IDM ¦ Sustainability
One bite at a time
Tackling carbon neutrality
Carbon neutrality is an imperative
global goal to halt global
warming. But it can also have
a significant benefit on a
company’s performance.
The risks of climate change now need
little introduction. We are already starting
to live with the impacts of a changing
climate on communities, businesses
and supply chains. Within the food and
beverage industry climate change is already
impacting food production, water
scarcity and extreme weather events, all
which pose huge risks to businesses and
future food security.
The most recent Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report
in October last year delivered the unnerving
news that we have less than
a 12-year window to act on climate
30 · February 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees
Celsius. It made plain that limiting
warming to 2°C will not be enough
to prevent the most serious impacts. In
order to achieve this goal, we need to
reach global net zero carbon emissions
by 2050.
And now there is a more public face
to the voice for change. Protests by Extinction
Rebellion and school children
around the globe have been recently
dominating headlines, meaning climate
change has suddenly pushed its way to
the forefront of public consciousness
with pressure for action on carbon neutrality
rising with it.
The UK food supply chain from
production to consumption accounts
for about 20% of UK greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions1. This makes it vulnerable
to increased demands for climate
action particularly in a sector susceptible
to changing consumer demands
and exposed to NGO pressure. Understanding
this, the sector as a whole
has already been proactive in emissions
reduction efforts. The Food and Drink
(FDF) has pledged a 55% reduction in
emissions by 2025 as part of its Ambition
2025 initiative and has reported
impressive progress on targets so far.2
What’s in it for us?
The calls for carbon neutrality might
appear highly ambitious and even a
little doom-mongering at times, but
they also present significant opportunities
to the food and beverage industry
– from meeting increasing consumer
preference for low carbon products;
costs saved through energy reduction
programs; greater innovation to
achieve competitive advantage; enhancement
of brand reputation; better
preparedness for future legislation and
the building of more financially- and
climate-resilient supply chains. Many
stakeholders now want to see that
companies have properly accounted
for climate change. Consumers are increasingly
opting for more environmentally
friendly brands, with employees
wanting to work for more responsible
companies3 and the investor community
making plain their commitment
to withdrawing shareholder backing if
climate is not adequately addressed.4
Tackling climate should now be seen
as an opportunity to keep stakeholders
happy, secure business and safeguard
long-term investment.
For any business, ambitious reduction
targets – particularly carbon neutrality
– is a significant commitment,
not least in an industry dependent on
complex supply chains and trying to
maintain competitiveness in a crowded
market. However, it is not insurmountable
when undertaken as a journey,
and one that can be broken down into
achievable stages.
Pathway to carbon neutrality
Before beginning your carbon neutrality
journey, gathering reliable data and
putting in place systems for collection
and monitoring will be vital. This is the
only way to have a true understand-
Mark Chadwick, CEO Eco-Art: Obtaining
good data and calculating a footprint
using internationally recognised
methods will help you comply with
both existing and future GHG reporting
requirements