Our approach We work to drive sustainability across our global operations and continually reduce our environmental impact. Our main focus areas include GHG emissions, energy use, water withdrawal and waste reduction. Metrics reported in this section reflect data for General Mills’ wholly owned manufacturing facilities, unless otherwise specified. Greenhouse gas emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions from operations decreased by 30%* in 2021 compared to our 2020 baseline, primarily due to our ongoing progress in energy efficiency, consolidation of operations and application of renewable energy certificates (RECs) from our wind power agreement and purchases of Guarantees of Origins (GOs) in Europe (see details in the Appendix ). Energy use: During fiscal 2021, the energy usage rate at our production facilities decreased by 2% compared to the prior year, as efficiency improvements offset higher production of energy-intensive products. We identify and implement improvements through our Five-Step Energy Reduction Process (see graphic), by working with our manufacturing plants to establish energy programs, conduct energy analyses, develop and execute improvement plans, and validate results. This process historically focused on facilities with significant spending on energy. We have recently evolved it to include all General Mills manufacturing facilities, by focusing improvement efforts on common systems such as compressed air, lighting and steam/hot water. In fiscal 2021, we completed 35 energy efficiency and reduction projects across the company. In total, these projects saved 4.1 million kWh of electricity, 58 thousand MMBTU of natural gas, and avoided 370,594 metric tons CO₂e of GHG emissions. One example of these projects is a rooftop solar and battery system installed at our Sanhe, China, location, which is estimated to save 1.1 million kWh of electricity annually. Sustainable operations Five-Step Energy Reduction Process STEP 1 Establish energy program STEP 2 Conduct energy analysis STEP 3 Develop improvement plan STEP 4 Execute improvement plan STEP 5 Validate results During 2020, General Mills set a goal to source 100% renewable electricity for our global operations* by 2030. We achieved 63% of this target through fiscal 2021. We have implemented numerous renewable energy initiatives at facilities worldwide that meet financial guidelines and support our environmental objectives. Examples include anaerobic digestion (which captures and uses methane to generate electricity) and burning oat hulls and other biomass. During fiscal 2021, we generated and used 270,381 gigajoules (GJ) of renewable energy and applied renewable energy certificates (RECs) and Guarantees of Origins (GOs) that equaled 3,042,771 GJ of electricity. These RECs and GOs decreased our GHG emissions footprint by 385,346 metric tons CO₂e, contributing approximately 10% of reduction toward our 2030 full value chain goal. See additional details in the renewable electricity table in the Appendix. In June 2017, General Mills signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) for 100 megawatts of the Cactus Flats wind project in Concho County, Texas. In fiscal 2021, this project generated RECs equivalent to approximately 1,205,596 GJ of electricity for General Mills, about 33% of electricity usage at our owned manufacturing locations in the U.S. In April 2019, we announced a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement with Roaring Fork Wind, LLC, a joint venture partnership between RES and Steelhead Americas, for 200 megawatts of its Maverick Creek wind project. Located in central Texas, the project will produce RECs for General Mills that, together with the Cactus Flats wind power agreement, are calculated to equal 100% of the electricity used annually at the company’s owned U.S. facilities. The Maverick Creek wind project began commercial generation in November 2020. Renewable electricity r Cactus Flats in Concho County, Texas. In fiscal 2021, General Mills rose to No. 22 on the Top 100 list of the EPA Green Power Partnership. *Scope includes all globally owned General Mills facilities (Manufacturing, R&D, Offices, Warehouses, HD Shops, and Cake Kitchens) *Emissions calculated using the market-based method, which considers any contractual instruments that may be used in competitive energy markets, such as green tariffs, renewable certificates, or PPAs. GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 36 Food Planet People Community