Danone cuts carbon

All multinationals now produce impressive sustainability reports with increasingly demanding targets, but Danone has gone further than most in the plans it announced last week.

What caught the headlines were:

• 2 billion euros for climate action investment by 2022

• 5 billion euros for plant-based investment by 2025.

What caught my eye, however, were a host of more specific turning points or more absolute changes, as reported in Danone’s own statements or by foodnavigator.com:

• ‘Peak’ carbon emissions have already been reached at 27 million tonnes, 5 years early and never to be exceeded again.

• Waters will reach 100% rPET in Europe by 2025.

• Evian and Volvic are to become carbon neutral this year.

• Evian will go into metal packaging and Volvic will go into cartons.

• Bio-sourced packaging will be introduced for yogurt this year, with polystyrene eliminated by 2025.

• Reusable glass will form part of Danone’s new UK online delivery offering in partnership with Loop.

• Plant-based drinks will come in plant-based cartons.

• Plant-based products will be manufactured in dairy facilities.

Each one of these reflects some radical re-thinking. Danone Chief Executive Emmanuel Faber even said: “People don’t want to be seen with a plastic bottle any more.”