Yes, the world’s largest food and drink company behind Nesquik, Cheerios, and Chocapic is hoping to make your first meal potentially the most eco-conscious one of your whole day.
Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) – the name of the partnership between Nestlé and General Mills, which together make Nestlé Breakfast Cereals – announced last week their plan to halve their own greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
David Clark, president and CEO at Cereal Partners Worldwide, acknowledged the growing threat of climate change and said: “As a company, we have a responsibility not only to our consumers but also to the communities in which we operate and to the planet.”
He added: “We have paid close attention to how we source ingredients and make our products for many years – so this is not the start of our journey to contribute to a better planet.
“The development of our 2050 Net Zero Roadmap is an important next step, and we are pleased to be setting ourselves clear actions to ensure we meet our targets.”
How is breakfast cereal bad for the environment?
As independent authority, The Good Shopping Guide, explained: “Toxic chemicals, pesticides, palm oil, and other non-sustainable ingredients in breakfast cereals is responsible for deforestation, habitat loss, and forcibly relocating indigenous communities. There’s also a surprising lack of vegetarian and vegan cereal options!”
It currently gives Nestlé a 43/100 ethical score.
How will your Nestlé becoming more eco-friendly?
It all comes down to sourcing the ingredients, according to CPW, as this contributes 56% of the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The company will be looking to focus on regenerative agriculture instead. This is where farmers are assisted in safeguarding their local biodiversity, water supplies and soil health, while reducing their dependency on conventional agri-chemicals.
It’s also shifting towards using palm oil, pulp, paper and cocoa supplies which are 100% deforestation-free.
CWP claims it will choose ingredients with lower carbon footprint by repurposing by-products or waste materials into new products and prioritising circular economy business models.
Packaging will apparently be made 100% from recycled materials by 2025, and it hopes to use 100% grid-sourced renewable electricity, switching to alternative renewable energy sources and reducing waste, too.