Staff Reporter
As a signatory to the UN ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ pledge, Nestlé is one of the first companies to share its detailed, time-bound plan and to do so ahead of schedule. The company is taking measures to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 – even as the company grows.
Actions focus on supporting farmers and suppliers to advance regenerative agriculture, planting hundreds of millions of trees within the next 10 years and completing the company’s transition to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Additionally, Nestlé is continuously increasing the number of ‘carbon neutral’ brands.
Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said, “The Board recognizes the strategic importance of taking decisive measures to address climate change. It supports accelerating and scaling up our work to ensure the long-term success of the company and to contribute to a sustainable future for generations to come.” This roadmap is the result of a complete review of Nestlé’s businesses and operations to understand the depth of the challenge and determine the actions needed to address it. The company emitted 92 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, which will serve as the baseline for measuring progress. Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO, said: “Tackling climate change can’t wait and neither can we. It is imperative to the long-term success of our business. We have a unique opportunity to address climate change, as we operate in nearly every country in the world and have the size, scale and reach to make a difference.”
Nestlé is also scaling up its reforestation program to plant 20 million trees every year for the next 10 years in the areas where it sources ingredients. More trees mean more shade for crops, more carbon removed from the atmosphere, higher yields and improved biodiversity and soil health. The company’s primary supply chains of key commodities, like palm oil and soy, will be deforestation-free by 2022.
Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President and Head of Operations, said, “With nearly two-thirds of our emissions coming from agriculture, it is clear that regenerative agriculture and reforestation are the focal points of our path to net zero. These efforts will reduce emissions and improve biodiversity at scale. We will also continue to eliminate emissions from our operations and make improvements in our product portfolio.”
