Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Green Plains, Inc. is a biorefining company, not a financial institution.

The company's core business is the production of ethanol and other value-added products. The provided articles do not contain any evidence related to the company's involvement in lending, deposit services, or other financial products for consumers. Therefore, all KPIs under the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value, which are designed to assess financial institutions and their impact on financial inclusion, are not applicable to this company. The rubric explicitly states a score of 0 for KPIs when the firm does not offer lending or deposit services to consumers, or when its core business lies outside finance, or when no customer finance data is generated or managed, or when no debt products are provided to consumers, or when no financial products are offered requiring disclosure or explanation, or when the company does not operate financial service access points. There is no data to score any of the KPIs beyond this 'not applicable' baseline.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

The CEO total compensation to median employee compensation ratio was 57:1 in 2024.

The company's OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) was 1.88 per 200,000 hours in 2022. However, an explosion at an ethanol plant in April 2023 resulted in one fatality, leading to OSHA citing four safety violations and proposing $42,412 in fines. The company has incurred $173,642 in safety-related offense penalties, including $19,767 for workplace safety or health violations. The voluntary employee turnover rate was 30% in 2022.

Kind to Animals

Green Plains Inc. produces distillers grains, an ethanol byproduct used as animal feed.

This product is linked to ethical concerns in animal agriculture, including potential E. coli contamination and the presence of antibiotics in feed due to their use in ethanol production, which can contribute to antibiotic resistance. The company's distillers grain is used in conventionally raised cows and factory farms, which are associated with unlivable conditions for animals. The expansion of corn ethanol production, which consumes about 45% of all U.S. corn, has been linked to the expansion of factory farms. The company's own statements indicate a focus on high-protein and plant-based feeds, and a reduction in feeding animals to animals, but these are general claims without specific ethical practices or percentages. The company does not source eggs, meat, or dairy, making the cage-free sourcing KPI not applicable. There is no public position on animal welfare legislation or engagement with animal welfare stakeholders.

No War, No Weapons

Green Plains Inc. is a biorefining company and not a defense contractor.

In 2023, the company ran at least 440 screens on prospective or new international customers, suppliers, and other vendors to ensure it was not conducting business with sanctioned or blocked counterparties. The company's Responsible Sourcing Program binds suppliers to legal compliance with environmental, human rights, and employee health and safety laws via Terms and Conditions, communicates expectations through a Code of Vendor Conduct, Human and Labor Rights Policy, Environmental Policy, and Occupational Health & Safety Policy, and screens vendors for serious violations. The Code of Vendor Conduct is based on the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, but third-party audits note major gaps in alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The company has a Code of Business Ethics and Conduct. Green Plains engages in lobbying activities with agencies such as the Dept of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency, but there is no evidence of lobbying related to arms control.

Planet-Friendly Business

Green Plains Inc. has secured validation for its near-term 2030 science-based targets from the SBTi, which are aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory.

The company has set a target year of 2050 for carbon neutrality in its operational emissions. Regarding water management, Green Plains reports zero process contact water discharge at all 11 of its biorefineries. However, the company has incurred over $1 million in environmental penalties from 2000 to the present, with 42 recorded violations, primarily related to air pollution and other environmental infractions.

Safe & Smart Tech

The company has not identified a cybersecurity breach incident with a material impact on its business or consolidated financial statements over the last three years (2021-2023 and early 2024), and reported zero identified leaks, thefts, or losses of customer data in 2022.

Its cybersecurity program follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) frameworks, and it invests in regular and ongoing cybersecurity training. Payment transactions are encrypted using SSL technology, and information is stored on secure servers behind firewalls. The company implements industry-standard physical, administrative, and technical security measures to protect personal information and states it will notify affected individuals of security breaches when required by law. There are no documented incidents of unauthorized data use. Users have rights to access, correct, delete, and restrict data processing, which can be exercised via a Data Subject Access Request Form. However, the company's total cumulative liability in connection with its website is limited to $50. Green Plains retains customer information, including contact, identity, financial, and transaction data, for at least seven years after they cease being customers, and other data for at least as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill purposes including legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or reporting requirements. The company states compliance with OFAC regulations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and its 2022 Sustainability Report mentions 161 incidents of non-compliance associated with air quality permits and 7 incidents with water quality permits.