Seprod and other food manufacturers will continue to play an important role in ready access to food as CARICOM Ministers of Agriculture address the issue of intra-regional market access, market access from extra-regional sources, the role of private sector investment in agriculture, and issues pertaining to the Common External Tariff (CET).

Seprod’s Budding Farmers Grow Club programme aims to instill a love of agriculture in primary school students and to attract an increasing number of persons into farming and food production. This augurs well for regional food security.

A Budding Farmer is anyone who does not have any formal training in farming or agriculture but is willing to learn and to continue to grow. Budding Farmers participating in the Grow Club will learn about composting, planting from seeds and kitchen scraps, good insects vs. bad insects, organic pesticides, understanding how plants grow, understanding the importance of eating healthy and so much more.

The Seprod Foundation has been providing scholarships for over 30 years and more recently began to play a role in bringing innovative experiences to children in Jamaica. Major projects include the World Robot Olympiad, the Hour of Code, Jamaican Girls Coding, Scratch Day and professional development opportunities for teachers in technology. We have supported social interventions such as the National Youth Orchestra and Freedom Skatepark, providing opportunities for young people to engage with sport and music.

METHANEX

In its 2021 Sustainability Report which was released in April this year, Methanex Corporation, the world’s largest producer and supplier of methanol, shared a year of focused action on identified material environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas. “As a global leader in the methanol industry, we recognize that we have an opportunity and are well-positioned to actively participate in the transition to a low carbon economy,” said John Floren, President and CEO of Methanex. “In this year’s report you will read how we have deepened our understanding of the opportunities and the risks for methanol and our business as part of the energy transition.”

Highlights from Methanex’s 2021 Sustainability Report:

Committed to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emission intensity from manufacturing by 10% by 2030 from 2019 levels.

Demonstrated the best safety performance to date with a 60% reduction in recordable injuries from 2020.

Committed resources to pursue emissions reduction initiatives, including a feasibility study for carbon capture, utilization, and storage in North America, and technology research studies of a new conventional methanol plant design that could significantly reduce CO₂ emissions.

Pursuing green methanol offtakes and have the ability to produce green methanol at the Geismar site using renewable natural gas to supply the market as it develops.

Restarted construction on the 1.8 million tonne G3 project, an industry leading plant which will have one of the lowest CO₂ emissions intensity profiles in the industry.

Waterfront Shipping subsidiary completed the first-ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering operation at the Port of Rotterdam, demonstrating Methanex’s continued leadership in advancing methanol as a cleaner-burning marine fuel.

Established a Global Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council and a new senior role of Director, D&I to lead the development of Methanex’s D&I Strategy and the implementation of a 3-year D&I roadmap.

The company stated that “this year’s report represents another important step forward to enhance Methanex’s ESG disclosure as we align with elements of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), including board and management oversight of climate-related risks and management of these risks. The disclosures in the Report also continue to be aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”) reporting standards for the chemical and marine transportation sectors and some requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”).

SCOTIABANK

Scotiabank is a signatory to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and part of the global United Nations-led initiative to accelerate and support efforts to address climate change. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, the bank has focused its social agenda on agriculture and food security.

Here in T&T, Scotiabank sees agriculture as playing a key role in achieving the global goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The institution has teamed up with the The Sustainable Unemployment Reduction Efforts (SURE) Foundation to contribute to food sustainability via the distribution of seedlings amongst farmers and households in rural areas.

“The (SURE) Foundation was founded in 2010 and in the last year, 10,000 households in Southern Trinidad and numerous children’s and special needs homes across the country, established kitchen gardens and grow boxes as a direct result of a seedling distribution initiative, supported by the Scotia Foundation.”

The aim is to promote healthy choices, and importantly, to help reduce the food bill of households as a step change towards domestic

self-sufficiency. Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine have underscored the issue of food security and the importance of domestic supply – especially during periods of disruption or economic volatility.

In 2022, the Scotia Foundation is funding the distribution of 200,000 seedlings across additional households and Children’s Care Homes. Fruit trees will be added to the initiative at the children’s homes and SURE Foundation will also work with a targeted group of households this year to enhance their gardens in order to provide income for their families.

In a public statement, Scotiabank states that it “has been providing financial services to Canadian farms and agri-businesses for more than 185 years. From small family farms to large-scale producers and processors” in its commitment to serve those who feed the nation. Women in Agriculture also benefit from a $10 Billion commitment that Scotia has made to advance women owned businesses in Canada.

