Climate change is a far-reaching, systemic challenge – not emerging in the future, but right here and now. Danone is tackling this challenge by adopting science-based targets and committing to attaining net-zero by 2050.
Our climate commitment
Citizens today expect companies to play a leading role in tackling climate change. Danone is committed to supporting the industry-wide transition to a low-carbon economy. That’s why in our 2015 climate policy we pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across our entire value chain by 2050.
Our net-zero commitment means we’re responsible for CO2 emissions across our entire value chain. The strategy for achieving net-zero emissions is based on robust climate protection measures and support for restructuring the food system – from the farms supplying our ingredients to the recycling of our packaging and the offsetting of remaining emissions.
Emission reduction goals validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative
Our top priority is cutting carbon emissions in the three areas defined in the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard categorised as scopes 1, 2 and 3. More information on these areas can be found here.
In 2015, we were one of the first 100 companies to commit to the Paris Climate Agreement. We published our climate policy in line with science-based recommendations and defined reduction targets for 2030 which were approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in 2017.
In September 2019, we strengthened our commitments by signing the Business Ambition for 1.5°C Pledge and worked closely with the SBTi to develop ways of achieving improvement for the Forestry, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) project.
In 2022, our 1.5°C reduction targets were officially approved by the SBTi and Danone strengthened its commitment to accelerating de-carbonisation, covering every single area of our direct and indirect emissions. We’re also one of the first companies to set a specific goal for forestry, land and agriculture.
On the path to net-zero emissions, we’ve set interim goals to cut carbon by 2030, taking 2020 as the starting point:
- Reduction of absolute greenhouse gas emissions in scopes 1 and 2 by 47.2%
- 42% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas emissions under scope 3 from goods and services procured, fuel and energy-related activities, upstream transport and sales, waste generated in operations, downstream transport and sales and end-of-life treatment of sold products.
- 30.3% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas emissions under scopes 1 and 3 of FLAG*.
- No deforestation for primary raw materials associated with deforestation with a target date of the end of 2025.
* stands for Forestry, Land and Agriculture.
Finally, in 2023 we pledged to cut our methane emissions from fresh milk by 30% by 2030 whereby we aim to bring our efforts into line with the Global Methane Pledge and support methane reduction as a key pillar of the 1.5°C target.
What’s behind the Science-Based Targets initiative?
The Science Based Targets initiative is a charitable venture led by the CDP, the World Resources Institute, the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations Global Compact.
It helps companies to define and validate reduction targets that are consistent with the findings of climate science and necessary to restrict global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.