Cranswick plc has today received approval on industry leading 2030 Science Based Targets which will see it reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to the level required to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees – the most ambitious goal set of the Paris Agreement. These targets have been validated by The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The approved targets are consistent with those needed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Group’s scope 1 and 2 operations by 50% by 2030 and reduce GHG emissions from its scope 3 value chain, including purchased goods and services and upstream leased assets, by 50% per tonne sold within the same time frame.
The commitments form part of Cranswick’s ‘Second Nature’ sustainability strategy and underpins its ambition to be Net Zero across all operations by 2040.
Cranswick has already made significant progress on its Net Zero journey. So far, nine production facilities have been certified carbon neutral under PAS 2060 with a target of all production facilities achieving this standard by the end of 2021. Cranswick has achieved a 59% reduction in relative carbon emissions since 2016 and is investing in VERRA and Gold Standard verified carbon removal and mitigation projects. These initiatives have offset 18,698 tonnes of carbon in 2020/21 with an additional 941 tonnes procured for future carbon removal through UK Woodland projects.
Cranswick has shown innovation within its farming operations, reducing the amount of soya used within animal feed and committing to sourcing from areas of zero deforestation by 2025. The Company is implementing regenerative agricultural techniques targeting soil health, with a recent project achieving a 10% increase in soil organic matter, enabling it to sequester carbon and cycle CO₂ by an additional eight tonnes per hectare.
Adam Couch, CEO at Cranswick plc, commented: “As we transition to halve our emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2040, we are taking a truly integrated approach to tackling the climate crisis. We have purposely set ourselves the toughest target on Scope 3 because we know we must work collaboratively across our total supply chain, and we cannot do this alone.”