Fresh prepared food (FPF) provider Bakkavor has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations by 2040.
The manufacturer operates in the UK, the US, and China and is one of the leading players by market share in the UK in four FPF product categories: meals, salads, desserts, and pizza and bread.
Net Zero Targets
Bakkavor has identified its manufacturing sites as the biggest source of emissions due to energy consumption.
Currently, the group operates 23 factories in the UK, five in the US, and nine in China.
Ensuring correct temperatures for food and machinery, ovens, and lighting uses a lot of electricity and gas, which in turn impacts its carbon footprint.
The company added that using energy efficiently is a measure of operational resilience, and throughout 2021 it will focus on further identifying its roadmap to achieving its net-zero target.
Environmental Risk Assessment
Bakkavor is also working with more than 500 suppliers to conduct an environmental risk assessment of its supply chain to understand its broader climate risk.
Agust Gudmundsson, CEO of Bakkavor Group plc, said, "I fully support business efforts in supporting an ambitious climate change agenda, both in the run-up to COP26 and beyond.
"I also look forward to working collaboratively with our customers, suppliers and partners to demonstrate that net-zero must be at the heart of a resilient future."
The group has over 19,000 employees in its 37 factories worldwide.
Earlier this month, the company said it is witnessing an encouraging recovery in sales despite restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown restrictions eased in the UK.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
