Hershey Company – Damien Williamson – 2023
Goals
The Hershey Company, one of the largest manufacturers of chocolate and other beloved snacks in the world, enlisted Climate Corps fellow, Damien Williamson, to assist in the development of localized and enterprise-wide water reduction targets across its global footprint.
Drought and water stress brought on by climate change not only threaten the business resilience of the snacking powerhouse, but these risk factors also increase competition for quality freshwater, leaving billions of people at risk in stressed watersheds around the world. Additionally, Damien was tasked with providing recommendations on the company’s renewable energy profile.
Solutions
Damien approached the challenge using a three-pronged process:
- Engaged with internal and external stakeholders to determine the appropriate level, time frame, metrics, and footprint of proposed reductions.
- Created a dynamic prioritization matrix and recommendations based on facility, commodity, and regional vulnerability.
- Crafted a visual roadmap of next steps for data refinement, target setting, water value stream mapping, and supplier engagement.
Additionally, Damien provided peer benchmarking, key insights, and recommendations for a path to 100% renewable electricity by 2030. He also contributed significantly to 2023 CDP water disclosures.
Potential Impact
Damien’s work will help Hershey build business resiliency by reducing the myriad of physical, reputational, regulatory, and financial risks associated with drought and water stress across its global operations.
Furthermore, the proposed water reduction targets and roadmap offer a clear path for the company to minimize its impact on water quality and quantity issues, improving lives in the water-stressed regions in which it operates. The peer benchmarking and recommendations on renewable energy will directly inform the company’s strategic choices on renewable investments.
