Oct 16, 2025
Etobicoke, ON – Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited (“Gay Lea Foods”) is pleased to announce its energy management initiative has been selected as one of Canada’s Clean50 Top Projects for 2025.
This recognition highlights the Canadian dairy farmer-owned co-operative’s structured efforts to measure, manage, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within its operations.
Gay Lea Foods collaborated with Enviro-Stewards to conduct process integration assessments across six production facilities and one distribution centre, and to deploy an energy management information system called STEWWI (System to Track Energy, Water & Waste Improvements) to monitor energy, water, and waste efficiencies.
Since developing its baseline GHG inventory, Gay Lea Foods, with Enviro-Stewards, conducted detailed facility assessments and data analysis which identified technically and economically feasible opportunities to reduce resource usage and emissions. These opportunities have been compiled into a prioritized implementation plan as part of the co-operative’s Energy Management Program. Among the projects already underway are improvements to steam system efficiency, condensate return optimization, and reduced boiler blowdown.
Gay Lea Foods is in the process of implementing these measures, including conducting annual third-party verification of results, through real-time data tracking. The co-operative believes combining operational performance with careful measurement supports credible claims and continuous improvement.
“This recognition reflects the disciplined, data-driven work our teams have undertaken to understand and improve our environmental performance,” said Lauren Beerman, director, corporate sustainability. “This Clean50 Top Project award encourages us to continue improving and transparently share our progress.”
In its 2025 fiscal year, concluded September 30, 2025, Gay Lea Foods estimates it reduced scope one and two greenhouse gas emissions intensity by more than eight per cent. The co-operative will report its final, third-party validated emissions reduction performance in its January 2026 sustainability report.
“At Gay Lea Foods, we have a long-standing commitment to enrich communities co-operatively,” said Suzanna Dalrymple, president and CEO, Gay Lea Foods. “We bring this commitment to life by developing our employees, investing in our communities, and leading on our industry’s environmental commitments. I’m incredibly proud to see our team recognized for this important work.”
About Gay Lea Foods Co-operative
Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of our deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.
About Enviro-Stewards Inc.
Enviro-Stewards is an engineering firm focused on helping manufacturers to credibly and affordably improve their environmental and social sustainability. Enviro-Stewards recently developed the STEWWI EMIS platform, which is a comprehensive tool for planning, project management, and live tracking of performance. The platform guides organizations from baseline establishment through to achieving and verifying sustainability targets are met.
Enviro-Stewards is a Best for the World classified B Corporation and the only Canadian company to win a Global SDG award. A dozen of Enviro-Stewards’ engineering projects have won national sustainability awards. It also founded the Safe Water Social Venture (SWSV) project that received an international Energy Globe award and was featured in a TEDx talk (Better than Charity).
About Canada’s Clean50 Awards
The Clean50 program recognizes Canadian individuals and projects that deliver measurable sustainability impacts and can inspire replication. The Top Projects list highlights initiatives that advance environmental goals while demonstrating innovation, scalability, and stakeholder benefit.
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Media Contacts:
Robin Redstone
Director, Communications, Gay Lea Foods
communications@gayleafoods.com
Lloyd Hipel
Director of Operations, Enviro-Stewards Inc.
lhipel@enviro-stewards.com
Gavin Pitchford
CEO, Delta Management Group (Clean50)
gpitchford@deltamanagement.com
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