Carbon emissions: what are food & drink companies committing to?

It’s the biggest financial commitment yet to net zero initiatives by a consumer goods group.

The target is in line with last year’s government report that set the entire food industry the 2050 target for carbon-neutrality.

While the FDF recently claimed the industry would only get two-thirds of the way there without government support, some companies are ploughing ahead to set ambitious targets that set them apart from the industry.

Here, we take a look at some of the top pledges and achievements from across UK food and drink.

Tesco

Tesco is setting up solar farms, fitting solar panels across its stores and rolling out electric vehicles to try and bring forward its target to be net-zero on carbon emissions by 2035.

The retailer has partnered with renewable energy investor, Low Carbon, to set up three solar farms in Anglesey, Essex and Oxfordshire. It will fit thousands of solar panels across its UK stores with 60 stores set up so far.

This initiative, launched this month, brings forward the supermarket’s ambition to reach net zero in its UK operations from 2050 previously.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s pledged £1bn back in January to ensure it achieves net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Its primary focus will lie in reducing carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging and water usage while encouraging recycling, biodiversity and heathy, sustainable eating. It also intends to work with suppliers to encourage them to reduce their own carbon footprints.

Morrisons announced plans in March for the 3,000 UK farmers and growers that supply its vertically integrated food manufacturing business to achieve net zero carbon status by 2030.

The commitment will also allow Morrisons to produce affordable net zero carbon food some five years ahead of its main rivals, and 10 years ahead of the NFU’s 2040 net zero goal for the entire agriculture sector.

A net zero fresh egg range – the first product to meet Morrisons’ criteria – is expected to go on sale next year. Net zero carbon lamb, fruit, vegetables, pork and beef products will then be rolled out in the years to follow.

The supermarket has kicked off the project by working with a selection of meat and produce farmers to create net zero carbon farm ‘models’, where they will “look at the emissions picture through the whole lifecycle of farm produce – from germination to leaving the farmgate for a Morrisons store”.

Once a workable blueprint has been established, the models will be shared with all Morrisons farmers, “so that all food can be produced in this net zero carbon way”, it said.

Unilever

Unilever said in June it will invest €1bn in climate change projects and become carbon-neutral for all its products by 2039.

The money will be spent over the next 10 years to take meaningful and decisive action, with projects likely to include landscape restoration, reforestation, carbon sequestration, wildlife protection and water preservation.

The net zero emission target is built on existing efforts to cut emissions within the company by 2030.

“While the world is dealing with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and grappling with serious issues of inequality, we can’t let ourselves forget that the climate crisis is still a threat to all of us,” said Alan Jope, Unilever CEO.

Innocent

Innocent hopes to be carbon neutral by 2030. The drink maker’s cars and offices are already there while two-thirds of the electricity used to blend and bottle drinks comes from renewable sources. Airfreight, meanwhile, for moving goods around, is strictly banned.

The targets are consistent with keeping warming to well below 1.5°C.

Arla Foods

Arla is looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% per kilo of milk over the next decade as part of plans to ensure they are carbon net zero by 2050.

The strategy covers the whole supply chain “from cow to consumer” and addresses the climate, air, water and nature. While recognising it doesn’t “have all the answers yet”, the dairy co-op plans to explore commercial opportunities in the market to help drive the change, said Arla Foods’ CEO Peder Tuborgh.

The target is set for all markets Arla operates in, although the company recognises some countries might reach the target sooner due to local conditions.

Müller

Müller has committed to become carbon net zero by 2050 and cut its footprint by 40% by 2025. It already claims to be the UK’s largest operator of electric vehicles.

It has promised to deliver a carbon reduction roadmaps for dairy agricultural emissions next year once it completes a review on the viability and impact of different environmental improvement systems on farms.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is committed to reduce all emissions by 50% by 2025. The company has also pledged to reduce the emissions per ‘drink in your hand’ by 35% the same year.

It intends to make 100% of the total electricity used in plants in EU and Switzerland to come from renewable and clean sources.