Company also says it will sustainably source its 10 priority ingredients - half its total purchases - by 2020
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Global food giant General Mills has promised to set targets for its own greenhouse gas emissions and do more to reduce them through its supply chain, while sustainably sourcing its 10 priority ingredients - half its total purchases - by 2020.
The U.S.-based multinational, whose brands include Green Giant, Cheerios, Yoplait and Häagen-Dazs, said it "recognises the risks that climate change presents to humanity, our environment and our livelihoods".
"Business, together with governments, NGOs and individuals, needs to act to reduce the human impact on climate change," it said, announcing its new climate policy on Monday.
Changes in the climate affect both global food security and General Mills’ supply of raw materials, the company said, impacting on its ability to deliver "quality, finished product to our consumers and ultimately, value to our shareholders".
The company said nearly two thirds of the emissions and 99 percent of water use in the company's value chain occur upstream of its direct operations, in agriculture, ingredients and packaging.
"This is where we can achieve the greatest reduction in our environmental footprint while ensuring the long-term availability of ingredients," it said.
Measures General Mills plans to take include investing in sustainable agriculture to strengthen the livelihoods and climate resilience of smallholder farmers, and improving the most at-risk watersheds in its key growing and operating regions.
It has committed to reducing its own natural resource consumption year on year, and contributing to cross-industry efforts to cut food waste and donate surplus food. It also aims to achieve "zero net deforestation" in high-risk supply chains - such as palm oil, packaging fibre, beef, soy and sugarcane - by 2020.
"Reducing our total environmental footprint is essential for the long-term health of our business and will contribute to the overall health of the planet," it added.
The company plans to report progress towards the goals on an annual basis in its Global Responsibility Report.
The announcement was welcomed by international development charity Oxfam, which has been campaigning for the biggest food and beverage companies to address emissions in their supply chains.
"General Mills is the first food company to commit to establishing a total supply chain target that applies to agriculture and that is responsive to what the latest science demands," said Heather Coleman, a senior policy adviser on climate change at Oxfam America.
She urged Kellogg Company, also a target of Oxfam's campaign, to follow suit.
The Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP) coalition, more than 30 major companies advocating for innovative climate and clean energy policies, said General Mills had joined its ranks.
BICEP said in a statement its members had been vocal proponents of renewable energy, greener transport and stricter pollution controls on power plants.
(Editing by Tim Pearce; timothy.pearce@thomsonreuters.com)
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