Addo Food Group targets net-zero emissions by 2035

The owner of food brands such as Wall's, Bowyers and Pork Farms has announced its intention to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 by setting science-based targets across its whole value chain in line with the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement.


Addo Food Group targets net-zero emissions by 2035

The Group will also upskill employees to educate them on new climate-related initiatives as they are introduced

Addo Food Group has committed to net-zero emissions by 2035 and has joined the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) Business Ambition for 1.5C as a signatory. Addo Food Group joins more than 600 other companies in joining the SBTi-led initiative by pledging to set a net-zero target in line with the 1.5C pathway.

The company’s net-zero target for 2035 will be supported by science-based targets that account for the whole value chain. The targets are yet to be confirmed but will be validated against the latest SBTi criteria once published.

Addo Food Group’s chief executive Deborah Bolton said: “In the run-up to COP26 later this year, the importance of sustainable business has never been clearer. Climate change and its impact on society is no longer a problem for tomorrow – it is happening now and it’s why we must be brave and set ourselves a 2035 target to achieve net-zero.

“We believe the food sector has a vital role to play in the transition to a zero-carbon economy and, as such, we have a responsibility to take meaningful action and we intend to lead on this as part of our wider business transformation strategy. We have always put environmental concerns at the forefront of our operations, but now we’re committing to bolder, more tangible action as we align our business with the transition to net-zero.”

The net-zero intention is yet to be supported by an in-depth strategy, but the Group aims to publish a detailed pathway to net-zero. It looks set to include measures to improve the carbon intensity of packaging, reduce food waste and embrace the circular economy.

The Group will also upskill employees to educate them on new climate-related initiatives as they are introduced. Additionally, the leadership team will partake in CPD-certified training on climate literacy to ensure they understand the technical aspects and terminology of the new net-zero goal.

Research from the Food Climate Research Network suggests that the consumption of food in the UK, accounting for agriculture through to consumer use, accounts for 19% of the nation’s product and services greenhouse gas emissions. Addo Food Group believes it has a key role to play in driving the sector to decarbonise.

The mainstreaming of 1.5C

The setting of 1.5C science-based targets has risen in prominence since the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report, outlining the severe planetary impact of failing to limit global heating to 1.5C.

Indeed, the SBTi is currently working on a new global standard to ensure that corporate net-zero carbon targets are aligned with climate science.

Addo Food Group is the latest company to align with the net-zero movement. Earlier this month, Screwfix and B&Q’s parent firm Kingfisher had carbon reduction targets consistent with the required pace to limit global warming to the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement approved by the SBTi, while both packaging firm DS Smith and consultants Turner & Townsend have unveiled net-zero commitments.

Commenting on the new commitment from Addo Food Group, CDP’s chief executive – one of the SBTi partners – Paul Simpson said: “The science is clear; in order to limit the catastrophic impacts of climate change, we must ensure warming does not exceed 1.5C.

“The ambition is high but it’s achievable, and science-based targets give companies a roadmap for reaching this target. Corporations worldwide have an unprecedented opportunity to be at the very forefront of the transition to a net-zero economy and there is no time to lose.”


edie’s Net-Zero Carbon Playbook and Net-Zero Carbon Reporting Guide 

Readers working on their organisation’s own transition to net-zero are encouraged to download edie’s latest free reports. 

The Net-Zero Carbon Playbook, produced in association with Centrica Business Solutions and featuring input from The Climate Group and our Countdown to COP26 Festival partner O2, inspires and empowers businesses to ramp up efforts across all areas of sustainable development to achieve net-zero. Wherever you are on your journey, the Playbook contains practical advice for accelerating progress. 

The Business Guide to Net-Zero Carbon Reporting, meanwhile, outlines how businesses should be measuring and reporting their climate impacts throughout the transition to net-zero. Featuring expert insight from Carbon Intelligence, the Guide provides this insight through the lens of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and science-based targets – two business-critical enablers of the net-zero carbon transition. 

Click here to access the Net-Zero Carbon Playbook. 

Click here to access the  Business Guide to Net-Zero Carbon Reporting. 


Matt Mace

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