Our Top Stories
Long live transparency: With greenwashing taking centre stage in the media and awareness growing among consumers, businesses are having to make difficult decisions to avoid controversy, particularly when it comes to carbon neutrality. However, the easy decision is to simply become climate transparent, according to Foodservice Footprint. Food businesses can no longer hide their impact. Well thought out, robust science-based targets - reported openly and honestly - will put companies ahead of the competition. We are now entering the era of transparency. [Foodservice Footprint]
The climate efforts of the world: The BBC has pulled together an interactive chart which shows each country’s trends in greenhouse gas emissions, and whether climate change efforts match the pledges made by governments. Countries are at the Bonn climate conference this week discussing their pledges in preparation for COP28 later this year. [BBC]
The Zero Waste Bag: TerraCycle has launched new direct-to-consumer bags for hard-to-recycle plastics, which in the absence of a unified kerbside recycling scheme across the UK - first promised by the Government in 2018 - comes as a practical solution to shift to a more circular economy. Edie reports on the new scheme, with WRAP welcoming the launch. The NGO’s senior sector specialist Adam Herriott said he is “delighted to see that citizens will have the option and opportunity to be able to recycle more”. However, there still needs to be unified efforts to eliminate unnecessary plastic entirely from the supply chain. [Edie]
Brand Spotlight - Premier Foods
Premier Foods, which owns brands including Mr Kipling and Sharwoods, has received verification from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its new climate goals. Meeting the goals will require the business to deliver a 66.8% reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions this decade, with 2021 as the baseline year. Premier Foods sees the verification as a vital foundation from which to take the next steps of their journey towards net-zero. [Edie]
Research Corner
Microbes and their climate superpower: Feng Tao and his team from Tsinghua University in Beijing have found that microbes are by far the most important factor in determining how much carbon is stored in the soil. The new insights point agricultural researchers toward studying farm management practices that may influence microbial carbon use efficiency to improve soil health, which also helps ensure greater food security. [Nature]
Stat Attack
“While more than 80% of businesses have set targets to reach net-zero emissions, more than one-third do not believe they have the budget to do so, with others also bemoaning a lack of data and a changing regulatory environment.”
Source: Hitachi Vantara / Edie
The Big Picture
About Reewild
The food and agriculture industry is at the heart of the climate crisis, generating around a third of man-made greenhouse emissions. And while the challenge of reducing its impact may seem beyond our grasp, it is one that we all have the power to tackle.
We believe that the solution lies in climate transparency. That’s why we’re equipping businesses with the means to evaluate and communicate the emissions of their products. This, in turn, means consumers are armed with credible, independent information, which can be used to make more sustainable choices.
We know that many people want to take climate action but lack the necessary tools and information to do so. We're confident that, armed with the right knowledge, everyone can and will do their bit to build a greener, more sustainable food system.
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