Sysco Corporation: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

The effects of climate change may create financial and operational risks to our business, both directly and indirectly. There is an increased focus around the world by regulatory and legislative bodies at all levels towards policies relating to climate change and the impact of global warming, including the regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy usage and sustainability efforts. Increased compliance costs and expenses due to the impacts of climate change on our business, as well as additional legal or regulatory requirements regarding climate change or designed to reduce or mitigate the effects of carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions on the environment, may cause disruptions in, or an increase in the costs associated with, the running of our business, particularly with regard to our distribution and supply chain operations. Moreover, compliance with any such legal or regulatory requirements may require that we implement changes to our business operations and strategy, which would require us to devote substantial time and attention to these matters and cause us to incur additional costs. The effects of climate change, and legal or regulatory initiatives to address climate change, could have a long-term adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Such adverse impacts may be incurred directly through damage to our own property or equipment or indirectly if such impacts adversely affect our suppliers. In addition, from 11 11 11 time to time we establish and publicly announce goals and commitments related to corporate social responsibility matters, including those related to reducing our impact on the environment. Our current sustainability goals include to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 27.5% by 2030 and strongly encourage suppliers representing 67% of Scope 3 emissions (focusing on purchased goods and services and upstream transportation suppliers) to set science-based targets by 2026. Our ability to meet these and other related goals depends in part on significant technological advancements with respect to the development and availability of reliable, affordable and sustainable alternative solutions, including electric and other alternative fuel vehicles as well as alternative energy sources, which may not be developed or be available to us in the timeframe needed to achieve these goals. In addition, we may determine that it is in our best interests to revise our current goals based on economic or regulatory factors, business strategy or other factors. If we change or do not meet our publicly stated goals, then we may experience a negative reaction from the media, stockholders, activists and other interested stakeholders, and any perception that we have failed to act responsibly regarding climate change, whether or not valid, could result in adverse publicity and negatively affect our business and reputation. While we remain committed to being responsive to climate change and reducing our carbon footprint, there can be no assurance that our goals and strategic plans to achieve those goals will be successful, that the costs related to climate transition will not be higher than expected, that the necessary technological advancements will occur in the timeframe we expect, or at all, or that proposed regulation or deregulation related to climate change will not have a negative competitive impact, any one of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, methodologies for reporting climate-related information may change and previously reported information may be adjusted to reflect new reporting protocols or regulations, improvements in the availability and quality of third-party data, changing assumptions, changes in the nature and scope of our operations and other changes in circumstances. Our processes and controls for reporting climate-related information across our operations are evolving along with multiple disparate standards for identifying, measuring and reporting sustainability metrics, including disclosures that may be required by the SEC, European and other regulators, and such standards may change over time, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or our ability to achieve such goals in the future.

We have and are continuing to incorporate artificial intelligence, including machine learning, in certain of our operations, such as sales, support and supply chain operations, and may in the future incorporate artificial intelligence into more of our operations, with the intent to enhance their operation and effectiveness. For example, we have incorporated artificial intelligence and/or generative artificial intelligence to manage inventory, optimize warehouse logistics, route customer deliveries more efficiently and enable more analytics for our sales consultants. Flaws, breaches or malfunctions in these systems could lead to operational disruptions, data loss, or erroneous decision-making, impacting our operations, financial condition and reputation. Legal challenges may arise, including cybersecurity incidents, non-compliance with data protection regulations, and lack of transparency. The legal and regulatory landscape and industry standards surrounding artificial intelligence technologies is rapidly evolving and remains uncertain, and compliance may impose significant operational costs and may limit our ability to develop, deploy or use artificial intelligence technologies. Furthermore, the deployment of artificial intelligence systems could expose us to increased cybersecurity threats, such as data breaches and unauthorized access leading to financial losses, legal liabilities, and reputational damage. We also face competitive risks if we fail to adopt artificial intelligence or other machine-learning technologies in a timely manner.