Matthew Anderson-Barker
Specialist for Food System Transformation, WRAP
In the food chain, everything — from fertiliser to refrigeration — impacts greenhouse gas emissions.
Addressing the climate impacts of food is a growing priority for businesses. It’s a complex and evolving challenge that WRAP is supporting by developing sector standards for reporting GHGs, designing a roadmap for sector-wide decarbonisation and driving action through data.
Monitoring and reducing GHG emissions
Over 200 UK businesses joined WRAP’s Courtauld Commitment 2030 to cut food waste, reduce the pressure on water resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. This is the first UK-wide commitment to climate aiming to halve emissions from UK food by 2030. To achieve the goal of a sustainable planet, businesses need to collect, analyse and use data to inform changes they must make to reduce their environmental impacts.
Up to 90% of food and drink businesses’ GHG
impacts happen in production and processing.
Scope 3 emissions reporting
Up to 90% of food and drink businesses’ GHG impacts happen in production and processing. These happen within the supermarket supply chain but are not directly part of the retailer’s business operations. We call these Scope 3 emissions and businesses must accurately calculate and reduce their entire emissions footprint including indirect Scope 3 GHG emissions in their value chain. That’s where complexity comes in.
Supporting the food sector’s net zero transition
WRAP is working with Courtauld 2030 members to address the scope 3 challenge. We published scope 3 protocols to align businesses in consistent emissions measurement and reporting and consulted with these businesses, charities and government to revise and relaunch them , providing best practice support to businesses across the food value chain.
Through Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) funding, we provide substantial improvements to the GHG data landscape with a partnership involving the University of Oxford and WWF-UK helping businesses understand and manage their complex supply chains. We’re partnering with the Institute of Grocery Distribution and Ernst & Young on a Transition Plan project to guide the food and drink sector — businesses, trade bodies and government — in meeting the UK’s net zero goal by 2050.
So, when you prepare dinner on World Food Day, know that NGOs like WRAP are working hard to support the drive to net zero food.
