We have just over five years until 2030, the point in the net-zero-by-2050 race at which global emissions must be halved in order to keep warming limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The United Nations calls the path to net zero “one of the greatest challenges humankind has faced” that requires “nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, consume, and move about.”
Corporations providing the goods we consume daily will play one of the largest roles in this transition. That includes the ways we produce and transport food and health products, how these are packaged, and how much we consume, of both products and the resources required to make them.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has been tracking corporate climate goals since 2014. A decade later, the list of corporates (agrifood and otherwise) with some level of climate commitment is thousands strong.
Scope 3 still ‘a barrier’
Nowadays, the focus is increasingly on Scope 3 emissions, which SBTi defines as “indirect upstream and downstream emissions that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, excluding indirect emissions associated with power generation (scope 2).”
Estimates say Scope 3 can account for 65% to 95% of a company’s carbon impact; they are typically also the hardest to track, since they are outside the company’s direct control and data may be limited.
More than half of companies responding to SBTi’s recent Business Ambition For 1.5°C Campaign survey cited Scope 3 as “a barrier to setting a net-zero target.” In the report outlining survey results, SBTi said it was, “exploring the challenges around Scope 3 accounting and target-setting” as part of its revision to the Corporate Net-Zero Standard.
Earlier this month, the board of trustees at SBTi announced an update to allow some Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs) such as carbon credits to count towards Scope 3 reductions. Exact details of what would qualify have not been announced, but the news caused something of a brouhaha.
“Offsets cannot be a substitute for reducing emissions from company operations, products, and value chains,” wrote WWF, a founding partner of SBTi. The Guardian reported a staff revolt, with SBTi employees calling for the CEO to resign; LinkedIn exploded with comments from players large and small across the industry.
The SBTi board has since issued a clarifying statement noting that, “Any use of EACs for Scope 3 will be informed by evidence.” A paper including a draft proposal is expected in July.
“The mitigation hierarchy shall always apply: companies cannot buy their way out of acting,” SBTi CEO Luiz Amaral wrote in a separate statement. “Also, the battle on climate change will be won or lost on Scope 3, as it is an engine to promote change.”
About this list
The SBTi company database includes corporate climate commitments ranging from the near term (2030 or sooner) to longer-term goals like net zero by 2050.
We’ve extracted highlights here, focusing this time around on companies with near-term Scope 3 commitments. The base year in this list is typically the most recent year for which data is available, according to SBTi’s definition.
We encourage you to visit the SBTi database and take a more detailed look at each of these’ companies overall climate aims. As always, drop us a line with your suggestions for future inclusions.
| Location | Company | Target (by 2030 unless otherwise stated) | Base year |
| 🇧🇪 | AB InBev | By 2025: Reduce emissions across the value chain (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 25% per beverage | 2017 |
| 🇦🇹 | AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | Albertsons Companies, Inc | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions from the use of sold products 27.5% | 2019 |
| 🇩🇪 | Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 42% | 2021 |
| 🇩🇰 | Arla Foods | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 30% per ton of standardized raw milk and whey | 2015 |
| 🇯🇵 | Asahi Group Holdings | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | Avara Foods Ltd | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and waste generated in operations by 27.5% | 2019 |
| 🇧🇲 | Bacardi Limited | By 2025: Reduce absolute value chain GHG emissions (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) 20% | 2015 |
| 🇺🇸 | Ben & Jerry’s | By 2025: Reduce value chain GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) 40% per pint of product sold | 2015 |
| 🇩🇰 | BioMar Group | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream transportation and distribution 30% | 2021 |
| 🇺🇸 | Campbell Soup Company | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream transportation and distribution 25% | 2020 |
| 🇩🇰 | Carlsberg Group | Reduce beer-in-hand value chain GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) 30% | 2015 |
| 🇺🇸 | Clif Bar & Company | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 50% per pound of finished product | 2018 |
| 🇸🇪 | Cloetta AB | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 46% | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2019 |
| 🇨🇠| Coca-Cola HBC AG | Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 55% and Scope 3 GHG emissions 21% | 2017 |
| 🇪🇸 | Consum S. Coop. V. | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 51.6% per EUR value added | 2020 |
| 🇸🇪 | Coop Sverige AB | By 2026: Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from upstream and downstream transportation and distribution and waste generated in operations 25%; reduce Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 25% per kilogram of sold food products over the same timeframe | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | Costa Coffee | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 50% per coffee serving | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | CVS Health | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services 47% | 2019 |
