
Net Zero & the Consumer - The FDF hosts networking event
The FDF held its first ever Sustainability Networking Event as part of its mission to lead the way in tackling the urgent sustainability agenda.
The FDF's 'Ambition 2025 - Shaping Sustainable Value Chains' builds on the success of our Five-Fold Environmental Ambition and is the next step on our journey to help deliver a more sustainable food system.
A competitive and sustainable UK food and drink manufacturing sector has the potential to make a real contribution to future food security and sustainable growth. The proposal is composed of two elements; Resource Efficiency, an evolution of the original Five-Fold Environmental Ambition, and Shaping Future Value Chains, a new pillar of the ambition.
On Resource Efficiency, Ambition 2025 includes a target for reducing CO2 emissions as well as quantitative and qualitative deliverables around water use, reduction of food waste, use of more sustainable packaging and the reduction of emissions from transport. The FDF and its members will also contribute to WRAP's Courtauld 2025 targets.
On Shaping Future Value Chains, Ambition 2025 includes targets on sustainable supply chains and natural capital.
Case Study
Quorn Foods is benefitting from a reduction in carbon emissions by 365 tonnes, and an annual saving in electricity costs of £71,843.
Case Study
Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) is committed to work in harmony with people and nature and, through its sustainability framework, gives urgent focus to reducing waste in a way that protects the environment and benefits society.
Case Study
A 1MWe CHP unit from Centrica Business Solutions is helping one of Europe’s largest bakery plants save £400k per year, while also reducing CO2 emissions by 1,000 tonnes.
Case Study
Five of the UK’s largest branded manufacturers: Mars UK, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever, have collaborated to form a £1 million fund to help make flexible plastic recycling economically viable for recyclers and easier for consumers.
Case Study
Home to Ribena blackcurrants for more than 80 years, the UK has until now provided the perfect climate for growing the 10,000 tonnes of blackcurrants required to make Ribena annually.
Case Study
S2G Energy has harnessed Centrica Business Solutions’ energy insights technologies using Panoramic Power™ wireless sensors and PowerRadar™ system to help Altex Group take control of its energy costs.
The FDF’s Ambition 2025 progress report has been published. Please find the accompanying Press Release on the FDF website here.
The report showcases the progress made by the food and drink industry in all our target areas – from food waste to transport to natural capital – to create a more sustainable food supply chain. The key highlight is that FDF members have lowered CO2 emissions by 58% since 1990. Our members have also cut water consumption by 39.4%, successfully contributing to an industry-wide target to reduce water use by 20%.
In all these areas, food and drink companies continue to deliver progress, working across supply chains through industry initiatives, including Courtauld 2030, UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and the UK Plastics Pact.
We are delighted to announce the expert panel of speakers joining us to discuss the topic of "Net Zero versus reality?" at our upcoming Food and Drink Federation Conference taking place at The National Gallery on 22 March 2022.
Climate change is the biggest global threat to our sector but is there a trade-off between achieving the net zero ambition and financial performance? This panel looks at the sector’s challenges and in particular how our diet impacts on that ambition. Can we have a healthy balance AND sustainable diet?
Key speakers:
Other topics we will cover include:
On 24 November, WRAP, in partnership with WWF, The Rivers Trust and many other supporting organisations, launched the Roadmap towards Water Security for the Food & Drink Supply to protect vital water resources for the benefit of nature, local communities and the food and drink sector.
The Water Roadmap will be delivered by a coalition of water stewardship expert bodies, on-the-ground delivery agencies and UK food and drink organisations. The Water Roadmap builds on the success of the Courtauld Commitment Water Ambition to deliver even more ambitious changes across the food system in support of the new Courtauld Commitment 2030 target and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The new Water Roadmap directly addresses the climate risk and food security issues surrounding water stewardship whilst highlighting the need for urgent adaptation and action.
It includes:
A total of 65 supporters, including 50 leading food & drink organisations such as Asda, Co-op, Coca Cola GB, M&S, Nestle UK & Ireland, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, are already supporting the Water Roadmap, and WRAP is calling for more to join this growing movement of companies, who are committed to taking action on water.
Does your company have a leading environmental initiative?
The FDF Environmental Leadership awards category is for companies that can meet either of the criteria below:
Enter before the closing date of 28 February 2022, for your chance to win. It’s completely free to enter!
Our Head of Climate Change & Energy Policy, Emma Piercy, is undertaking a PGDip in Sustainable Business at Cambridge – and is now working on an ‘Analysis Paper’ looking at a sustainability challenge in the food and drink sector – specifically looking at the role FDF can play in helping to drive change, and then applying those conclusions to the Net Zero policy area. This will be followed by a second assignment around creating an action plan on account of recommendations from the analysis paper.
As part of the research she is reaching out to different stakeholder groups – and there is a specific questionnaire for food and drink manufacturers, and it is open to both members and non-members of FDF: there are 9 multiple choice questions with the option to add additional comments – and 3 free text questions. All information gathered is confidential and non-attributable unless explicit permission is otherwise given. The final paper will be viewed only by Cambridge University and key FDF staff.
If you would like to participate in this survey – you can do so via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DR8ZR3R
Responses to the survey are requested by Friday 20th August, but will be open a little longer. Thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing your views!
The FDF held its first ever Sustainability Networking Event as part of its mission to lead the way in tackling the urgent sustainability agenda.
Ahead of the Scottish Council Elections 2022 – FDF Scotland sets out our asks for Scotland's local authorities.
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Air quality impacts health and the environment, UK food and drink industry is subject to regulatory frameworks with future ambition in the Clean Air Strategy.
The UK food and drink industry welcomes the net zero target by 2050, with 2020 a key year for developing policy on climate change, energy and heat.
Food waste is a priority for UK food and drink industry, with a focus on driving out inefficiency to prevent waste and surpluses from occurring.
The UK food and drink industry relies on packaging to help protect food, prevent food waste, and contribute to wider sustainability goals.
The UK food and drink industry is adopting schemes to address environmental, social and economic sustainability to drive sustainable supply chains.
10 March 2022
In 2020, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and our members achieved the target of reducing CO2 emissions set in the Ambition 2025 commitment – five years earlier than planned. In 2021 we set our sights even higher.
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