Why wait for green policy when brands can act now?

The conference is only halfway through, but I’m sure some of you are already experiencing COP26 fatigue. So, let’s park the Big Climate Meeting in Glasgow for a moment. Instead, while the world waits on concrete climate policy to take shape, what are the meaningful actions businesses can take in the here and now? Whether we like it or not, policy change takes time. But that doesn’t mean we can’t, to use a phrase that has come to define Britain recently, take back control.

Commitments that talk about reducing tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are not connecting. What do they actually mean? Culture, meanwhile, is increasingly instant and emotive. Consumers today demand more of the brands they love than ever before, and this is especially true of their environmental pledges.

This might seem challenging for brands to square. But the answer lies in taking matters into their own hands.

Food waste, for example, is an issue food and drink brands are taking accountability for. Agriculture is one of the world’s biggest emitters of carbon, so the more efficient we make the supply chain – or the less food we waste – the more we can reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. Not to mention reducing the intensity of farming in certain areas, protecting soil and habitats, or using less water or other precious resources.

Leading brands are already making this a priority. The UK’s biggest supermarkets now contribute to Wrap, a charity, which gives a detailed breakdown of how much food they waste. Smaller brands too should make this level of transparency the norm, allowing them to be held to account by consumers and raising standards across the board. Companies like Olio and Oddbox have even put stopping food waste at the heart of their business model, with fantastic success.

People can take individual action too. Plant-based diets as a whole are far easier than they were just a few years ago. Companies like Allplants have proven that taste, convenience and plants are a potent mix. In fact, for the duration of COP26 (sorry), I’ll only be eating plant-based meals, and welcoming every Grocer reader to join me. But far easier and more practical would be having one ‘plant-based day’ a week in your diet.

The same ethos, that small changes can make a big difference, holds true for brands as well. While we may look on with bemusement (or frustration) at the lack of action from policy makers at the top, our industry must keep challenging itself on actions we can take now. The secret of getting ahead really is getting started. Now, back to that cauliflower tikka masala.