Emissions and Climate Change
Reducing our carbon footprint meant taking a hard look at our value chain — and ways we can meet our new climate goal. As a result, we’ve committed to set a climate goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard.
Science Based Targets
Del Monte Foods is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Science Based Targets Initiative’s (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard. To achieve this goal, we have also defined near-term science-based targets to reduce Scopes 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions that support SBTi’s focus on limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Del Monte Foods commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 42% by FY2030 from a FY2021 base year. Del Monte Foods also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions 25% within the same timeframe. Aligning with SBTi gives the company a clearly defined and measurable path to not only achieve its long-term goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, but also drive near-term and consistent progress for reducing emissions across its supply chain. Science-based targets provide companies with an established approach, including 2030 milestone goals, to reduce emissions that also support the Paris Agreement.
Climate Roadmap
Empowered with an informed plan, we’re working toward our interim goal to achieve a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030 through changes at our facilities. We aim to reduce our Scope 3, or indirect emissions, by 25% by 2030 through actions in our transportation, packaging and agricultural supply chains.
We worked with third-party consultants to develop our science-based approach and have identified strategies to improve our overall carbon footprint and help us reach our goals. While we believe our journey to net zero emissions is achievable, we have a roadmap – not a GPS. Reaching our goals entails unknown future contingencies and will require perseverance, commitment, and continued collaboration across our customers and partners. Below are more details on the five areas we’re accelerating to reduce our emissions.
By investing in building efficiency improvements, we aim to reduce electricity consumption. Our engineering teams are also identifying ways to make our production process more efficient and reduce the natural gas needed to run our facilities.
By evaluating and consolidating our operational footprint, we will be able to more efficiently produce our products while using less energy resources.
Our logistics team is constantly evaluating routes to increase the efficiency of our transportation routes. By locating suppliers who are closer to our facilities, we are reducing emissions from upstream transportation. By optimizing our warehouse locations, we’re eliminating miles in downstream transportation as well. We’re focused on making sure our products don’t travel further than they need to reduce our supply chain emissions.
While steel is a widely recycled material, it is also very carbon intensive. Decreasing weight of steel use and other decarbonization efforts within the steel industry are the lever with greatest reduction potential.
Most of the ingredients that we source are relatively low-carbon intensive products like fruits and vegetables. We’re partnering with our network of growers to accurately capture the carbon savings associated with their regenerative soil practices such as cover cropping and low-till agriculture.