CO2 Emissions

Policy Position

FDF's Ambition to Cut CO₂ Emissions

FDF members are committed to an industry-wide¹ absolute target to reduce CO₂ emissions² by 20% by 2010 against a 1990 baseline³.

However, as the voice of the UK food and drink industry, FDF wishes to send a clear message nationally and to the international business community about the scale and urgency of the problem.

FDF members are therefore committed to going further still in the medium-term and aspire to achieve a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2020 compared to 1990.

Delivering Our Ambition

FDF members reduced their CO₂ emissions by 17% in 2006 compared to 1990. This amounts to an average saving of 58,000 tonnes of CO₂, the equivalent of taking 22,000 cars off UK roads each year, members are working to achieve more, e.g. under FDF’s voluntary Climate Change Agreement with the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

FDF has launched new service for FDF members which will allow companies to review and reduce energy use in food and drink refrigeration. Such technical surveys have the capability, on average, to identify refrigeration related energy savings and emissions reductions of up to 25%.

FDF has worked with environmental consultants Enviros to develop a Carbon Management Best Practice Guide (pdf, 228kb). It provides tips for improving the efficiency of energy using equipment such as boilers, ovens and refrigeration plants.

FDF has been proactive in the development of the carbon footprinting debate. In particular, we have worked closely with BSI, Carbon Trust and others on a methodology for measuring the carbon footprints of food and non-food products as a member of the Publicly Available Standard (PAS 2050) Steering Group.

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Background

Climate change is arguably the biggest single challenge facing mankind and the planet. Experts advise that the Earth is locked into a pattern of rising temperature and sea levels that is almost certainly the result of human activities⁴. The main cause is the release of greenhouse gases, such as CO₂, into the atmosphere. The climatic effect is proving extreme and unpredictable.

Tackling climate change requires everyone to play their full part – the public sector, energy suppliers, industry and private individuals alike. The UK food and drink manufacturing sector has made a very good start. It has reduced its CO₂ emissions significantly since 1990. However, given the scale of the challenge, no sector can afford to be complacent. We must all do more.

Footnote 1: Proposed in the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy published by Defra in 2006.
Footnote 2: Refers to CO₂ arising from the use of energy (from fossil fuels, gas and electricity) at food and drink manufacturing installations.
Footnote 3: Based upon a combination Dukes data published by DTI and, from 2001, data gathered under FDF's Climate Change Agreement.
Footnote 4: Source: UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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