The organisation aims to be “a leading supplier of financial services to agriculture in Canada and increasingly to the global agricultural market.”

FIRSTCARIBBEAN

A minimum of USD $ 1 Million is allocated to communities across the Caribbean each year by the FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation. The Foundation is the governing body for the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to contribute meaningfully to the social health and wealth of the Caribbean.

In more recent years, natural disasters have topped the list as island states battle with the issue of climate impact. In 2017 two Category 5 hurricanes wreaked havoc across the region resulting in death and destruction. The Foundation donated USD $550,000 to communities in Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, the BVI, Bahamas, St, Maarten, Dominica and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Bank has also been at the forefront of energy transition and renewables financing. When the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) gathered for its 14th session in May, CIBC FirstCaribbean was named the recipient of the award for Best Renewable Energy Financing in the 2022 CREF Industry Awards. CIBC FirstCaribbean was recognised for its innovation and leadership in corporate financing of key initiatives in the renewable energy sector.

Between 2020 and 2021, the bank spearheaded the refinancing of project portfolios of two major renewable energy players in the Caribbean: BMR Energy, a developer of wind and solar photo-voltaic (PV) assets in multiple territories of the region and

Central America and WRB Energy, an investor in the largest utility-scale solar PV plant in Jamaica.

Former CEO Colette Delaney affirmed the Bank’s leading position in renewables. “Our bank will continue to focus on the types of investments that can be a catalyst to our region’s recovery, such as renewable energy investments. Infrastructure investment, in general, is important to stimulate the economy, put people back to work, create new jobs and encourage increased cash flow circulation to resuscitate our economies and ensure our future success.”

Primary focus areas for social investment have been Health and Wellness, Staff Volunteerism, Youth and Education, sport, and Community/Environment.

1. Health and Wellness - CIBC FirstCaribbean supports all efforts to raise the public's awareness of all types of cancer, including early detection, treatment, and the urgent need for a permanent cure. Our Walk for the Cure event runs parallel with the Group’s Run for the Cure. The programme also works in partnership with Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Caribbean Initiative focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer. As Nursing Training Partner, we ensure Caribbean nurses have the required training in Oncology to care for our youngest citizens.

2. Staff Volunteerism - For CIBC FirstCaribbean staff volunteerism is an imperative. Many projects undertaken are identified by our community leaders and our staff and are completed with love and dedication by those who have given of their personal time and labour to ensure success. Our enduring Adopt-ACause programme is testament to the ability of our employees to keep their fingers on the pulse of the community they serve.

3. Youth and Education - Empowerment of the youth continues to be a priority for CIBC FirstCaribbean. The bank provides support to the Caribbean Group of Youth Business programmes - "CYBP" and REAP. Start-up funding for micro-businesses and funding for business-related projects in Caribbean schools are key features of these programmes. The bank also maintains a longstanding Memorandum of Understanding with the University of the West Indies and cooperates in areas such as scholarships, curriculum development, research, development of business cases for students in the entrepreneurship programmes, preparation for the world of work, and the development of facilities.

4. Community/Environment – Our social programmes have made a difference in turning around the lives and day-to-day running of institutions that we have supported, whether financial or through the volunteerism of staff.

DEMERARA DISTILLERS

Demerara Distillers Limited is a 300-year-old company. It was previously owned by the British companies Booker-McConnell Bookers and Sandbach-Parker’s Company, producers of bulk rum. In 1976, after Guyana gained its independence, the remaining distilling companies became public companies as shares were sold to Guyanese institutions and the general public. In 1976 they merged to become Demerara Distillers Limited.

The company takes ESG seriously and has stated commitments and actions that support this.

Environment

Demerara Distillers aims to manage its supply chain from raw materials through the production process to the point of delivery to the market in a manner that minimises the impact of its operations on the environment. This is its stated environmental commitment.

Its bio-waste project attests to this. In 2010, DDL built its bio-methane plant to convert liquid waste from the distilling process to energy to power its distillery. An ambition to convert 50% of distillation bio-waste to energy was the goal. Almost 10 years on, the aim is to increase this to 100%.

