HelloFresh, the world’s largest meal kit company, has released its 2022 non-financial report, announcing its commitment to setting near-term company-wide CO2e emission reduction targets in line with climate science through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). As a company that recognizes its vital role in driving sustainable progress on environmental and social issues, HelloFresh is dedicated to reducing its impact on the environment and providing its customers not only with delicious food but also sustainable food solutions.
The SBTi is a global body that enables businesses to set ambitious emissions reduction targets based on the latest climate science. The initiative is focused on accelerating companies worldwide to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. It is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets.
Science-based targets provide a clearly-defined pathway for companies and financial institutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, helping prevent the worst impacts of climate change and future-proofing business growth. Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they are in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Tilman Eichstädt, COO Upstream at HelloFresh SE, said, “I’m very proud we kicked off this process and I’m excited about working together with the Science Based Targets initiatives to develop the detailed roadmap which will allow us to significantly reduce HelloFresh’s carbon emissions. This commitment is a crucial action for HelloFresh to take action to limit global warming.”
HelloFresh’s science-based targets will be set by 2024. The HelloFresh Sustainability Team will work on an emissions reduction target in line with the SBTi’s criteria within the two-year time frame allocated to this process. Meanwhile, HelloFresh will continue to work towards its own targets on food waste and carbon emissions to make progress. Science-based targets require an end-to-end quantification of GHG emissions from dirt to doorstep, which is a daunting effort. HelloFresh’s sustainability team has laid the groundwork over the last few years to enable the company to take this next step.
“Thanks to our recently conducted full Life Cycle Assessment, we already know how many emissions are caused by the individual steps of our products’ journey. As of today, we are already doing a lot to reduce and avoid emissions, but we are convinced that a holistic approach is necessary to have a meaningful impact and drive our progress here,” adds Tilman Eichstädt.
HelloFresh expects to communicate detailed targets and processes related to them in Q3 2024. The company will continue to work closely with its suppliers and source locally where possible to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum. Furthermore, HelloFresh is exploring innovative ways to work upstream with its suppliers to create better environmental impacts across the food system at large. In February 2023, the company hosted its first Regenerative Agriculture Summit to upskill the understanding of HelloFresh staff, suppliers, and other key external stakeholders on the opportunities regenerative agricultural practices provide to minimize the environmental impact of the food system and to de-risk supply chains from disruptions caused by the ongoing impacts of global warming.
