To Build Climate Resilience, Start with Food Systems
During London Climate Action Week, leaders highlight food systems as a key area for climate action. Tetra Pak's report shows that modernizing processing and packaging can significantly reduce emissions and improve resilience.
At London Climate Action Week, as leaders from Europe and beyond gather, the urgency of climate action is clear. The focus is not on new targets but on choices that deliver measurable impact—especially in food systems, where climate effects are felt most directly. Rising food prices, supply chain disruptions, and food waste affect households, public services, and political trust simultaneously.
Tetra Pak, a food processing and packaging company, emphasizes focused action. Its sustainability report shows that by 2025, it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 56% in its own operations and by 34% across its value chain compared to a 2019 baseline. Additionally, 97% of its electricity comes from renewable sources, and it is on track to achieve net-zero emissions in its own operations by 2030, with targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative.
A key area is dairy processing. Tetra Pak's Dairy Processing Impact Assessment, independently reviewed by the Carbon Trust, found that modernizing existing dairy equipment could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40–49%, water use by around 45%, and product losses by over 50%. These gains are achievable through infrastructure upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, and waste reduction, especially amid high energy costs and operational volatility.
Packaging plays a crucial role in reducing food loss and waste. Life cycle assessments indicate that carton packaging, primarily made from paper, can have a lower climate impact than fossil-based materials for perishable foods like milk. However, circularity depends on effective collection and recycling systems and clear, consistent regulatory frameworks across the EU single market.
Europe is moving in this direction. The EU Critical Entities Resilience Directive recognizes food production, processing, and packaging as essential services. As member states implement it, aligning decarbonization with modernization of food infrastructure becomes possible. London Climate Action Week calls for honest reflection: climate leadership is measured by delivery. Food systems offer a clear path to tangible improvements in price stability, supply security, and public confidence.
