Premier Foods has announced its 2030 decarbonisation targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) following a rigorous validation process. Premier Foods has said it has some of the most ambitious targets for reducing emissions among UK businesses.
Home to brands such as Batchelors, Ambrosia, Mr Kipling and Sharwood’s, Premier Foods set itself specific goals to reduce emissions from its own operations and from those it buys goods and services from by 2030.
The SBTi has recognised these are in line with international efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees, based on extensive mapping of greenhouse gas emissions for its operations and supply chain.
“Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Effective action with the potential to change the course of temperature trends across the globe is only possible with rigorous scrutiny and measurement, which is why we wanted to work with the SBTi to get our own targets validated,” said Nick Brown, ESG Director at Premier Foods. “We’ve put a lot of effort into analysing our greenhouse gas emissions and those of the firms we work with so it’s important that we know we’re on the right track, with targets which are meaningful and will contribute to worldwide efforts. This validation gives us an important platform from which to take the next steps of our journey towards net zero.”
The validation achievement forms part of the business’s Enriching Life Plan ESG strategy which was launched 18 months ago and is articulated through three key strategic pillars: product, planet and people. Major sustainability targets were set under each pillar and key highlights of progress during the past financial year to 1 April 2023.
Under the product pillar, Premier Foods has launched or reformulated 207 products which support high nutritional standards and 172 products which offer an additional health and/or nutrition benefit.
One such innovation was creating Mr Kipling Deliciously Good cakes and fruit pies. The Deliciously Good range not only scores less than four on the Nutrient Profiling Model used by the UK government and contains less sugar, saturated fats and salt, but importantly delivers more fruit and great flavours for consumers.
The sales value of products meeting high nutritional standards has grown by 17% and plant-based products by 34% and 96% of all finished goods packaging is now recyclable.
For planet, the company achieved validation of decarbonisation targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Food waste in own operations was reduced by 11%, and Premier Foods ran consumer initiatives promoting a new charity partnership with FareShare through ‘Win a Dinner Give a Dinner’ to help raise awareness and funds to support those in food insecurity and offered advice to shoppers on reducing food waste at home.
For people, the company agreed a new five-year corporate charity partnership with FareShare, which fights hunger and food waste by redistributing good quality in-date surplus food to frontline charities across the UK. In the past year, more than 725,000 meals have been provided to Fareshare and other food poverty relief charities.
This is in addition to ensuring greater diversity in the company, as 47% of general management roles and 40% of senior management roles are held by females, both up from a year ago.
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