Despite greater corporate climate disclosure and commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, net zero targets and other climate-related goals, many companies in the U.S. food sector fail to adequately disclose sufficient information to investors on how they intend to achieve said ambitions. This report provides the most comprehensive guidance to help food companies move beyond target-setting to creating and implementing sector-specific climate transition plans that chart pathways to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
This report includes in-depth analyses of key food sector sub-industries such as packaged foods and meats, food distribution, food retail and hypermarkets/supercenters and restaurants. It contains a framework to help investors assess corporate climate transition plans in this sector, including guidance on evaluating corporate emissions disclosure, emissions reduction targets and climate transition strategies and actions.
The report is primarily intended to support investor engagements with companies that have already disclosed their full-scope greenhouse gas emissions and have set 1.5°C greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that cover Scope 3 emissions; without these foundational elements in place, companies face the risk of creating plans that are not ambitious enough to truly mitigate climate change. Investors can also use the guidance to engage companies by emphasizing the importance of getting ahead of forthcoming guidance and standards by preemptively aligning their actions with more ambitious standards.