Avara Foods hopes its involvement in a new WRAP emissions reporting pilot will bring benefits for the whole sector. Michael Barker reports
Avara Foods is the only poultry processor taking part in a major WRAP pilot that aims to establish new carbon emission reporting protocols for food and drink supply chains, also known as Scope 3 emissions. The lack of standardised reporting methodologies has been a common criticism from poultry and other food suppliers who wish to measure and benchmark their performance in reducing emissions on the journey to net zero.
It is hoped that the pilot will help create a level playing field, providing a food industry characterised by long and complex supply chains with a common set of rules and globally accepted metrics, as well as food-specific guidance.
In addition to providing consistency, food producers will also receive more consistent data asks from their customers, which will cut the cost and effort of measuring and managing emissions, according to WRAP. The new pilot is based around testing a series of protocols that build on existing global guidance, signpost useful documents and offer interpretations and requirements that are applicable to the food and drink industry.
The methodology is pitched as not dissimilar to the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Protocol, but with slight adaptations that better tailor it to the food and drink industry. Describing the protocols as a market-first, WRAP says they will mean faster progression towards achieving the Courtauld 2030 target of delivering a 50% absolute reduction in GHG emissions associated with food and drink consumed in the UK by 2030 (against a 2015 baseline).
Avara Foods’ people and communications director, Andrew Brodie, says that the company took the decision to get involved in the WRAP pilot as consumers are taking a keener interest in the sustainability credentials of the foods they buy, but that informed decisions cannot be made without like-for-like comparisons.
“As a business with a strong track record on data quality and understanding our full carbon footprint, participating in this pilot was an obvious choice,” Brodie tells Poultry Business. “We hope that it can help standardise approaches across the sector, and improve consistency and accuracy, by helping businesses be clear, transparent and public with their Scope 3 reporting.”
The pilot kicks off this summer and will run until early next year, and from the findings of the study there will be case studies created for the WRAP website alongside a Q&A document, with the protocols updated to reflect the findings.
The Courtauld 2030 working group will be used to steer this development process and advise on the resources needed to help businesses measure, manage, and reduce their Scope 3 emissions. For Avara, the initiative is a further plank in its commitment to achieve science-based targets for carbon emissions, and part of its wider ambition to achieve net zero by 2040.
“Our targets cover all aspects of our operation and our supply chain,” Brodie explains. “The targets for direct emissions from our own operations (Scopes 1 and 2) are in line with efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, which equates to an absolute reduction for us of 46%. Our supply chain emissions (Scope 3) target is aligned with efforts to limit warming to well below 2 degrees, requiring an absolute reduction of 28% by 2030.
“Within our operations, actions are already underway to meet these ambitious targets, focusing on investment in new technology and automation to drive productivity and improve energy efficiency. Across our wider supply chain it is a partnership approach that will drive change, and we are already working closely with key suppliers and customers to make a meaningful difference.”
