PepsiCo's CSO Targets Resilient, Sustainable Food Systems
Amid extreme weather and population growth, what does it take to make our food systems resilient and sustainable?
That is the question PepsiCo’s Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew will pose when he takes to the stage for the opening keynote at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC.
Jim, who earlier this year was named as number one in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Leaders 2025, is one of the sustainability world’s best-known and most respected leaders.
PepsiCo and sustainability integration
Jim Andrew is set to unveil key insights into PepsiCo’s strategy for sustainability.
Although the full details won't emerge until the event at Convene, 360 Madison Avenue, NYC, on 22 September, PepsiCo prioritises six critical areas to enhance sustainability.
The first area is positive agriculture and regenerative farming, essential for conserving resources.
PepsiCo commits to implementing restorative or protective farming techniques more than 10 million acres by 2030.
Regenerative farming methods, which include enhancing soil vitality, optimising water use, planting cover crops, and minimising soil disruption, are at the centre of this initiative.
Another pillar is water stewardship. PepsiCo sets challenging water conservation goals, reaching milestones two years early in high water-risk areas.
It aims for 100% water replenishment in these areas, a goal set not just for its own operations but for its franchise bottlers as well.
Sustainable sourcing and ingredients is next. By 2030, PepsiCo intends to sustainably source 90% of its key ingredients, ensuring that its practices prevent deforestation and land conversion.
Collaborative efforts with suppliers, governments, NGOs and research initiatives like the Climate Resilience Platform aim to deliver valuable climate-impact insights and crop resilience data to farmers.
Innovation and circular economy in practice
In the packaging and circularity domain, PepsiCo’s Positive Value Chain component under pep+ focuses on redesigning packaging, increasing recyclability and diminishing virgin plastic dependency.
The firm develops packaging for recovery, invests in infrastructure innovations and explores reusable and refillable models.
On climate and emissions reductions, reducing Scope 3 agricultural, land and forestry emissions is a priority.
The sustainability goals stress climate resilience in sourcing, underscore effective emission reduction investments, and account for climate-linked business risks.
The sixth key theme, food and nutrition security, targets broadening access to nutritious foods.
This involves cutting down on added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats while incorporating whole grains, legumes and plant proteins, focusing particularly on vulnerable communities.
Jim remains pragmatic about the challenges but is steadfast in his commitment.
He has previously said: “Our sustainability journey will not always be linear, but we are focused on doing the work that can both strengthen our business resilience and support a positive impact for the planet.”
Jim Andrew's strategic leadership
Jim's role and influence at PepsiCo are backed by extensive industry experience.
His career began at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where 25 years culminated in senior partnership and the establishment of its Innovation practice.
His later roles at Royal Philips and Sears Holding Corporation honed his strategy and innovation capabilities.
Since his 2016 introduction to PepsiCo and his ascent to Chief Sustainability Officer in 2020, Jim spearheads the transformation agenda pep+, embedding sustainability in core operations.
Contributing to PepsiCo being named number 16 in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Companies, recent successes under Jim's watch include a 33% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2015.
Beyond emissions, he pushed initiatives like the Sustainable Operations from the Start programme, ensuring new facilities meet advanced energy and renewable standards.
His vision is further evidenced by PepsiCo's proactive engagement with the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA), supporting increased global access to renewable energy.
During previous editions of Sustainability LIVE, Jim has conveyed PepsiCo’s advancement in reducing emissions and fostering partnerships, underlining the importance of systemic collaboration in realising sustainability aspirations.
He illustrated this with the US$320m facility in Poland, a model of sustainable design incorporating rooftop solar, off-site solar and vast electrification.
He also recognised, “These facilities have 30- to 50-year lifespans,” emphasising the long-term return on sustainable investments.
Themes at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC 2025
With a focus on climate leadership, innovation and measurable impact, the event will cover core themes including:
- Net zero strategies and Scope 3 reduction
- Decarbonisation of supply chains
- Climate finance and green investment
- Circular economy models and material innovation
- Climate-tech and AI for sustainability
Sustainability LIVE is designed to foster insight-sharing and collaboration, and those attending will gain practical takeaways for climate action, alongside access to some of the most impactful voices in the global sustainability space.
