Nestlé Philippines, which is marketing its 110th year in the country, has updated its commitments to earth on net zero emissions in its “Kasambuhay for the Environment” campaign.
“We are deeply committed to attaining our environmental goals, consistent with the Nestlé global ambition of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As we have been in the Philippines for 110 years, we want to leave a legacy, anchored on our respect for the future and coming generations that includes effectively caring for the planet,” said Nestlé Philippines chairman and chief executive Kais Marzouki during the virtual 2021 Net Zero Fair.
Nestlé is leveraging its global size, scale and reach to make a difference as it urgently pursues its agenda to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero not later than 2050.
Addressing climate change, as an advocacy, cannot wait, said Marzouki, noting that moving forward for the sake of the present and future generations is worthy enough to rise up to the challenges as united people.
In August 2020, the company achieved its most important environmental milestone thus far, by becoming the country’s first multinational fast-moving consumer goods company to attain plastic neutrality. This means Nestlé Philippines is collecting and co-processing, and therefore diverting from nature, the equivalent amount of plastic that it generates in its packaging. Since then, it has collected 18,000 metric tons of plastic waste in the last seven months.
In tackling the plastic waste crisis in the Philippines, Nestlé continues to innovate and develop technology to make product packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. At the same time, the company collaborates with public and private sector partners to ensure that none of the packaging materials end up in the environment while focused on educating consumers about solid waste management.
“Moving forward, we will continue to be plastic neutral. We will collect and divert an annual average of 26,000 metric tons of plastic waste away from landfills and oceans. We will cut down virgin plastics consumption by 2025, and reduce GHG emissions in our operations by 30 percent by 2025,” Marzouki said.
The company also switched to clean energy, and now its factories in Luzon, as well as its Makati office, run on 100-percent renewable electricity.
These commitments aim to support the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement to reduce and avoid carbon emissions by 75 percent as of 2030, said Marzouki.
Nestlé Philippines senior vice president and head of corporate affairs and sustainability Arlene Tan-Bantoto stressed the importance of partnerships with the public and the private sectors in making the company’s ground-breaking environmental initiatives possible.
“We are addressing climate change through coordinated action, continuing innovation, and multisectoral engagement, with open accountability as we report our progress. We are the Good Food, Good Life company. We want to leave the legacy of a cleaner, healthier, and more livable planet for the next 110 years,” she said.
Nestlé also continues its socio-economic engagements through its NESCAFÉ Plan and the Common Code for the Coffee Community or 4C.
“In our sustainability journey, we seek to uplift the communities and partners that we work with. Robusta coffee farmers in Mindanao are learning regenerative agriculture and sustainable coffee production. In particular, we are helping 1,500 smallholder farmers to reduce their carbon footprint,” Marzouki said.
Marzouki expressed confidence that the company will fulfill these commitments with the support and participation of its employees and partners.
“As the Kasambuhay for the environment, Nestlé Philippines will take a leading role in working towards net-zero emissions by integrating sustainable practices in our operations. Our work will be driven by our purpose, the motivation of all our employees, and the participation of their families. We will continue to seek out partnerships and collaborate with consumers, the government, industry, NGOs, and other stakeholders, as we journey to a net-zero future,” he said.