All manufacturers are at various stages along the road to net zero. However, with close links to ecology and the environment, and with a dependence on nature and farming, food and beverage businesses are perhaps a little more in tune than most. Hardly surprising given the fact that abnormal weather patterns caused by climate change can have a very real and very direct impact on production.
In the previous issue of The Manufacturer magazine, I sat down with Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability for UK and Ireland at Nestlé to find out how the company is addressing this problem.
Seventy per cent of Nestlé’s carbon footprint is in the supply chain with agriculture and farming, and as such, the business is working much closer with those businesses to advance regenerative food systems at scale, reduce emissions and drive business resilience.
Nestlé is aiming to be a net zero business by 2050, and to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. However, the measures implemented thus far have been so successful, that last year Nestlé were able to hit its 2025 emissions target a year early.
These practices have included:
- Avoiding deforestation and promoting reforestation
- Supporting the transition towards sustainable farming practices
- Committing to reducing virgin plastic use by 27%
- Sourcing 50% of ingredients from regenerative sources by 2030
Emma highlighted that the only constant in recent years has been change, and that situation is unlikely to alter in the future. It’s a given that we’ll be experiencing more climate shocks and in such a volatile world, one can never rule out further conflicts to add to the disruption.
However, this only serves to demonstrate why investing in sustainability is not only good for reducing emissions and supporting nature, but also to drive resilience with business processes and supply chains.
Check out the full story here: https://themanufacturer.hostings.co.uk/articles/on-course-for-net-zero-at-nestle/
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