In 2019, the UK was the first major economy to pass net zero emissions into law. In light of the new targets, FDF published a decarbonisation of heat report in 2020, strengthened our commitments under Ambition 2025 and as a signatory to Courtauld 2025, announced a Net Zero by 2040 Ambition in April 2021 and in November 2021, published a handbook for Net Zero to the sector.

The launch of our handbook at COP26 in Glasgow marks a key milestone in FDF’s work supporting members in their decarbonisation journey.  Looking ahead, under the Food and Drink Sector Council we have now established a Net Zero Working Group to take forward the council members roadmaps to agree and align on common challenges we face across the supply chain. This is still at early stages but as we will update this page with plans, progress and next steps in due course.

Resources

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Report

Net Zero Handbook Overview

The 8-page summary introduces UK food and drink sector emissions, drivers for change and actions manufacturers can take towards Net Zero

Windturbines

Net Zero Handbook

Launched at COP26, this handbook guides manufacturers on actions to reduce the embodied carbon emissions of their products towards Net Zero

decarbonisation of heat

Report

Decarbonisation of heat

Launched in June 2020, this report outlines how carbon emissions from heat generation in food and drink Manufacturing can be reduced to Net Zero.

Podcast: FDF at COP26

FDF's Head of Climate Change & Energy Policy, Emma Piercy reviews her time at nature day at COP26.

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Podcast: Spotlight on Alara

FDF's Head of Climate Change & Energy Policy, Emma Piercy chats with Alex Smith Managing Director of Alara Wholefoods - expert muesli maker and a leader in sustainability. 

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Podcast: Sustainability - Skills and training for Net Zero

Exploring the skills and training requirements for companies in the 'green transition' to Net Zero and the role of Universities in helping the food and drink sector decarbonise. 

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Updates & milestones

Final stakeholder clinics for IETF £185m competition – 9th and 16th April

Phase 3 three of the current IETF funding round is open until Friday 19th April. The competition will provide grant funding towards the costs of feasibility and engineering studies, energy efficiency deployment projects and deep decarbonisation deployment projects. To find out more, view the applicant guidance and make an application for funding, please visit the competition page.

If you have any questions on your application, you can speak to Government colleagues directly via one of the stakeholder clinics. These are run on a weekly basis, with the final ones taking place on 9th and 16th April. To attend, please visit the registration site.

IETF – application support, clinics and Manchester event 21 March

Businesses can bid for a share of up to £185 million in grant funding, with an application deadline of Friday 19th April 2024.  To view the guidance and make an application for funding, please visit the competition page. The next stakeholder clinics are taking place on 20 February 2024 and 5 March 2024. To register for these or subsequent ones, please visit the registration site.

To register for the Technology Marketplace for videos showcasing potential technologies, please visit the registration site. A Technology Showcase event will also be held in Manchester on 21 March to showcase some of the projects IETF is funding and what’s available in Phase 3. To attend the Technology Showcase, please visit the registration site

Innovate UK and DESNZ will be presenting at the next Environmental Sustainability Committee meeting on 27th February.

 

Scope 3 Emission Accounting Update

WRAP has recently published an additional guidance document under Scope 3 GHG Measurement and Reporting Protocols for Food and Drink | WRAP. The additional detailed guidance ‘Emission Factor Inclusion and Adjustment Guidance’ aims to improve alignment of approaches to selecting and adjusting emission factors when compiling scope 3 inventories.

Transport Industrial Commercial Refrigeration webinar – 7th November

The TICR (Transport Industrial Commercial Refrigeration) Project is hosting a free webinar on 7 November that will explore net zero opportunities in the cold store sector. Join this online event to discuss the findings from recent independent site investigations and look at the policy and technology options that could support energy reduction and sustainable futures. Book your place here.

Government call for evidence on electrifying manufacturing!

In July, DESNZ published their ‘Enabling Industrial Electrification: a call for evidence (CfE) on fuel-switching to electricity’ which is open until 20 October 2023 which you can find here. Given that electrification will be the main fuel switching technology for food and drink, FDF will be preparing a response. This survey is part of our evidence gathering, and is open to members and non-members of all sizes including SMEs. Please respond by Friday 29th September. 

Events and webinars

Webinar

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FDF Event

What are land-related (FLAG/AFLOU) greenhouse gas emissions?

More information

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News

Is the food and drink sector doing all it can to ensure we have a sustainable and resilient food system?

Emma Piercy, Head of Climate Change and Energy Policy writes in today’s Food Management Today magazine ahead of COP28 and outlines our future focus on sustainability.

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The Food and Drink Federation commits to the delivery of a working deposit return scheme (DRS)

A report launched today brings together Parliament, business and academics to reflect on the challenge of the 2030 target to reduce emissions by 50 per cent and identify innovative ways we can green the nation.

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Environmental sustainability case studies

Net Zero & Decarbonisation: PepsiCo

PepsiCo’s Walkers brand join forces with British clean-tech firm CCm Technologies to reduce their carbon footprint by turning potato waste into fertiliser.

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Alara - Climate Change

Alara believe that sustainability has four foundations: social sustainability, financial sustainability, sustainable governance and environmental sustainability. They have developed a simple measure for each foundational element, and chose the evaluation of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) as their environmental measure.

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Mars Case Study: Climate Change

Mars partnered with Eneco UK in 2016 to build a new 20 turbine wind farm in Moy in the Scottish Highlands. The Moy Wind Farm enables all 12 Mars UK factories and office sites to produce its much-loved brands using renewable electricity.

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McCain Foods Case Study: Climate Change

An average of 70% of the McCain Whittlesey site’s total electricity is now generated by three wind turbines and an anaerobic lagoon. McCain have also removed a further 360 tonnes of CO2  by transporting products in longer trailers.

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How we can help your business

Past webinars

A wealth of content provided by both our Professional Affiliates and our dedicated in-house teams. From current legislative updates to the future of the industry, we’re certain there is something for all those working in food and drink today.

Environmental sustainability webinars

Report: Decarbonisation of heat

10 June 2020

Launched in June 2020, this report outlines how carbon emissions from heat generation in food and drink Manufacturing can be reduced to Net Zero.

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Decarbonisation of heat

Related topics

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Ambition 2025 sets out the FDF's vision for a thriving, responsible and sustainable UK food and drink industry.

climate change agreements

Climate change agreements

Climate Change Agreements agreed with the Environment Agency provide CCL tax discounts in return for reducing energy use and CO2 emissions.

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Natural capital

Natural capital represents nature's physical and biological resources that the UK food and drink industry both relies on and impacts.