In addition, its use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a supplementary power, means DDL’s facilities emit 20% less carbon as compared to conventional diesel combustion. Its Diamond Distillery also has a Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Plant which reduces the release of CO2 into the air. The CO2 that is

produced during fermentation is trapped, purified, liquefied and stored at the plant then later used for carbonation of soft drink, production of dry ice and other industrial uses. The introduction of new stills allows for recovery and reuse of energy.

Social

In 2010, the DDL Foundation was established as a charity that supports the advancement of education by providing five-year scholarships to students in secondary school.

The goal of the Foundation is the advancement of education among secondary school students by providing scholarships to assist with the main costs associated with attending school. This includes books, uniforms, transportation and, in some cases, meals. Students who have excelled at the National Grade Six Examination and who have demonstrated their need for assistance as a result of their financial or social constraints are eligible to apply.

Governance

The company also operates by a robust set of Corporate Governance Policies.

Insider Trading

Anti-Money Laundering

Conflict Of Interest

Anti-Discrimination And Anti-Harassment Policy

Anti-Bribery And Anti-Corruption Policy

Corporate Donation Policy

RBC

RBC is a global financial institution and is self-described as having “a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance.” Its success, it states, comes from its global workforce of 87,000-plus employees, who live the organisation’s values and vision.

The bank is one of the largest in the world and commensurate with its commercial success, is committed to creating a positive social impact in how it does business. The bank believes that corporate citizenship is about integrity, business ethics and responsible governance, and holds itself to the highest standards – in ways that demonstrate responsibility and build trust.

In its 2021 ESG Performance Report, the organisation highlights its current progress on implementing ESG principles. Of significance was its establishment of a Climate Strategy Steering Committee, a female population of 46 & and ethnic minority population of 23%. It also ranked at 82 average percentile on its ESG priorities.

RBC’s CEO says. “Our aim is to tackle some of society’s greatest challenges in the communities where we live and work. To do so, we integrate ESG into our strategies and operations, which enables us to align our actions with the broader aspirations of our stakeholders.”

The Company’s value strategy is to deliver value for employees, shareholders, communities, and the planet.

For Employees RBC aims to provide meaningful work and growth opportunities for its people by

attracting and retaining talent, creating experiences that enable our people, and by strengthening a diverse and inclusive culture.

For Clients RBC aims to create value and an exceptional experience by nurturing deep, multifaceted relationships with clients, through innovating digitally enabled experiences and insights, by providing security and privacy through strong technology and data foundations, and by providing products and services with positive social and environmental impact.

Shareholders value is attained by maximizing total shareholder returns through the achievement of top-half performance compared to our global peer group over the medium term, through premium growth and ROE driven by diversified, market leading franchises, by a strong balance sheet and prudent risk management, by returning capital to shareholders, including dividend growth, and by disciplined expense management while investing for the future.

For Communities, RBC is building a better future by generating and distributing economic value, by preparing young people for the future of work, by supporting an inclusive and responsible supply chain, and by advancing financial literacy and inclusion.

Value for the Planet is achieved by supporting clean economic growth and the transition to a NetZero economy, by helping clients as they transition to net-zero, by holding itself accountable, by informing and Inspiring a sustainable future, and by advancing net-zero leadership in our own operations.

DEMERARA BANK LIMITED

The Demerara Bank Limited Bank is aligned to the UN Sustainable Goals in how it operates. Of particular importance, Demerara Bank offers a special loan scheme geared towards Guyana's Go Green Initiative. Greening initiatives generally refers to increasing efforts to support energy efficiencies of mechanical and lighting equipment, improve air quality, increase water conservation, higher concentration of waste avoidance, increasing recycling streams, and engaging catering in environmentally friendly practices.

In Guyana, the Government is dedicated to ensuring a sustainable low carbon environment for Guyanese through the development of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy (GSDS). This is a collaborative effort to guide the country’s economic and sociocultural development by diversifying the economy, reducing dependence on traditional sectors, and creating new sustainable income and investment opportunities.

The Bank is proud to be the first commercial institution to operate its Corporate Office solely on solar energy and has converted most of its locations to solar energy to reduce its carbon footprint. The Bank is also the leading source of solar financing in Guyana.

Following extensive flooding last year, the Bank introduced a new farmers’ credit line programme in support of food security and to address the financial loss to the farming community. The new loan programme was launched after consultations with the local farming community and provides access to much-needed financing. The loans programme requires no collateral and provides between $1 million to $1.5 million, at an interest rate of just 7.5 per cent. Processing and commitment fees have also been waived.

