That was the view of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), responding to the announcement that the UK should aim to become the first major economy to commit to ending its contribution to global warming.
“This Government announcement to set the UK on a course towards net zero emissions of greenhouse gases is a very welcome and an important step towards tackling climate change,” said an FDF spokeswoman in response to the news.
‘Unprecedented pressures’
“As part of the wider food chain, food and drink manufacturers are well aware of the unprecedented pressures that climate change poses to future food production, competition for land use access, and the need to tackle food waste.
“We now call on Government to bring forward the policies needed to meet this new challenging target. In particular, this will need to include policies on how to decarbonise heat production and to ensure that the people of the UK have access to sustainable and nutritious food.”
The House of Commons and the House of Lords fast-tracked measures enshrining the target in law last month.
‘Far-reaching implications’
In addition to fundamentally changing domestic energy and fuel use, the law is likely to have far-reaching implications for the food and drink industry.
Launching the regulation on 27 June, energy and clean growth minister Chris Skidmore said: “The UK kick-started the Industrial Revolution, which was responsible for economic growth, but also for increasing emissions.
“Today, we’re leading the world yet again in becoming the first major economy to pass new laws to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.”