Sort by
Sort by

If we’re to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 we’ll need to make major changes to the ways we source and manufacture our products. But we’ve already made a start.

Since 2007, we’ve reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 61% in the UK and Ireland, through a combination of greater energy efficiency and moving  to renewable energy.

Since 2016, all of our factories and offices in the UK and Ireland transitioned to 100% renewable grid-supplied electricity by investing in the development of new wind power capacity.

  • We started with an onshore wind farm at Sanquhar (Dumfries and Galloway) in Scotland, which came onstream in 2018. And we achieved our goal in 2020 with a second windfarm off the North East Coast.
  • Each wind farm provides 50% of our UK power consumption, approximately 125GWh a year. That’s enough renewable electricity to power 60,000 homes. By doing this, we’re contributing directly to the de-carbonising of the UK and Ireland’s electricity supply.

We have also invested in renewable technologies to generate our own green energy, such as solar panels, hydropower, anaerobic digestion and biomass boilers.

net zero roadmap

Energy efficiency

Since 2007, we’ve improved our energy efficiency per tonne of product by 42%.

Greenhouse gas reduction

In the UK & Ireland, we’ve achieved a 61% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2007.

We’ve done this through:
Setting energy targets – by setting ambitious targets with clear milestones and conducting regular energy audits we’ve been able to optimise our spend and actions that have led to year-on-year improvements in our sustainability goals.
Integrated investment – we now integrate our investments in new assets to incorporate technologies that will minimise our environmental footprint and not compromise on production output.

On-site solutions

 

nestle tutbury coffee factory

A little sunshine in every cup

Our coffee production facility at Tutbury, producing freeze-dried, spray-dried and pod technology coffees, is one of the most efficient factories in the world.

Its solar panels produce an annual output of 448,459 kWh, reducing CO2 by 237, 235 kg.
On-site biomass burns its waste coffee grounds to heat the entire site and save thousands of lorry journeys for removal. The factory’s reverse-osmosis water pre-treatment plant allows us to clean and re-use much of the freshwater that we need.
 

tutbury factory outside employee

Our biomass avoids a biomess

At our factory in Tutbury, we use about 160,000 tonnes a year of waste coffee grounds to produce energy. 

We use the spent coffee grounds as fuel for our steam boilers. This not only reduces our need for other fuel sources but also saves the fuel we would otherwise use transporting the waste offsite and produces thermal energy at the same time.
 

Buxton factory derbyshire

Hydro-powered water

Already one of the most state-of-the art factories in Europe for bottling water, our plant in Buxton produces more than 2 million bottles a day of Buxton Natural Mineral Water and Nestlé Pure Life spring water. Approximately 30% of the power the site uses is generated by water and comes from a local hydroelectricity supplier Derwent Hydroelectric Ltd.
 

 

Six ways we’re working towards using 100% renewable energy

Solar energy
Rain or shine, 4000 solar panels at our factories in Fawdon & Tutbury reduce CO2 emissions by 457 tonnes a year.
Hydropower
Our factory in Buxton, gets 30% of its electricity from hydropower.
Anaerobic digester
Bacteria digest waste & create biogas to cover 6% of our energy needs at Fawdon.
Biomass
We burn waste coffee grounds to produce energy at our factory in Tutbury.
Green transport
We’re greening our logistics and incentivising employees to switch to electric.
Wind power
Since 2016, 100% of the electricity we procure has been renewable.

Transport and distribution – fuelled by ambition

A key part of our 2050 ambition is a cleaner, leaner logistics network. We’re optimising routes, filling vehicles more efficiently and working with logistics providers to switch to low emission fuels – green electricity, green hydrogen, liquified natural gas and biofuels made from waste rather than virgin crops.

We’re also reducing carbon emissions by moving more freight by rail and intermodal transport options. Our warehouses are minimising energy consumption by switching to renewable electricity and reducing waste.

New hub hubbub

Nestled strategically between the M1, the East Midlands airport and the new East Midlands Gateway rail terminal, in Leicestershire, our new futuristic digital distribution warehouse is helping us make our logistics more energy efficient.

We can now dispatch exports to the London area by rail. A liquified gas refuelling station is currently being developed at the site to enable Nestlé to operate energy-efficient gas trucks instead of diesel.

The 638,000 square foot distribution centre handles goods made by 11 of our manufacturing sites. The processes are designed to accommodate the highest throughput of any warehouse in Nestlé’s global network. It features:

  • advanced sorting systems
  • sophisticated robotics
  • state-of-the-art automation
  • energy-saving LED lighting
  • eco-friendly ammonia refrigeration
  • air source heat pumps and 
  • rainwater harvesting. 

Read more >

Forklift


 

double stacking rail logistics feed

Double-stacking rail logistics plan

Nestlé UK & Ireland has unveiled plans to increase freight capacity on trains to allow the double-stacking of products, an important step towards reducing its carbon footprint.

Net Zero Roadmap