Nestlé pledge to make ‘every cup’ of Nespresso coffee carbon neutral by 2022.
The company announced the ambitious plan last week, which will see it achieve climate-conscious coffee for both at-home and professional customers via a three step plan which will focus on emissions in its supply chain and product life cycle.
The company has already achieved carbon neutrality across some business operations , which it has maintained since 2017. The new pledge will build upon this through planting trees in and around the farms where its coffee is sourced and supporting carbon offsetting projects.
CEO of Nespresso Guillaume Le Cunff said it was another step towards transitioning to sustainable practices.
“Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments. That is why we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon neutral cup of coffee by 2022. A coffee, made from the finest and rarest beans, sustainably sourced. I truly believe that both our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good in the world by tackling this pressing issue,” he said.
Nestlé will decarbonise its value chain by committing to 100% renewable energy across its boutiques and upping its use of biogas in manufacturing processes as well as increasing the amount of recycled plastic used in its machines and recycled and low carbon virgin aluminium in its capsules.
It will also triple its capacity for planting trees in Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Costa Rica, where the bulk of coffee is sourced.
The move earned the nod of approval from celebrity Nespresso ambassador George Clooney.
“Climate change is happening now, which means that we must all take responsibility and action, quickly,” he said.
“It’s clear that Nespresso understands this urgency and is putting our planet and people front and center of the choices it makes. These ambitions and vision build on a commitment to sustainability that I have been privileged to have been involved in over the last seven years. I’ve seen how far we’ve come in that time, and I’m excited to see the good that Nespresso can deliver in the next 10 years.”
They are the latest company to announce plans to move towards more sustainable practices. Earlier this month Unilever announced it would invest heavily in removing the use of virgin fossil fuels in its cleaning and laundry products within 10 years as part of its Clean Future strategy, part of its broader climate goals.
Mondelez recently also tightened regulations throughout its palm oil supply chains, while Darrell Lea removed its use completely.