In the most recent edition of ESM, as part of our Sustainability 2022 feature, we spoke to a number of top executives working across the global retail and consumer goods landscape about how they are seeking to set a high bar when it comes to sustainability.
Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer, P&G
The climate crisis has affected every home and family, everywhere in the world, and the latest science has made it clear that decisive action must be taken to avoid the most significant impacts of climate change.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus just how much our own health depends on the health of the planet, and vice versa. In fact, 71% of people globally agree that in the long term, climate change is as serious a crisis as COVID-19.
Consumers expect more from the brands they love – the majority of consumers globally now want the brands they buy to help them live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. As a global company that serves five billion consumers, we believe we have an opportunity and a responsibility to step up and accelerate action to protect our common home, while helping others do the same.
'A Force For Good'
At Procter & Gamble, we are committed to using our size and scale to be a force for good in the world. We recently announced a comprehensive plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our operations and supply chain, from raw material to retailer, by 2040, as well as interim 2030 goals to make meaningful progress this decade.
Meaningful change starts at home, and P&G brands have a big role to play – by helping consumers live more sustainably with no tradeoffs in the superior performance they expect from our products. Our brands are pursuing a range of solutions to make product formulas and packaging more sustainable and to drive emissions reductions across the entire value chain.
Environmental sustainability is embedded in how we do business – it’s built into our company, not bolted on. Our commitment to net zero emissions across our operations and supply chain builds on our existing Ambition 2030 goals to minimise our environmental footprint, to innovate with the best and safest ingredients from both science and nature, and to create products that make responsible consumption irresistible for people everywhere.
Read More: P&G Sees Sales Up In Q1, Warns Of Higher Supply Chain Costs
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Our top priority is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across every part of our business as quickly as possible with solutions that exist today. Our ambition is simple, but the world of emissions accounting, standards and targets is quite complex.
That’s why we’ve set science-based interim targets for 2030 to keep us on track and make meaningful progress this decade, such as reducing emissions from our operations (scopes 1 and 2) by 50% and reducing supply chain emissions (scope 3) by 40% across priority categories.
We know there are some operational emissions we cannot eliminate yet and our teams are working hard to develop the next generation of low-carbon technologies and materials. For example, we’re unlocking new ways to decarbonise our supply chain by partnering to advance innovation in materials derived from renewable, bio-based, or recycled carbon across brands including Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Ariel, Tide and Pampers.
As we advance on our journey, you can expect us to be transparent – sharing our successes and setbacks along the way so we can all make progress together.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more A-Brands stores, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
