Wendy’s Among 50 Food Companies with High Emissions

The food industry accounts for a large percentage of the global emissions figure. Farming and food made up around a third of global greenhouse production in 2020, which can be expected this year with the rise in population and the demand for food products during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ceres: an Organisations for Change

Ceres, a non-profit organisation committed to a sustainable future, has launched a campaign to promote further sustainability action among 50 food companies. The organisation has provided many contributions to the betterment of global emissions beyond the food industry, such as the Commit to Climate initiative, Connect the Drops, and Paris Aligned Investment Initiative. 

The campaign follows a report that benchmarks the companies based on the quality of their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The list includes McDonald’s, JBS USA, Walmart, Wendy’s, and Starbucks.

The companies highlighted in the report are ‘lagging in key areas that are necessary to increase the ambition of their climate transition action plans’, Ceres says. Some companies have not disclosed emissions information relating to agriculture and land-use change. The study was carried out through the assessment of public disclosure information, including corporate websites, sustainability reports, and disclosure platforms. 

Those included in the list will be asked to deliver on certain tasks, such as:

• Disclosing emissions across their entire value chains.
• Setting science-based targets to meet the standards set by the Paris Agreement.
• Developing a climate transition action plan.
• Reporting on the progress against the action plan.

‘High-emitting food companies have a significant role to play in achieving a net-zero emissions economy,’ says Julie Nash, Director of Food and Forests at Ceres ‘Moving top North American food companies to disclose and reduce supply-chain emissions will have considerable ripple effects in the global food and agriculture sector.’