News article
10 June 2020
Ambition needed from government and industry to achieve net zero in food and drink
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The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and SLR have today published a report which
sets out how
the food and drink industry can achieve the ambitious target of a net-zero
carbon footprint by 2050
and the support it will require from government.
As the UK Government seeks to power the economic recovery through clean growth
and
investment in low carbon technologies, the needs of the UK's largest
manufacturing sector, food and
drink, must be at its heart.
The report, Decarbonisation of Heat Across the Food and Drink Manufacturing
Sector, looks at
what industry, its partners and government, can do to support the crucial
transition to carbon
neutrality. Key recommendations include:
- Industry should establish a food-and-drink industry taskforce to include
appliance manufacturers
to facilitate knowledge sharing across the sector on technology innovations and
implementation.
- Local Enterprise Partnerships to bring together key stakeholders to address
local area planning
challenges in electricity and gas networks
- UK Government should implement a third phase of Climate Change Agreements post
2025
which build on previous successes and shift focus to carbon reductions
- UK Government should establish a new collaborative approach with industry to
design a
financial support scheme for industrial decarbonisation
In June 2019, the Government put into legislation its commitment to reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions from 80% to net zero by 2050. While the food and drink industry is
committed to meeting
that target, the Government has not updated the 2015 Food and Drink sector
roadmap, outlining how
a transition could be achieved for the sector. As the industry responsible for
feeding the nation,
providing good manufacturing jobs in every community, it is crucial it is at
the
heart of government
thinking.
The report outlines that industry will only be able to reduce emissions from
heat by 64% by 2050
when compared to 2012 without further interventions, thereby missing the net
zero target. The FDF
says that ensuring further collaboration between industry and government
is vital to
achieving these targets.
It also suggests more work will be needed to ensure stakeholders have a
shared vision
around the future use of biomass. An alignment of objectives on how to utilise
limited sources such
as food waste biomass, will be key to ensuring optimal green growth and
deployment across the
supply chain.
In 2007, the FDF launched its Five-fold Environmental Ambition which committed
to make a
significant contribution to improving the environment by targeting specific
areas. The FDF and its
member companies have led the way in reducing their environmental footprint,
reducing CO2
emissions by 53% in manufacturing operations, compared to the 1990 baseline.
Emma Piercy, Head of Energy and Climate Change at FDF, said:
“As the UK's largest manufacturing sector, the food and drink industry
is
absolutely committed to a
green recovery post Covid-19 and achieving the Government's net-zero carbon
target by 2050. In
producing this report, we have identified a clear pathway to net zero and the
challenges we will need
to overcome in order to meet that target.
“But we can't do it alone. Businesses will need clear direction and
support to
make that
transition.”
Julie Gartside, European Operations Manager for Advisory Services at SLR
Consulting,
said:
“There are reasons to be optimistic because deep decarbonisation of
heat
used
by
the food and drink
sector is technically possible. However, the changes required to manufacturing
processes and
energy supply systems to achieve it are so significant that the sector cannot
do
this alone.
“Collaboration between the food and drink sector, Government, equipment
manufacturers and
other stakeholders will be needed to realise the opportunity before us.”
About FDF
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the UK food and drink
industry, the largest
manufacturing sector in the country. The UK food and drink industry accounts
for
20% of the total
manufacturing sector by turnover and employs over 430,000 people in the UK
across 7,400
businesses. We are an incredibly diverse sector, speaking on behalf of global
brands and thriving
small businesses.
Notes for editors
1. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink
manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more
information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk
2. Statistics on the food and drink industry
More Information
Contact Ellie Ashwell, Corporate Affairs Division, at: ellie.ashwell@fdf.org.uk, or 07701380755.
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