Nestle has a global commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Can you elaborate on Nestle Romania's specific goals and timeline for reducing its environmental footprint?
Nestlé has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2025, to cut its GHG emissions in half by 2030, and to achieve net zero by 2050 – even as its business continues to grow, according to Nestlé Net Zero Roadmap.
To achieve net zero emissions, we need to reduce emissions throughout our business and supply chains. We collaborate with suppliers, farmers, and communities to increase use of regenerative agricultural practices. We are also investing in sustainable logistics, packaging, and manufacturing activities, and reducing the risk of deforestation.
What measures has Nestle Romania taken to reduce its environmental impact, such as water usage, waste management, and carbon emissions?
So far, we have achieved in 2022 100% deforestation free for primary supply chain and switch our global car fleet to lower emission options, and since 2023 we use 100% certified sustainable palm oil.
The Nestlé targets for 2025 are 100% sourced renewable electricity in all our sites, 100% of our packaging recyclable or reusable, 100% certified sustainable cocoa and coffee, source 20% of key ingredients through regenerative agricultural methods, cut virgin plastic in our packaging by a third, and plant 20 million trees a year.
How is Nestle Romania ensuring the responsible sourcing of its ingredients throughout its supply chain?
We have a concrete example of implementing responsible sourcing into Nestlé products. In Romania, over 15,000,000 KitKat® bars were consumed in 2023, creating a connection between Romanian consumers and the farmers in the Nestlé Income Acceleration program, which incentivizes cocoa farming families who enrol their children in school, implement good agricultural practices, engage in agroforestry activities, and diversify their incomes. Through KitKat's 'Breaks for Good' initiative, all break consumers take supports cocoa farmers and raises awareness of the sustainability of the cocoa used in these bars.
What are the key priorities and initiatives that Nestlé Romania plans to focus on in terms of ESG and sustainability?
In Romania, Nestlé also got involved in ecological and social responsibility initiatives. In the last 3 years, the company has planted 90,000 trees, which will contribute to achieving the goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Nestlé Romania almost doubled the Honey Forest in Mârșa Commune, Giurgiu County, a project that brings together all the afforestation and biodiversity programs in Romania, planting another 15,000 acacia saplings on an area of 3 hectares, in addition to the 20,000 saplings planted in 2022 on 4 hectares.
The Honey Forest is part of Nestlé's global plan to accelerate the transformation towards net-zero emissions and equitable and regenerative food systems, supported by an investment of CHF 1.2 billion by 2025 in regenerative agricultural practices. On the other hand, Nestlé strives to source 50% of key ingredients from renewable sources by 2030, to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050.
ESG reporting allows for transparency and accountability. How does Nestle Romania measure and report on its ESG performance, and what metrics does it use?
Nestlé reports the performance against the Selected ESG KPIs in the 2022 Creating Shared Value and Sustainability Report, which is available on nestle.com.
What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities Nestle Romania sees in integrating ESG principles further into its business strategy?
The only challenge is the gradual harmonization of the ESG principles with the business objectives so that the balance is preserved in all operations.
