Fresh Del Monte Produce has announced that its emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), as consistent with the levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The 27.5 per cent reduction target covers greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) and is consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to well-below 2°C.
Fresh Del Monte’s 12.3 per cent reduction target for emissions from its value chain (scope 3), including emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations and employee commuting meet the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, meaning they are in line with current best practice.
“We’re thrilled to receive approval of our emissions reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative, which furthers our commitment to protect the health of our planet today and for future generations,” said Hans Sauter, chief sustainability officer and senior vice-president of research and development at Fresh Del Monte. “The food system is a vital area for climate action and we hope to lead by example and inspire others in the industry to make the commitment toward this much needed change.”
As the first global marketer of fruits and vegetables to commit to the initiative in 2020, Del Monte noted that this marked a 'significant milestone', as only a few agricultural producers had developed emissions reduction targets grounded in climate science.
Last year, 63 per cent of the company’s capital expenditures benefitted climate action. To help manage its emissions, water, and waste, the company also created a proprietary new environmental action tool and database to track data facility by facility, covering 100 per cent of Fresh Del Monte’s global operations.
Sauter will join industry leaders in a panel discussion on 'Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture at the Center of Development Strategies - Challenges and Opportunities', at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Glasgow.