Demerara Bank Limited was incorporated on January 20, 1992 as a private limited liability company under the provisions of the Companies Act, Chapter 89:01 and was licensed to carry on the business of Banking on October 31,1994. The Bank obtained its Certificate of Continuance on April 2, 1997 in accordance with the Companies Act 1991. The Bank offers a complete range of banking and financial services and operates under the Provisions of the Financial Institution Act (Act 1 of 1995).

The Demerara Bank Limited (DBL) was founded by Guyana born philanthropist and businessman, Dr. Yesu Persaud on principles of inclusivity and to foster entrepreneurism in Guyana. His personal mantra was to “help those who cannot help themselves for as long as I can, wherever and however possible.” Journeying from a childhood on the Diamond sugar cane plantation, to becoming a pioneer of micro and small enterprise during a period of extreme national hardship and economic suppression, he was seen as an innovator and visionary.

The process of liberalization had just begun, with the shift from rigidly controlled to a more open economy emerging. Dr. Yesu Persaud’s entrepreneurial instincts, coupled with his solid understanding of the economy, led him to the view that there was a need for a truly Guyanese bank—a bank that would capture the latest technology and provide export trade finance, all while offering high-quality, personalized, and competitive products and services. Indeed, Dr. Persaud envisioned a bank that would serve as a catalyst for growth.

NESTLE

its statement on how it reports ESG performance, Nestlé states, “Transparent, public reporting on our activities, commitments and performance is embedded in how we do business at Nestlé. The Company engaged EY to provide independent assurance of nine (9) selected Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) key performance indicators (KPIs) of high strategic importance to our business. Each KPI has its own internal guideline including processes, tools, roles and responsibilities, and draws data from several independent sources. Data not available in the systems was “construed in good faith according to best practice and industry standards.” Below are highlights of Performance Measures and Definitions.

Selected Environmental ESG KPI List

Definition: The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reconfirmed that in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, the world must halve GHG emissions by around 2030 and reach net-zero GHG emissions by mid-century. Nestlé, committed to reach net-zero emissions as part of the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign. The campaign is led by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and backed by a global coalition of UN leaders, business organizations and NGOs.

Water Reduction

Water use reduction in factories

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction sustainably

Percentage of key ingredients produced supply chain

Percentage of deforestation-free for primary for recycling

Percentage of plastic packaging designed

Percentage of virgin plastic reduction

Selected Social ESG KPI List with micronutrient fortification (MNF)

Number of servings of affordable nutrition with access to economic opportunities

Number of young people around the world positions

Women in the top 200+ senior executive

Water Reduction

Performance Measure: Water use reduction in factories Performance Measure m3 of water use reduced in our factories.

Definition: Annualised savings from Nestlé factories obtained from qualifying improvement projects delivering benefits in 2021 and measured in m3 of water saved during 2021. Scope All entities that are or were Nestlé factories during 2021.

Percentage of key ingredients produced sustainably

Performance Measure: Percentage defined by the total volume of key ingredients in scope that are considered as produced sustainably divided by the total volume of key ingredients in scope (measured in metric ton) during the given year.

Definition: Produced sustainably is defined as where both the material origin and social and environmental performance of the key ingredient is known. The main criteria to define if a key ingredient is produced sustainably are, but not limited to, the following: the material is traceable back to the point of origin (farm or group of farms), human rights and environmental due diligence systems are in place to assess, address, and report on the potential or actual impacts in the supply chain as defined in the Nestlé Responsible Sourcing Standard, and the tier 1 supplier is measurably progressing in addressing identified human rights and environmental impacts identified in its supply chain, as well as animal welfare where applicable For each key ingredient in scope, specific criteria have been defined to ensure and assess specificities of the key ingredient (key ingredient guidelines).

Percentage of deforestation-free for primary supply chain

Performance Measure: Percentage defined by the total volume of commodities in scope assessed deforestation-free divided by the total volume of commodities in scope (measured in metric ton) during the given year.

