Climate Change

We understand that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and we’re continuously looking for more efficient ways to produce and distribute our dairy foods.
We’re concerned about what it means for our families, local communities, the next generation of farmers, and our planet as a whole. 

 

We have set science-based targets using the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) and are taking action to address climate change by reducing our emissions in transport and manufacturing and finding ways to manage and mitigate animal emissions on farms. 

We are committed to working with others and playing a role in ensuring the Australian dairy industry is at the forefront of low-emissions food production.

Acting on climate change  

Our commitment to dealing with climate change isn’t limited to our farms. We’re investing in innovation and infrastructure to remove greenhouse gas emissions from our manufacturing sites.  

We have an aspiration to be net zero globally by 2050.  ​We also have a 2030 target to reduce manufacturing and transport emissions in Australia by 50% from a 2018 baseline, and we’re well on track to meet this target.

Fonterra isn’t the only business facing these challenges. Collectively we must continue to address our use of fossil fuels in transport and manufacturing, as well as find ways to mitigate animal emissions. 

Our focus to date has been on reducing emissions from efficiency measures but we know there are some challenges ahead and so we are looking at cleaner fuel options for stationary energy and transport.

We also publicly report on climate performance using the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting, Global Reporting Initiative, and CDP frameworks.

Australian farmers in many regards are global leaders and respected custodians of the land they farm. ​ ​

We’ve partnered with Sea Forest in Tasmania to trial using seaweed as a supplement to cows’ feed to reduce greenhouse gasses. ​The trial is showing potential, and we are closer to understanding how to use feed supplement commercially in a way that is safe, good for cows, good for the environment, good for the milk and makes sense for farmers. ​

Along with investing and innovating at a farm level, we’re now helping  farmers to better understand how they can reduce their emissions and support them to create more resilient businesses using Farm Environment Plans. ​

Our targets

Our climate change targets are:

50% reduction in manufacturing emissions by 2030

An aspiration of net zero emissions for all our gases by 2050