The chocolate manufacturer has formed a 15-year partnership with renewable energy company Community Wind Power. The deal will see a brand new nine turbine wind farm open in Dumfries and Galloway in the first half of 2017.
The new wind farm will produce about 125GWh of power each year, enough to supply the annual demands of 30,000 homes.
Nestlé – which already sourced its grid supplied electricity in the UK from renewable energy – aimed to reduce its UK carbon footprint by 40% by 2020.
It also aimed to achieve 100% renewable electrical energy globally in the shortest practical timescale through the RE100 scheme.
RE100 is a global initiative to engage, support and showcase companies committed to using 100% renewable power.
Company’s energy goals
Chairman and ceo of Nestlé UK & Ireland Dame Fiona Kendrick called the announcement a step further towards the company’s energy goals.
“This is a newly commissioned wind farm, generating new energy, creating capacity that didn’t previously exist and capable of providing half of our electricity needs,” said Kendrick.
“We know the role we have to play in UK and Ireland society and are serious about doing things the right way.
“Whether that’s looking at health and wellness, our carbon footprint, our supply chain, our people, there is work to be done.
‘Tackling the challenges ahead’
“We are making great progress and I know that everyone at Nestlé here in the UK is focused on tackling the challenges ahead of us to reach our goals.”
RE100 campaign director Emily Farnworth said: “Today’s announcement takes the company a step closer to its goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity across its global operations.
“It reinforces the strong market signal – sent through RE100 – that business demand for renewables is rising.”
Nestlé’s announcement came on the day the firm released a report that took a detailed look at the key achievements it has made against its goals – to be a responsible and sustainable business – over the last two years.
The report, titled Nestlé in Society, covered the company’s work on youth employment, its switch to sourcing 100% certified sustainable cocoa earlier this year and becoming one of the first major manufacturers to pay the living wage in 2014.