“According to the United Nations, limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C is still possible, but we are dangerously close to that threshold. That’s why businesses must act with urgency to reduce carbon emissions at scale. I’m proud that Perfetti Van Melle is playing its part in setting near-term company-wide targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which have been evaluated and approved by the SBTi. A significant step in demonstrating our commitment to social and environmental responsibility,” said Andrew Boyd, chief sustainability officer at Perfetti Van Melle.

The new absolute science-based targets will see Perfetti Van Melle reducing, under scope 1 and scope 2, GHG emissions by 42% by 2030, from a 2021 base year. This includes emissions from its own operations, such as industrial and non-industrial sites. Perfetti Van Melle will also reduce emissions by 25% under scope 3 from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, business travel, waste generated in operations, and end of life treatment of sold products within the same timeframe.

As part of the confectionery industry, Perfetti Van Melle has also had its Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) targets evaluated and approved by the SBTi. FLAG targets are specific to companies in land-intensive sectors and include land-based emissions reductions (e.g. from land conversion) and carbon removals (e.g. agroforestry). This absolute target will see Perfetti Van Melle reducing FLAG GHG emissions by 30.3% under scope 3 by 2030, from a 2021 base year.