Climate Strategies Observatory: The Food Sector Ready to Address the Transformation of Practices
The food sector accounts for nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in France[1], and the vast majority of companies are already engaged in addressing this challenge. After the evaluation phase, it’s time for action: while some barriers remain in implementing climate strategies, the sector is ready to tackle the challenges of Scope 3, with a focus on transforming agricultural practices and implementing more sustainable sourcing, according to the findings of the first study by the Climate Strategies Observatory. Initiated by Carbon Maps and Onepoint in 2023, the Observatory aims to assess the maturity of industry players in implementing their environmental strategies.
Climate: A Strategic Challenge for Food Sector Companies
Reputed for being energy-intensive, companies in the food sector are increasing their initiatives to minimize their environmental impact. For the vast majority (93%) of responding companies[2], a climate roadmap has already been created or is currently being developed. This reflects the sector’s growing awareness, with 91% of the companies surveyed stating they have either completed or are in the process of completing a carbon footprint assessment, including Scope 3, which is often considered the most difficult to measure. Additionally, while carbon is central to the climate strategies of all the companies surveyed, it is not the only indicator considered. For over half of them, water usage is also a key issue in measuring environmental impact, followed by soil health and animal welfare for 29% of respondents.Corporate Values: A Key Driver for Action… But Not Enough to Address Climate Challenges
When exploring the motivations behind companies adopting climate strategies, the Observatory finds that for 65% of the surveyed companies, corporate values play a predominant role, while paradoxically, consumer pressure ranks last. Furthermore, although companies express confidence in achieving their environmental goals, they unanimously identify the lack of resources (both human and financial) as the main barrier to addressing climate challenges.A Collective Awareness to Tackle the Most Significant Challenges
Finally, according to the findings of the Climate Strategies Observatory, companies have made significant progress in implementing their environmental initiatives, such as sustainable recipe formulation (only 30% of respondents consider it an advanced area), employee awareness (26%), and eco-friendly packaging (23%). However, current priorities are focused on upstream practices that are more complex to address but also have a greater impact. Indeed, 69% of the organizations surveyed report that their top priority is transforming agricultural practices and sustainable sourcing.The Ambition of the Climate Strategies Observatory: Accelerating Environmental Transitions
By combining their expertise within the Climate Strategies Observatory, Carbon Maps, an environmental accounting platform for the food sector, and Onepoint, a specialist in digital transformations, are committed to monitoring and evaluating the maturity level of industry players in implementing their climate strategies, year after year.Through the Climate Strategies Observatory, we aim to build a barometer of the maturity of players in the food sector, from farm to fork: from agriculture to industries, including distributors. In this approach, we seek to support the agricultural world, which, responsible for around 80% of the carbon footprint of a food product, plays a central role in our ecological transition. Caught between evolving regulations and the demands from the downstream agricultural sector, the industry needs to rely on accurate information drawn from feedback from the relevant stakeholders.
The findings from this first edition of the Observatory confirm our belief that the environmental transition of the agri-food industry is possible, desired, and already underway. The responses from the surveyed industry players suggest that 2024 will be a pivotal year in implementing climate strategies, with on one side, the acceleration of regulations and on the other, a growing awareness of the essential collaboration needed between upstream and downstream sectors.
Méthodologie
L’Observatoire des Stratégies Climat dédié au secteur alimentaire a recensé les réponses de 98 décideurs en entreprises (dont 72% de directeurs RSE) avec 1 questionnaire par entreprise et 3 axes d’analyse : taille des entreprises, type d’entreprises et filières.
[1] According to the 2022 figures from the General Commissariat for Sustainable Development.
[2] 98 companies representing a combined turnover of over 280 billion euros.
About Carbon Maps
Carbon Maps is the first SaaS platform for environmental accounting tailored to the agri-food industry. Its mission is to help the sector reduce its environmental footprint by collecting and analyzing data at all stages of the food chain, from farmers to consumers.
Carbon Maps’ SaaS platform enables agri-food industry players to quickly and accurately assess the environmental impact of their products, ingredients, and raw agricultural materials. The platform relies on widely recognized scientific models and environmental standards (GHG Protocol, ISO 14040 & 14044, IPCC).
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