PepsiCo releases 2019 sustainability report

PepsiCo has released its 2019 Sustainability Report, which details the company’s efforts to help build a more sustainable food system.

The report highlights the progress it has made in priority areas including agriculture, water, climate, packaging, products and people.

“Today’s global environmental and societal pressures are bringing into sharp focus the need for systemic change,” said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s CEO and chairman.

“These challenges not only require deeper commitment from the private sector, they also require demonstrated and sustained action.

“As a global food and beverage leader, we have a responsibility to use our scale and influence to help tackle long-term challenges, including addressing the threats to our food system which have been further strained by the unfolding pandemic.”

He continued: “We’re making significant progress that I’m very proud of. We know it will take even more, however. From how we grow food and make products, to inspiring positive change – we are committed to help build a better future for people and the planet.”

In the report, PepsiCo revealed that it had exceeded its safe water goals five years early. Since 2006, the company has helped over 44 million people worldwide gain access to safe water through distribution, purification and conservation programs, surpassing its goal to reach 25 million by 2025.

PepsiCo has now set itself the new safe water target of reaching 100 million people by 2030, and will focus on distribution, sanitation and hygiene programmes to bolster public health in the wake of Covid-19.

Ensuring ingredients are sourced through sustainable and resilient agriculture is another goal highlighted in the report. In 2019, almost 80% of PepsiCo’s farmer-sourced agricultural raw materials were verified as sustainably sourced, showing the company’s progress toward reaching 100% by the end of 2020.

As part of its climate action plan, the company reduced GHG emissions by 6% across its global value chain in 2019.

PepsiCo also announced that it had expanded the SodaStream platform, estimated to cut 67 billion single-use plastic bottles by 2025.

PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer, Simon Lowden, said: “As we look to the decade ahead, global efforts to mitigate climate change and support a more sustainable and inclusive future are more crucial than ever.

“From providing access to safe water in underserved communities, to working with farmers to grow crops more sustainably, to innovating around packaging, we remain focused on our long-term agenda.

“It will require agility, collective action and collaboration, and as we think about our approach, we’re determined to embrace an important lesson of Covid-19: The world can mobilise quickly when working together toward a shared goal,” he continued.

“We know building a more resilient food system is possible, and we’ll continue working with partners around the world to catalyse change for a better tomorrow.”