Green Line Series Interview | 2018 Keynote Speaker, Brenna Davis

Brenna Davis | Vice President, Social & Environmental Responsibility, PCC Markets

We are excited to welcome Brenna Davis, Vice President of Social & Environmental Responsibility at PCC Markets, as our closing Keynote speaker at the 2018 GoGreen Conference on April 4. Brenna leads PCC’s strategic initiatives related to sustainability, supply chain quality and community engagement. Prior to joining PCC, she worked for 20 years advising businesses on sustainability in a variety of roles.

Brenna shared with us some of her insights from her long career working in sustainability, and some of the takeaways we can expect from her talk.

This year’s GoGreen conference is focused on the Climate Commitment Leadership Imperative. How has PCC Community Markets worked to take responsibility on climate action in the absence of federal intervention?

It’s wonderful to see GoGreen have that focus this year. It’s more important than ever for businesses to take the lead on climate.  PCC has been leading on environmental issues for decades, so this is not new to us.  We built the first LEED Gold grocery store in the country, and have been tracking our carbon footprint for over a decade.  Our organic supply chain itself is a climate change initiative – we know that well-managed soils sequester more carbon.

As a sustainability professional, what drew you to work at the PCC? How are food, community, and sustainability related?

I love PCC. As a kid, my mom used to take me there to shop, so I have fond memories of growing up in PCC.  We are local and community owned.  We are a triple bottom line organization, and that approach is integral to everything we do.  And that commitment is not new, but one that has been living and breathing in our stores for years.  Good food does good – it protects the ecosystems that we depend on for life and builds sustainable communities.

What is one of your goals or initiatives for PCC related to sustainability?

Our quality standards are the crowning achievement of our work in sustainability.  We vet the food before we put it on our shelves so shoppers don’t have to.  Our standards range from animal welfare to sustainable packaging.  And we are continuing to improve them day in and day out.  Another emerging initiative is our recent commitment to 100% renewable energy – which challenging to accomplish. We truly never rest!

What is one take away you hope to leave attendees after your Keynote address at this year’s GoGreen conference?

There are many iconic brands in the Pacific Northwest, and together the business community has achieved so much to protect the environment for future generations.  PCC isn’t shy about speaking out on issues, and moving our supply chain towards greater social and environmental responsibility.  My talk will focus on our deep and very exciting history of brand activism – from our humble beginnings in a Seattle garage in the 1950s to having some of the strongest supply chain standards in the country.  It’s been an exciting road.

You can join us to hear Brenna give the closing keynote address at the GoGreen Conference April 4 by registering here.