Tetra Pak (tetrapakusa.com) today pledged that by 2030, the greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations will be at least 40% lower than in 2015. Working with the Science Based Targets initiative, the company also set a goal that by 2040, emissions will be down 58% compared with a year ago. In doing so, Tetra Pak becomes the first company in the food packaging industry to have its climate impact reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative.

To achieve these targets, Tetra Pak will focus on three areas:

• Driving energy efficiency and aiming to reduce energy use by a further 12%;
• Purchasing electricity from renewable sources, investing in renewable energy projects and renewable electricity certificate schemes;
• Installing onsite renewable energy systems such as solar panels. 

In addition, the company commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 16% per unit of revenue by 2020 from a 2010 base-year. 

“The collaboration with the SBT initiative has helped us accurately define our greenhouse gas emission targets and set a direction for the company in a scientific way. The new targets ensure we are able to openly and accurately demonstrate the contribution we are making to a low carbon economy among customers and other stakeholders,” says Mario Abreu, vice president of environment at Tetra Pak.

Cynthia Cummis at the World Resources Institute (WRI) says, “The SBT initiative provides a science-based methodology for companies who are serious about incorporating sustainability into their business practice and want to do their part in avoiding the worst impacts from climate change. Tetra Pak is the first packaging company to complete our target review process and we are very pleased to see them join a growing number of companies that understand the benefits of transitioning towards a low-carbon economy.”

SBT is a partnership between CDP, WRI, WWF and UN Global Compact that mobilizes companies to set emissions reduction targets in-line with climate science. Since its launch in 2015, 208 companies have committed to set science-based targets and 33 companies across different industries have had their targets approved by the initiative.