Nestlé Aims to Be Carbon-Neutral by 2050

The Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation Nestlé has issued a statement explaining its top priorities for Europe, Middle East, and North Africa to reach its 2050 net-zero climate goal.

Net zero means that the company drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain from raw material production to consumption (farm to fork). In addition, Nestlé plans to reduce additional carbon emissions through projects to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide in soil and trees.

Over the next five years, Nestlé will spend a total of CHF 3.2 billion on a net zero-emission transformation, of which CHF 1.2 billion will support regenerative agriculture throughout the supply chain.

Renewed manufacturing processes in Hungary as well
By 2025, it is planned that all of Nestlé’s 800 manufacturing units worldwide will use 100% renewable electricity. In Hungary, the company has been using electricity from renewable sources only in all three of its local plants since 2017, and industrial waste from any of the plants end up in a landfill. Waste generated during the operation of factories is instead recycled in material or energy.

More sustainable packaging
Nestlé can only achieve its net zero target of 2050 with more sustainable packaging. This requires a higher use of recycled materials, the development of more reusable (refillable, recyclable) packaging or even the complete abandonment of certain types of packaging. In France and Switzerland, Nestlé is testing the use of refillable and reusable packaging, which will also help the company use 30% less newly produced plastics to make its packaging by 2025. The Nestlé factories in Hungary will also significantly promote the fulfillment of the commitment, as thanks to the new solutions, the amount of plastic used for packaging decreased by nearly 70 tons in 2020 at the plant in Diósgyőr, which produces hollow chocolate figures.
In addition, all packaging used here is recyclable, i.e. if the appropriate infrastructure is in place in the country, it is easier to recycle this packaging. Nestlé's plant in Szerencs also produces more and more recyclable packaging products, such as NESQUIK All Natural cocoa powder, which can be recycled in many European countries.
“87% of Nestlé's packaging materials worldwide are already recyclable or reusable. We want this number to rise to 100% by 2025,” Péter Noszek, CEO of Nestlé Hungária pointed out.