FrieslandCampina targets climate neutral dairy by 2050

18 Apr 2022 --- FrieslandCampina has published its climate plan, which lays out objectives to produce net climate neutral dairy by 2050 at the latest. The plan entitled “Towards climate neutral dairy” is part of FrieslandCampina’s integral sustainability program, Nourishing a better planet.

It contains clear objectives and concrete actions, with a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as a benchmark.

The company stresses that it is committed to achieving the objectives of this climate plan and earmarks an additional investment of approximately €1.5 billion until 2030. “FrieslandCampina wants to offer people all over the world daily access to good and affordable food, produced in balance with the planet. Significantly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is, therefore, one of the priorities of our sustainability program, Nourishing a better planet,” says Hein Schumacher, CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina NV.

“In the Paris Climate Agreement, it was agreed to take measures worldwide that contribute to limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Our detailed climate plan shows how we contribute to this,” he says.

“With our objectives and concrete actions, we have a clear roadmap for the significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and we are on our way to achieving net climate-neutral dairy by 2050. In line with FrieslandCampina’s cooperative character, we work closely with member dairy farmers, customers, suppliers, scientists, NGOs and the government to achieve the climate goals.”

Greenhouse gas reduction
In its climate plan, FrieslandCampina focuses on the entire chain (‘scope 1, 2 and 3’). In its business activities (‘scope 1 and 2’), such as global production and transport, the company has set itself a target of a 63% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2015.

In the coming years, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will come from, among other things, the use of non-fossil (green) energy in production and transport and optimization of the production footprint. 

The target for milk production on the member dairy farms (‘scope 3') is a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 33% compared to 2015, notes FrieslandCampina. 

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on the farmyard will come from a package of opportunities that match the diversity in business operations and the craftsmanship of the member dairy farmers. 

This includes further optimization of agricultural practices such as using animal feed that consists of guaranteed deforestation-free soy, the use of feed additives that reduce methane emissions from cows, green solar and wind energy from the farm and livestock measures.

The 2030 targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include a 63% reduction in production and transport, a 33% reduction in milk from member dairy farmers and a 43% reduction in raw materials and packaging.

Additional investment
The realization of FrieslandCampina’s climate plan requires a substantial additional investment in time, money and resources.

The company stresses that it is committed to achieving the objectives of this climate plan and earmarks an additional investment of approximately €1.5 billion until 2030. 

FrieslandCampina will try to finance part of this by pricing sustainably produced dairy and through general resources such as existing government subsidies.

Reduction already in action
Between 2015 and 2021, FrieslandCampina has already reduced the greenhouse gas emissions within the company (‘scope 1 and 2') by 28% through energy-saving measures and the use of green energy. 

The greenhouse gas emissions of the more than 10,000 dairy farms affiliated with the cooperative decreased by 12.5% between 2015 and 2021, partly due to measures in the field of green energy, manure processing and animal feed.

FrieslandCampina’s climate plan is part of the integrated sustainability program Nourishing a better planet, in which, in addition to the climate, attention is also paid to good and affordable food, good income for farmers, biodiversity, sustainable packaging and sustainable procurement of raw materials.

Edited by Gaynor Selby