South Pole worked with Nestle to create its Net Zero roadmap. As a global business with a significant agricultural value chain, including multiple brands with individual carbon neutrality goals, we had two important problems to solve.
First, how can we raise Nestle's climate ambitions by aligning emission reduction targets and reduction opportunities with the best available science.
Secondly, how can South Pole support the development and roll-out of a tangible net zero roadmap that encompasses and engages not just Nestle Corporate, but all of its individual brands, markets and key business units.
To begin, we reassessed Nestlé's 2018 Scope 3 inventory, engaging all relevant value chain stakeholders across its key sources of emissions. The inventory included all of Nestle's key raw ingredients. It was first conducted at corporate level along the entire value chain. It was then broken down towards zones, markets, and business units to ensure internal accountability.
Nestle's ambition was to be the first global leader to extend the scope of its greenhouse accounting to include all of its upstream supply chain and raw materials, from corn to cocoa.
Nestle aims for achieving science-based emission reductions of 50% by 2030, in line with a 1.5 degree scenario. South Pole supported the submission and approval of Nestle's emission reduction targets at the SBTI.
Taking the global inventory as a basis South Pole developed a tool to apply implementation roadmaps at relevant zone, market and business unit level. Using this, markets and business units can now fine tune specific baselines and pathways to achieve defined emission reduction targets.
We also engaged with a couple of Nestlé's Brands to support their climate neutrality journey.
Nestle has committed to halve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050 – even as its business continues to grow. The science-based targets that make-up this commitment include sustainable ingredients sourcing, removing carbon from the atmosphere and transforming the product portfolio, plus many more you can view in the Nestlé Net Zero roadmap.
As part of the Net zero roadmap development South Pole assessed of all potential global reduction projects along Nestlé's entire value chain. This included the estimation of the GHG emission reduction potential, associated costs and scalability to help Nestle achieve its 2030 ambitions.
Nestle also works with us on innovative ways to achieve its SBTs as well as its net zero ambition. For example, South Pole finances immediate climate action through high-quality carbon action credits coming from nature-based solution projects as well as verifying Nestle's own carbon project ideas. Nestlé brands aiming to achieve climate neutrality for their products also work with South Pole to find suitable carbon action credits that are aligned with the brand's values and story.
We also discuss on innovative platform and fund ideas to catalyse and scale climate action even beyond Nestle's business boundaries.
Finally, South Pole contributed to Nestle's communication of its global leadership position and their concrete actions. The Net Zero roadmap became a communication tool to inspire industry peers, competitors and the brands within the Nestle value chain.