| 🇩🇰 | Danish Crown A/S | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 20% per kg of output produced | 2020 |
| 🇫🇷 | Danone | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel-and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, downstream transportation and distribution and end of life treatment of sold products 42% | 2020 |
| 🇬🇧 | Diageo Plc | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 50% | 2020 |
| 🇫🇮 | Fazer Group | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 42% | 2020 |
| 🇱🇺 | Ferrero International S.A. | Reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 43% per metric ton of product produced | 2018 |
| 🇸🇪 | Foodmark AB | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 42% | 2020 |
| 🇯🇵 | FUJI BAKING GROUP CO., LTD. | Reduce absolute Scope3 GHG emissions 25% | 2021 |
| 🇺🇸 | General Mills Inc. | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2020 |
| 🇺🇸 | Griffith Foods Worldwide Inc. | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 23% per ton of product produced | 2020 |
| 🇲🇽 | Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 28% | 2019 |
| 🇮🇹 | La Doria Group | By 2031: reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 32.3% | 2021 |
| 🇳🇱 | HEINEKEN N.V. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, employee commuting, upstream leased assets, use of sold products and end-of-life treatment of sold products 25% | 2022 |
| 🇬🇧 | Hilton Food Group | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, waste generated in operations and downstream transportation & distribution by 45% | 2020 |
| 🇺🇸 | Hormel Foods Corporation | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 27.5% | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | innocent drinks | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 50% per liter of finished product | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | J Sainsbury plc | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution and use of sold products 50.4% | 2018 |
| 🇯🇵 | Kirin Holdings Co Ltd | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2019 |
| 🇳🇱 | Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 15% | 2018 |
| 🇺🇸 | Land O’Lakes, Inc. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% | 2020 |
| 🇳🇴 | Lerøy Seafood Group ASA | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 46% | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | Mars Incorporated | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 42% | 2015 |
| 🇨🇦 | McCain Foods Limited | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 31% per ton of finished product | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | McCormick & Company, Incorporated | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services 42% |
2020 |
| 🇫🇷 | Moët Hennessy | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream and downstream transportation & distribution 50% | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | Molson Coors Brewing Company |  Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 40% | 2016 |
| 🇬🇧 | Morrisons | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from own-brand purchased goods and services, own-brand upstream transportation and distribution and use of sold products 30% | 2019 |
| 🇨🇠| Nestlé | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy related activities, waste generated in operations, upstream transportation and distribution, business travel, employee commuting, downstream transportation and distribution and end-of-life treatment of sold products 50.4% | 2018 |
| 🇬🇧 | Nomad Foods Ltd. | By 2025: Reduce Scope 1 and 2, and Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, waste and upstream leased assets 45% per ton of product produced and 25% in absolute terms | 2019 |
| 🇺🇸 | PepsiCo, Inc. | Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 75% and Scope 3 GHG emissions 40% | 2015 |
| 🇬🇧 | Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd. | Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 30% per ton of product sold | 2019 |
| 🇳🇱 | Perfetti Van Melle Group B.V. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, and end of life treatment of sold products 25% | 2021 |
| 🇺🇸 | Primient | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 46.2% | 2019 |
| 🇦🇹 | Red Bull GmbH | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% | 2021 |
| 🇫🇷 | Rémy Cointreau | Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution and downstream transportation and distribution 25% | 2020 |
| 🇳🇱 | Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 37.5% | 2015 |
| 🇺🇸 | Starbucks Coffee Company | Starbucks commits to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions 50% | 2019 |
| 🇩🇰 | Stryhns AS | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% | 2020 |
| 🇯🇵 | Suntory Holdings Limited | Reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions 30% | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | Tesco | By 2032: absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 55% | 2019 |
| 🇬🇧 | The Co-operative Group Ltd. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, and end of life treatment of sold products 58.8% | 2016 |
| 🇺🇸 | The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% | 2022 |
| 🇺🇸 | The Hershey Company | Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% | 2018 |
| 🇦🇺 | Woolworths Group Limited | reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 19% | 2015 |
