In 2019, Nestlé committed to reaching net zero emissions by no later than 2050. As the world’s largest food and beverage company this is no small undertaking.
Following detailed and rigorous work across our company, in December 2020 we published out net zero roadmap, charting a course for reducing emissions over the next 30 years or so. This objective involves our whole company – with every business, brand and employee playing their part.
Almost every week brings a new initiative or project designed to reduce, remove or compensate emissions across our value chain. This month we’ve joined other companies and partners in launching the ‘Rimba Collective’ – safeguarding 500,000 hectares of tropical forests in South East Asia. And we’ve just announced that one of our biggest brands – KitKat – will reach carbon neutrality by 2025.
No single company can go it alone on climate, of course. That’s why collective action is crucial in the effort to fast-track progress and avoid the worst scenarios indicated by science. Nestlé advocates for positive changes from policy makers to bring about the big system changes we need to see – from enabling access to electric and hydrogen trucks, to ensuring robust systems are in place to account for carbon reductions.
Looking ahead, we’re focused on making an absolute cut in emissions of 20% by 2025, even as our company grows. By 2030, this objective rises to cutting emissions by 50% against our 2018 baseline. One major contributor is the introduction of regenerative agricultural practices for our key food ingredients. We look forward to working with our suppliers and farmers on this in the years to come.
And finally, its essential for us to bring all our stakeholders along on the journey – including investors. At our Annual General Meeting on April 15, we received the backing of more than 95% of them for our roadmap, sending a strong signal of support for the work we are undertaking.
You can see more on our plans in the following video, and be sure to check our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts for the latest climate news from Nestlé:
Author: Owen Bethell, Senior Manager Environmental Impact, Global Public Affairs, Nestlé