Our Responsibility

In the past 10 years, Nestlé businesses globally have reduced their energy consumption by 42% per tonne of product. Nestlé is committed to realizing further savings in energy consumption and has set targets for continuous improvement.

In the UK, Nestlé works with The Carbon Trust, a Government funded organisation dedicated to reducing carbon emissions. We also work with trade associations, customers and others in the food industry to develop and implement energy saving initiatives and educational activities. Our sites are working to reduce emissions to comply with the UK Climate Change Levy Agreements and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. There is ongoing work on our carbon footprint across the supply chain and with our partners, looking at practical and long term measures to reduce it.

Target 2010: Reduce carbon usage by 10% against a 2006 baseline.

Successes

• Tutbury and Hayes coffee factories: Spent coffee grounds are used as fuel and supply over 20% of the sites’ energy needs. They are carbon neutral and reduce the need for non–renewable fuels – and there is no need to use landfill
  
  
• Between 2000 and 2007 Nestlé’s ozone depleting emissions in the UK and Ireland decreased by over 90% as a result of phasing out the use of
  HCFC refrigerants
  
   
• In 2007 we reduced our emissions of ozone depleting substances by 55%
  
  
• By the end of 2009 we will have phased out the use of HCFC refrigerants in all of our factories by 95%.
  Target 2009: Phase out >95% of HCFCs in refrigeration by year end.

We are working with the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) to find ways to reduce distribution impacts, in particular a collaborative distribution initiative, led by the IGD’s Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) programme, through which Nestlé partners with customers, suppliers and competitors to utilise vehicle fleets in the most efficient way.

Already, collaboration with customers and other food manufacturers such as United Biscuits has resulted in both companies reducing the empty running of vehicles by more than 150,000 kms since 2007. We are constantly looking for new ideas and for Easter 2008 we worked closely with ASDA to reduce the time spent on the road by sharing transport.

In 2007, the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy was developed between the food industry and government department, DEFRA. The strategy aims to reduce the environmental costs associated with food miles by 20% by 2012.

Nestlé in the UK & Ireland Target 2012: Reduce environmental costs* of our logistics by 20%.