On May 22, which celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity, Asian dairy giant Yili Group held its “ESG and Social Value Forum” and officially released three new ESG reports: the 2022 Sustainability Report, the 2022 Annual Report on Biodiversity Conservation, and the Net-Zero Carbon Future Report 2022.
The forum was held at the Yili Modern Intelligent Health Valley, which is widely known as the “Dairy Silicon Valley.” Together with its global partners, Yili unveiled the WISH2030 Declaration for a Sustainable Future, calling for the entire industry to work together to create value and build a better future. At the forum, Pan Gang, Chairman and President of Yili Group, underscored Yili’s longstanding commitment to always adhere to the principles of altruism and ensure positive long-term development. The company is dedicated to uniting diverse stakeholders to establish a “global health ecosystem” and enable the business community and wider society to enjoy mutual prosperity.
In 2007, Yili became the first private company in China to publish a corporate citizenship report, and the Group’s concept of “green leadership” has received growing recognition globally ever since. From Yili’s debut at the inaugural Summer Davos in 2007 to its pioneering role as the first Chinese food company to join the United Nations Global Compact, Yili has also actively participated in the COP13, COP14, and COP15 Conferences of the Convention on Biological Diversity, demonstrating its dynamic commitments aimed at supporting sustainable development worldwide.
In 2023, Yili released its 17th consecutive sustainability report. The Group’s latest report received a “five-star” rating from the Chinese Expert Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility Report Rating and has also been highly recognized by the United Nations. Liu Meng, Head of the China Office of the United Nations Global Compact, commended Yili for having actively responded to the United Nations’ call for businesses to address major sustainability challenges and emphasized how the company’s efforts have proven conducive to promoting and empowering more enterprises and industries to achieve sustainable high-quality development.
This year, Yili upgraded its “WISH” system to the “WISH2030” Golden Key Sustainable Development System, which prioritizes four major areas: “Comprehensive Value Management,” “High-Quality Products and Services,” “A Net-Zero Carbon Better Future,” and “Shared Prosperity of a Better Life.”
Qian Xiaojun, Director of the Research Center for Green Economy and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, pointed out that Yili has successfully maintained business growth for 30 consecutive years. Even in the challenging and uncertain year of 2022, Yili’s total revenue achieved year-on-year growth of more than 11%, while its net profit attributable to the parent company realized year-on-year growth of more than 8%. The robust growth figures reflect the strength of the company’s ‘long-termism’ values.
In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, Yili once again joined forces with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to launch the “Yili Homeland Initiative: Satine Empty Carton Recycling Plan” while also releasing a limited-edition packaging featuring unique animal species that inhabit grasslands and wetlands. Lu Lunyan, Chief Representative of the WWF Beijing Office, said, “The health of nature directly affects human well-being. The WWF and Yili are dedicated to continuing actively supporting conservation and development, safeguarding the health of biodiversity, and improving people’s well-being.” For every 2,000 empty Satine milk cartons that are successfully recycled, a home can be created for grassland and wetland animals.