Sustainability in food and beverage
Tackling the challenges of sustainability in the food & beverage industry
The food and beverage sector significantly affects sustainability, accounting for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions, using 70% of freshwater, and generating 24% of food waste each year. Adopting sustainable practices like cutting emissions, conserving water, and reducing waste is essential to limit environmental impact.
A growing emphasis on accountability has led the industry to embrace holistic reporting, covering everything from commodity traceability to supply chain human rights. Frameworks such as GRI’s 2021 update, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, and the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) encourage transparency. These voluntary guidelines are complemented by mandatory regulations like CSRD, CSDDD, and the EU Deforestation Regulation.
As reporting requirements grow, the challenge is to navigate this complexity and focus on what matters. Industry-wide collaboration is key to achieving ambitious net-zero targets for energy, land, and agricultural emissions, answering the critical question: “How do we get there?”
Food and beverage case studies
Food and beverage insights
Meet our specialist consultants for food and beverage sustainability
Will Bourns
Solutions Manager – Impacts and Dependencies
Will is the Solutions Manager for the Impacts and Dependencies team at Simply Sustainable. He leads the team supporting clients in developing understanding of the risk and quantifying impact on the society and environment. This ranges from initial carbon footprints to deep dives into specific commodities and dependencies on communities and ecosystems.
Will has experience across a range of sectors from financial institutions to food manufacturers and retailers. His expertise includes carbon footprinting, social value and quantifying the impact of land conversion and deforestation and utilising this data to inform business decisions relating to procurement of goods and future investments.
Will studied Zoology and Natural Sciences at the University of Liverpool and since graduating Will expanded his knowledge through memberships at PIEMA and EI.