The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Net Zero Commitment has launched a guide for Scottish producers, including bakers, to help them align with their customers’ sustainability ambitions.
Published online as a free-to-view flip book, the ‘Navigating Net Zero: A Guide to Customer Expectations’ is informed by ongoing engagement with all nine major UK retailers as well as foodservice companies such as Brakes, Compass Group, and Sodexo.
The research found that priorities and goals vary between businesses but the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is becoming the standard.
Asda is currently in the process of resubmitting its net zero targets for SBTi validation, while Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Brakes, Co-op, Sodexo, and Compass have all had them validated – Lidl, M&S, and Morrisons have their interim carbon reduction targets validated relating to operational scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Double-spread sections for each retailer and foodservice company also include a summary of their key focus areas and initiatives in sustainability, along with notes on what these mean for suppliers.
The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership advised that, to capitalise on lucrative retail and foodservice opportunities, Scottish food and drink producers need to be ahead of the curve to help their customers reach their net zero ambitions.
It noted that the onus isn’t entirely on producers, though. Many of the companies engaged while researching the guide had highlighted their commitment to collaboration, particularly in simplifying sustainability reporting across the supply chain.
“Navigating net zero can be challenging, especially for suppliers managing different sustainability expectations from retail and foodservice customers,” commented Iain Clunie, director of the Net Zero Commitment Programme. “Many of these customers have set ambitious targets, and understanding how they may impact your business is essential.
“Our new guide to customer expectations helps Scottish producers to understand their customers’ sustainability demands. Proactively meeting or exceeding these requirements will give Scottish producers a competitive advantage in an often challenging sales environment,” Clunie added.
Scotland Food & Drink previously published a ‘Navigating Net Zero Handbook’, helping firms understand what net zero means, the agreements and pledges to aim for, and the different types of emissions and renewable energies.
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