COP26

The UK will host the 26^th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October to 12 November 2021.

The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The UK wants to secure commitments towards global Net Zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach, along with the protection of communities and natural habitats. They recognise that to achieve these goals we need to mobilise finance and work together to deliver.

The global food system contributes to over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions with the impacts of climate change already evident. Discussions at this scale will set the path for a global food system that is sustainable, resilient and fit for the future.

What does this mean for the food and drink sector in the UK?

In April 2021, the FDF announced an ambition for the UK’s food and drink manufacturing sector to reach Net Zero emissions by 2040. This is aligned to ambitions shown elsewhere in the supply chain, including those by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC). For more information, you can watch our webinar The road to Net Zero for food and drink.

We will be using COP26 as a springboard to further build momentum on coordinated actions across the farm-to-fork supply chain, helping the sector to reduce its carbon footprint on the pathway to Net Zero. This will include the publication of our Net Zero Roadmap and handbook which provides practical advice to businesses.

As COP26 approaches, the FDF will also be working more closely with the supply chain, including through a new Net Zero Working Group that has been set up with the Food and Drink Sector Council (FDSC).

When will the FDF Handbook for Net Zero be launched at COP26?

On the 9 November, the FDF will launch our Net Zero Roadmap. This will include:

• An executive summary report, intended for a wide set of stakeholders including government
• A handbook for food and drink manufacturers to help them understand and act on decarbonisation and achieving Net Zero

The document contents will be underpinned and informed by the creation of a greenhouse gas model of the sector. The handbook will include chapters on ingredients, packaging, manufacturing, distribution and storage, customers and carbon offsetting.

We will host a webinar on 18 November with the consultants 3Keel to have a detailed work through of the Net Zero handbook’s chapters. If you would like to learn more, you can register here.

What presence will the FDF have at COP26?

In Glasgow, the FDF have two events planned:

• 8 November – we will have a private dinner policy roundtable sponsored by Lloyds Bank with senior ministers, parliamentarians, industry stakeholders, along with food and drink company CEOs invited. The dinner discussion will be based around the role the global food and drink industry can play in helping to meet environmental and sustainability targets.
• 9 November – FDF Scotland will be hosting a drinks reception in Glasgow city centre showcasing the Scottish (and UK) food and drink industry.  Guests will include ministers, parliamentarians, industry stakeholders, diplomats, as well as the many representatives of FDF members present in Glasgow.

What have the FDF and its members have achieved so far?

In December 2020, the FDF undertook a Net Zero Narrative Project to understand where the food and drink manufacturing sector was on the journey to Net Zero. The findings from the project have informed our 2021 work programme; this has included a series of webinars on key knowledge gaps, increasing support for SME businesses and working with WRAP on support to measure scope 3 emissions. This builds on our Decarbonisation of heat across the food and drink manufacturing sector report, which will be one of the key challenges for the food and drink manufacturing sector as we move towards net zero.

The FDF’s environmental ambition, Ambition 2025 includes targets on CO2 emissions, water, food waste, packaging, transport, sustainable supply chains and natural capital. In our latest Ambition 2025 Progress Report, we were able to report that members achieved an absolute reduction of 55.5% in CO2 emissions from their use of energy operations in manufacturing operations in 2019, compared to the 1990 baseline, exceeding the 2025 target five years early. As such, we updated our Ambition 2025 to ensure that it reflected the progress and growing ambition of the food and drink manufacturing sector.