Food and Drink Federation launches ambition to reach Net Zero by 2040
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the voice of the food and drink industry, has today announced its ambition on behalf of the sector to reach Net Zero by 2040.
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.
Updates & milestones
How have food and drink manufacturers progressed environmental targets?
UpdateIn this episode of the FDF podcast, the FDF’s Chief Scientific Officer, Helen Munday is joined by Skye Oudemans and Emma Mansbridge to explore the FDF’s recent Ambition 2025 progress and mid-term review reports. Both reports outlines the impressive progress made by food and drink manufacturers against environmental targets originally set out in 2016 as well as renewed ambitions the industry is aiming for by 2025.
Ambition 2025 progress report and mid-term review published
On 24 February, the FDF launched our Ambition 2025 Mid-term Review and Ambition 2025 Progress Report 2020 which was supported by a series of member case studies.
As highlighted in this year’s progress report, there has been exceptional progress in some areas, including:
- 55% reduction in CO2 emissions, five years before the target was due to be reached.
- 41.5% reduction in absolute water consumption in 2019 and support for the Courtauld 2025 Water Ambition.
- Contributed to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.
- Continued to build relationships with key stakeholders and with UK governments including through engagement on various the Plastics tax; undertook advocacy on PRN cost crisis; supported the UK Plastics Pact; and launched new guidelines on using recycled content in plastic packaging applications.
- Promoted the fewer and friendlier miles agenda through FDF’s 10 Point Checklist.
- Updated and promoted the Sustainability Resource Hub.
- Promoted the FDF Natural Capital Awareness Document.
The FDF also published a press release, with supporting quote from Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow MP. The launch has been extensively covered across the trade media.
News
The Food and Drink Federation publishes Ambition 2025 Progress and Mid-Term Review reports
Food and drink companies beat CO2 reduction targets five years early, leading to new sustainability commitments in far reaching report.
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A new online teacher training resource for Scotland’s schools and colleges aims to boost Scotland’s knowledge of Good Food. It provides a suite of resources to empower educators to teach secondary pupils about food, STEM and sustainability.
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Report: FDF's Ambition: Progress report 2020
24 February 2021
The FDF and our members remain committed to the sustainability agenda and delivering environmental improvements across all areas of our Ambition.
Read more