More than 250 food and drink company representatives sign up for webinar designed to prepare Origin Green members to set mandatory carbon emissions targets.
Bord Bia will today host the first in a series of five webinars designed to enable large scale Origin Green member companies to accelerate the development and implementation of ambitious and data-driven Science Based Targets (SBT). Bord Bia has worked with Accenture to deliver the series which is designed to prepare Origin Green companies for the upcoming requirement that all member companies with a turnover of over €50 million must establish carbon emissions targets before the end of 2022. Today’s inaugural session will offer an introduction to Science Based Targets for company CEOs and leadership teams.
Science Based Targets are fast becoming the quality label of climate action and are critical for Irish food, drink and horticulture companies to demonstrate credibility to their customers, investors, employees, and regulators. Emissions reduction 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 - to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. However, the process for setting Science Based Targets can be complex, and delivery on them can be challenging for teams with limited capacity. The methodologies, standards, and solutions for setting and delivering on SBTs are evolving, requiring frequent review by food, drink and horticulture companies.
According to Bord Bia, interest among the sector in today’s session is high, with over 250 attendees registered to attend a virtual launch webinar this morning, which will guide Origin Green member companies through the process of setting and delivering on Science Based Targets and will help members understand how to effectively communicate these targets to the market and their stakeholders. Speakers will include Karen O’Regan, Head of Strategy at Accenture in Ireland, Adrian Wain, Carbon Intelligence Lead at Accenture UKI, and Sibeal Bird, Global Sustainability Lead at Kerry Group.
Speaking ahead of the event today, Deirdre Ryan, Director of Origin Green at Bord Bia, said: “Our €13 billion food and drink export industry has established a hard earned, global reputation as a leading producer of high- quality sustainable food and drink. Maintaining Ireland’s international reputation for sustainable production and improving the environmental impact of our food production methods must continue to be evidence-based. Science Based Targets are critical for Irish food, drink, and horticulture companies to demonstrate credibility to their customers, investors, employees, and regulators.
However, the process for setting Science Based Targets can be complex, and delivery on them can sometimes be challenging for teams with limited capacity. This bespoke webinar series will support Origin Green companies to adopt higher levels of ambition and more impactful methods in relation to their emissions targets, which are needed to meet the growing environmental challenges and evolving market needs that Ireland faces.”
Almost 300 food and drink companies across Ireland are verified members of Origin Green, representing over 90% of Ireland’s food and drink exports. Since 2012, Origin Green company members have set a total of 2,779 sustainability targets and established 13,600 sustainability initiatives.
