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A sustainable future, for ourselves and our world

Our quality of life depends on the health of our planet’s natural resources, fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, fertile soil to grow our food. All of these are interconnected. But they now hang in the balance. The way that we produce and consume food is taking a toll on the environment and threatening the very natural systems we depend on.

We’ve witnessed the devastating impacts of tipping the scales too far – major droughts, floods, extreme fires, changing global temperatures. Clearly, urgent action is needed to halt and reverse climate change and create a sustainable future for us all. It’s time for change.

planet infographic

What is going wrong?

How we grow, process, transport, consume and waste food is hurting people and the planet. Global food production is the single largest cause of environmental degradation, climate instability and has a significant impact on seven of the nine planetary boundaries.

At the same time, unhealthy diets have become the main cause of disease. Obesity has led to an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and cancers; undernutrition is the major cause of child mortality and health problems for more than 900 million people.

To live in a future where our health and the environment are not irreversibly damaged, we need to start living within our planet’s ability to support us.

What needs to change?

Meeting the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement demands an urgent and fundamental shift in the way that we produce and consume food.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change maps out four pathways that would enable us to stay within 1.5°C of warming, with different combinations of land use and technological change. Central to all of these are:

  • Reforestation
  • Electrification of transport
  • Carbon capture technology

What are we doing to change things?

Our 2050 Net Zero Roadmap (pdf, 400Kb) sets out our plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, even as our business continues to grow. We are working to reduce emissions across the value chain by supporting a transition to regenerative agriculture, operating more efficiently using renewable electricity and using more sustainably managed and renewable resources to safeguard the environment. We also have a key focus on reducing the use of plastics and making sure those we use are recyclable or reusable by as soon as 2025. We also strive to create less waste, preserve our natural habitats and encourage consumers to play their part. We are working to improve water stewardship throughout our value chain.