Britain's largest food and drink companies produce more greenhouse gases than the aviation industry. A Bite Back analysis found that top firms like Coca-Cola and Nestlé emitted 477 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022, surpassing emissions from global air travel. Despite pledges, most are failing to meet climate targets, prompting recommendations for dietary changes to lower emissions.
Britain’s largest food and drink companies are falling short in addressing the climate crisis, with their combined greenhouse gas emissions surpassing those of the aviation industry.
According to Bite Back's analysis, the top 10 food firms, including Coca-Cola, Danone, and Nestlé, generated 477 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2022, compared to 426 million tonnes from global air travel.
The food sector globally contributes 30% of all greenhouse emissions.
Despite their pledges, most of these firms are failing to meet their environmental targets.
Nestlé, for instance, had the highest emissions at nearly 113 million tonnes, followed by Unilever and PepsiCo. Bite Back recommends dietary changes, including increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and reduced meat intake, to lower emissions.
However, the Food and Drink Federation challenged these findings, highlighting the global versus UK-centric data and their commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.