Upfield, the world’s largest plant–based food company and leading producer of plant-based spreads, butters, creams and cheeses became the first major company in the food and agriculture sector to publicly disclose its corporate methane emissions figures, calling on others in the food and agriculture sector to do the same.
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With the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) proposing a reduction of methane emissions of 45% by 2030 in order to remain within 1.5°C of global warming, Upfield has called for corporate transparency and collaboration towards a common goal for the planet’s health. Methane has more than 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20 year period, making it a priority.
According to the Climate & Clean Air Coalition and UNEP’s Global Methane Assessment (2021), the agriculture sector is the largest emitter of anthropogenic methane emissions, accounting for 40% of emissions, with livestock emissions from manure and enteric fermentation (burping & farting) representing roughly 32%. COP26 in November 2021 saw methane reduction commitments focus primarily on the oil and gas industry, while other industries – such as food and agriculture – went largely unaddressed.
Having assessed the primary sources of its methane emissions, Upfield is now driving towards eliminating dairy from its global supply chains in the coming years. Dairy makes up around 1% of Upfield’s ingredients by weight but is responsible for a disproportionate 8% of greenhouse gas emissions, a large proportion of which are methane emissions. Upfield urges other food and beverage companies to measure and reduce their methane emissions too. While acknowledging its smaller footprint by way of producing plant-based products, Upfield calls for food and beverage companies to make a concerted and public effort to reduce their methane emissions through methods including diversifying product offerings away from meat and dairy, innovation in production methods and a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Upfield made the conscious decision to examine and release its methane footprint to demonstrate that it is possible and straightforward, using their disclosure as a call to action for policymakers and businesses following COP26 to promote widespread methane disclosure. Upfield worked with sustainability experts Anthesis who developed the methodology, to enable the tracking of emissions and subsequent reduction plans. Upfield has now disclosed that methane forms 7.5% – 0.237 million metric tonnes CO2e – of its total greenhouse gas inventory, with the majority originating from ingredient production (“scope 3” emissions). Upfield now knows that removing all remaining dairy from its ingredients, moving away from fossil fuels in factories and logistics, and understanding on-farm methane in the company’s plant-based supply chains will all help with methane reduction.
Methane has a much shorter half-life than CO2 but much greater short-term impact; reducing methane emissions now will lead to measurable, impactful change in the coming decade, reducing the short-term warming that leads to long-term warming. That is why methane reduction is so crucial for wider greenhouse gas reduction targets.