Powering positive change with coffee.
We understand that the world faces many challenges. Climate change, environmental risks, human rights and social inequalities are big issues for businesses to address.
We have designed the UCC Sustainability Direction though a detailed process, which has included talking to our people and stakeholders, analysing risks and trends and considering those material issues and challenges that are most relevant to our business.
These issue areas have been prioritised and organised in our materiality matrix as shown below, helping to inform our strategy, goals and actions of our renewed direction.
Using the materiality matrix of the most important issues, we assessed and determined the challenges required prioritisation and immediate action within the UCC Group.
We’ve chosen to focus our efforts on the challenges where we think we can make the most difference. These areas form the basis of our plan outlined below.
Our sustainability framework is an easy-to-understand outline of our global direction. It is our roadmap to achieve a sustainable future, powering our two key ambition to help people flourish and nature thrive. We have laid out the details of what we hope to achieve and the year that we hope to achieve them by for each item in this UCC Sustainability Direction.
Coffee is not just a simple bean.
It connects us with farming communities, our customers, and society; and it gives us the energy, focus and inspiration to act. In every moment, coffee has the potential to power positive change in the world.
UCC Sustainability Direction is our roadmap to achieve a sustainable future, powering our ambition to help people flourish and nature thrive. Through sustainable sourcing, promoting health and education, protecting
the environment, and becoming carbon-neutral, our commitments will transform our sustainability vision into reality.
We know we’ve a long way to go, and we can’t achieve everything by ourselves. That’s why we will engage with our colleagues and partners every step of the way – knowing that as we make this journey together,
UCC Sustainability Direction will deliver a positive impact for our business, our stakeholders, society and nature. A future where people, planet and coffee prosper together.
So coffee really isn’t just a simple bean – it gives us the power to build a better world.
We have established a system of governance for carefully monitoring progress at the group level based on the path we have set for our sustainability initiatives. Our Global Sustainability Senior Committee meets monthly, ensuring awareness of issues and commitment to solutions at executive level. In addition, we carry out semi-annual management report meetings with core business companies in order to further promote sustainability activities across the group as a whole.
Our Global Sustainability Senior Committee comprises of company directors responsible for our operations in Japan, Europe, and Asia, which form the main areas of business for the UCC Group. To achieve the objectives in sustainability we have laid out, we evaluate the progress of our efforts and lead the way in taking swift action to address any challenges that may arise.
Holding monthly governance meetings and half yearly sessions with our CEO and Board ensures sustainability is in our DNA at all levels.
From countries where coffee is produced to countries where it is consumed, the coffee industry features an incredibly extensive value chain at its core.
UCC Group is involved in every stage of the value chain, working to implement sustainability-focused measures at multiple engagement points. Some of our initiatives from Japan are outlined here.
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Production Country
Material Procurement
Importation/Inspection
Research & Development
Roasting & Processing
Sales & Consumption
Coffee is a gift of nature, and its production is engaged in by various people from countries the world over.
As a result, coffee production is intricately connected to climate change as well as to various social issues.
By advancing measures in sustainability, the UCC Group is working to help solve these issues along with other challenges we face.