Definition: This KPI aims at ensuring that the commodities in scope that we buy do not originate from:

Areas converted from High Carbon Stock (as defined by the High Carbon Stocks Approach) forests and habitat such as peatland, wetlands, savannas on the Ramsar List

UNESCO World Heritage Sites and wetlands

The commodities in scope include the direct supplies of palm oil, pulp & paper, soya, meat, and sugar for Nestlé.

Percentage of plastic packaging designed for recycling

Performance measure: Percentage defined by the total volume of plastic packaging designed for recycling divided by the total volume of plastic packaging.

Definition: Nestlé has developed its publicly available “Rules of Sustainable Packaging”, composed of the Golden Rules and the Negative List, that are driving the sustainable packaging transformation of the Group. Primary, secondary and tertiary packaging are taken into account in the calculation. Packaging Designed for Recycling (D4R) refers to packaging materials and formats which are compliant with the Negative List and aligned with the Golden Rules. It does not systematically correspond to packaging “recyclable in practice and at scale”, as per Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition , nor to packaging being “effectively recycled”.

Percentage of virgin plastic reduction

Areas converted from natural ecosystems– Peatlands of any depth, except where farming practices protect peat– International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected areas categories I-IV

Performance Measure: Percentage defined by reduction of usage of virgin plastic between 2021 and 2018, divided by total virgin plastic volume of 2018. Virgin plastic volume is obtained by deducting the recycled plastic volume from the total plastic packaging volume of the period. Primary, secondary and tertiary packaging are taken into account in the calculation.

Definition: Virgin plastic is defined as plastic that has not been previously used or subjected to processing other than for its original production. It includes fossil

and bio-based plastics. Recycled plastic is defined as pre-consumer and/or post-consumer plastic packaging as per the ISO 14021:2016 standard. The KPI reflects the recycled content of the packaging portfolio at the end of the reporting period. The KPI is calculated using the last available material specifications applied to the packaging quantities of the full reporting period.

Number of servings of affordable nutrition with micronutrient fortification (MNF)

Performance Measure: The KPI is the number of fortified servings of affordable nutrition sold in emerging markets The sales that meet the following two criteria are counted as part of the KPI:

Products which meet the definition as Popularly Positioned Products (PPP). Affordable Nutrition and Products have been fortified with at least one of the Big 4 micronutrients (Iron, Iodine, Vitamin A, Zinc) in accordance with the Micronutrient Fortification policy. To determine the number of servings, a serving size is defined for each stock keeping unit (SKU) and maintained in the SAP material master data. The serving size is a critical piece of information that, when used in conjunction with the recipe data, allows the amount of nutrient (or ingredient) contained in the serving to be calculated in order to reach 15% NRV (Nutrient Reference Value) with at least one of the Big 4 micronutrients.

Definition: PPP is Nestlé’s business strategy to provide accessible products and affordable nutrition to lower-income consumers in emerging countries through a competitive value chain. Affordable Nutrition products are quality products with enhanced nutrition credentials (for example, nutrient-fortified products), that meet the price point suitable for the target market.

Three categories drive Affordable Nutrition: Dairy, Nutrition and Ambient Food. Affordable nutrition with micronutrient fortification is defined as a serving of eligible PPP affordable nutrition SKUs fortified with at least one of the Big 4 micronutrients (Iron, Iodine, Vitamin A, Zinc).

Number of young people around the world with access to economic opportunities

Performance Measure: The KPI is the number of opportunities offered to young people, defined as individuals below 30 years old, which include jobs or the essential skills to prepare them for economic opportunities.

Definition: The KPI is measured based across three pillars of activities: Employment & Employability, Agripreneurship and Entrepreneurship, with the following sub-groups:

– Employment & Employability, Agripreneurship and Entrepreneurship

Women in the top 200+ senior executive positions

Performance Measure: KPI is the ratio of women currently holding senior executive positions versus the total population of professionals currently holding senior executive positions on December 31, 2021.

Definition: With its Gender Balance Acceleration Plan, Nestlé puts further emphasis on increasing the proportion of women in the group’s top 200+ senior executive positions from around 20% to 30% by 2022. This is another step in Nestlé’s journey towards gender parity.

Note to Reader: In addition to reducing the details provided, for brevity, the Scope under each performance indicator was omitted. For the full document see: https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/reporting-scope-methodology-esg-kpis-2021-en.pdf This has been excerpted from Web Source: Reporting Scope and Methodology for ESG Key Performance Indicators @ www.nestle.com