Manufacturers hit the target against the 1990 baseline, with emissions falling by 664,000t of carbon dioxide, ahead of the original deadline of 2020, according to a new report from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
“This report showcases that economic growth and success need not be at the expense of environmental ambitions,” said Truss.
‘Isn’t a series of buzz words’
“For FDF members, producing more with less isn’t a series of buzz words, it’s an opportunity to increase efficiency and competitiveness. These are real achievements and it’s encouraging to see that FDF remains committed to working with its partners across the supply chain to face the environmental and economic challenges of the future.”
FDF interim director general Jim Moseley said food and drink manufacturers were committed to working together to target environmental areas through the FDF Five-fold Environmental Ambition.
“Our significant achievement of an absolute reduction of 35% in carbon dioxide emissions is a result of continued focus on energy efficiency and low carbon innovation by members and proof that this collective approach is working,” said Moseley.
“This focus and drive to raise our collective environmental performance remains at the heart of the Five-fold Environmental Ambition and we will continue working together to improve resource efficiency, including revising our emissions target over the coming months.”
‘Environmental performance’
The FDF Five-fold Environmental Ambition progress report details improvements in sustainability performance in food and drink manufacturing operations since 2007.
In addition to hitting the carbon dioxide target, the industry had also cut water use by 15.6% and achieved a 4.5% reduction in the carbon impact of packaging against the 2015 zero increase target of the Waste & Resources Action Programme Courtauld Commitment.
FDF members had reduced food and packaging waste sent to landfill to just 3% and were now focusing on further reducing mixed waste to reach the zero waste to landfill target by the end of this year.
Former FDF director Melanie Leech said the food and drink industry was acutely conscious of the responsibilities that came with its scale as the UKvs largest manufacturing sector. “FDF's Five-fold Environmental Ambition is the roadmap for collective environmental performance,” said Leech.
“The FDF is committed to helping member companies adopt life-cycle thinking to help achieve more sustainable production and consumption, as well as promoting innovation and technology to help us meet the environmental, social and economic challenges we face.”
Read more about the new report here.