SWITZERLAND – World’s leading food and beverage company, Nestlé has announced its ambitions to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
As part of its commitment to tackle climate change, the company has also announced that it will be signing the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, he “Business Ambition for 1.5°C.”
In addition to the commitments, Nestlé poses that over the past four years, it has aligned its objectives with science-based targets to keep the temperature increase below 2°C.
According to the company, the efforts build on a decade of work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reflect its determination in playing a leading role in tackling climate change and build on a decade of work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the next two years, Nestlé said that it will lay out a time-bound plan including interim targets consistent with the 1.5°C path and review its progress annually to ensure it is on track.
“Climate change is one of the biggest threats we face as a society. It is also one of the greatest risks to the future of our business,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO.
“We are running out of time to avoid the worst effects of global warming. That is why we are setting a bolder ambition to reach a net-zero future.
“Deploying Nestlé’s global resources and industry know-how, we know we can make a difference at significant scale. Our journey to net zero has already started. Now, we are accelerating our efforts,” he added.
Specific action plan
To achieve its 2050 ambition, the Nestlé has laid outs some specific actions to include:
Nestle plans to use 100% renewable electricity in its factories, warehouses, logistics and offices. This will raise the number of factories using 100% renewable energy from the current 143 factories (representing a third of its factories).
Nestlé said that it will continue to increase the use of energy from renewable sources to enable suppliers invest in new infrastructure such as wind and solar farms.
Scaling up initiatives in agriculture to absorb more carbon. Nestlé pledged to strengthen its programs with farmers to restore land and limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The company seeks to step up efforts to protect forests by replanting trees and enhancing biodiversity and improving management of its dairys supply chain as it gears towards building resilient agricultural communities.
Speeding up the transformation of products in line with consumer trends and choices. Nestlé said that it will launch more products that have a better environmental footprint and contribute to a balanced diet.
This includes more plant-based food and beverage options as well as reformulating its products using more climate-friendly ingredients – as the company seeks to lend with the rapidly changing consumer needs.
In addition, the company said that it is also moving to alternative packaging
The company maintained that it will continue its advocacy for government policies to ensure all sectors move faster towards 1.5°C noting that the agenda requires transformational change across all disciplines.
