Food firms serve mixed results on energy usage

Date: 20/06/02

By Laurence Frost

SOME food companies have reduced energy consumption by as much as 58, while others have cut water use by 28 over ten years, according to new figures produced for the United Nations Environment Programme.

The study summarises figures published by global players in the food and drink industry, one of 22 sectors asked by the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to monitor their contributions to sustainable development over the subsequent decade.

But beneath the headline statistics, the report unveiled today (20 June) by the EU food and drink industry confederation CIAA sends a signal of mixed progress to September's 'Rio+10' sustainable development summit in Johannesburg.

Food giant Procter and Gamble reduced its energy consumption relative to production by 58 and cut hazardous waste by 85, the study shows. But it also increased recycling by just 3 and lost water efficiency, according to its own 'environmental performance indicators'.

Rival Unilever performed well all round, reducing energy needs by 18 over four years while also cutting water consumption by 16 and hazardous waste by 60, and Nestlé cut water and energy needs by 24 and 21 respectively over three years.

Meanwhile drinks company Heineken managed a 12 reduction in water consumption, but had to own up to a 60 increase in ozone-depleting gas emissions.

However, environmentalists have seized on the incompleteness of the CIAA report to warn that its claims should be treated with caution.

'These are the statistics that mislead,' said Tony Long of the World Wide Fund for Nature. 'My overall impression is that it's only part of the story - there's a much more comprehensive picture yet to emerge.'

Of the five multinationals in the report, Danone achieved the largest cut in water consumption (28) but reported the fewest other figures - leaving crucial blanks for its energy consumption, air pollution and recycling.

Neither Danone nor Nestlé supplied any figures on waste.

Other large companies - notably Kraft, Coca-Cola and Diageo - are conspicuous by their absence, having published none of the relevant figures on their environmental performance.

Coca-Cola says its corporate structure - with 1,200 independent bottling plants operating under franchise - had made data-gathering difficult.

'We're planning to issue our first official report on our environmental indicators in 2003,' said a Coca-Cola spokesman. 'We've been working on it for the last two years and we want to get it right.'

Kraft said regional divisions had reported figures separately until the company's stock market flotation last year, but said it would contribute fully to future sustainability reports.

CIAA spokesman Thierry Dieu hailed the study as an 'important first step' for the sector. 'This is the first time the global industry has reported on its own progress towards sustainable development,' he said.

The CIAA aims to encourage firms to adopt common methodology for measuring and reporting their performance in the future, making their statistics more easily comparable.

Some food companies have reduced energy consumption by as much as 58%, while others have cut water use by 28% over ten years, according to new figures produced for the United Nations Environment Programme.