Focusing on regenerative agriculture and moving to renewable electricity, Nestlé redoubles efforts to combat climate change

This press release is also available in Français (pdf) and Deutsch (pdf)

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Vevey, December 3, 2020

Focusing on regenerative agriculture and moving to renewable electricity, Nestlé redoubles efforts to combat climate change

As a signatory of the UN 'Business Ambition for 1.5°C' pledge, Nestlé is one of the first companies to share its detailed, time-bound plan (pdf, 10Mb) and to do so ahead of schedule. The company is taking measures to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 – even as the company grows.

Actions focus on supporting farmers and suppliers to advance regenerative agriculture, planting hundreds of millions of trees within the next 10 years and completing the company's transition to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Additionally, Nestlé is continuously increasing the number of 'carbon neutral' brands.

Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said, "The Board recognizes the strategic importance of taking decisive measures to address climate change. It supports accelerating and scaling up our work to ensure the long-term success of the company and to contribute to a sustainable future for generations to come."

This roadmap is the result of a complete review of Nestlé's businesses and operations to understand the depth of the challenge and determine the actions needed to address it. The company emitted 92 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, which will serve as the baseline for measuring progress.

"Tackling climate change can't wait and neither can we. It is imperative to the long-term success of our business," said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO. "We have a unique opportunity to address climate change, as we operate in nearly every country in the world and have the size, scale and reach to make a difference. We will work together with farmers, industry partners, governments, non-governmental organizations and our consumers to reduce our environmental footprint."

Nestlé's work to get to net zero spans three main areas:

• The company is already working with over 500 000 farmers and 150 000 suppliers to support them in implementing regenerative agriculture practices. Such practices improve soil health and maintain and restore diverse ecosystems. In return, Nestlé is offering to reward farmers by purchasing their goods at a premium, buying bigger quantities and co-investing in necessary capital expenditures. Nestlé expects to source over 14 million tons of its ingredients through regenerative agriculture by 2030, boosting demand for such goods.