KitKat, one of the world’s most popular chocolate brands, has today pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025 – in line with Nestlé’s commitment to halve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. KitKat aims to reduce the emissions generated through the sourcing of its ingredients, the manufacturing of the product and its distribution by more than 50% as part of the plan.
“KitKat bars have been delighting the people of the region for decades, and we’re proud of the brand’s ongoing efforts to further reduce its environmental footprint,” said Emile Douaihy, Nestlé Business Executive Officer – Confectionery, Biscuits and Snacks, Middle East and North Africa. “Nestlé has already reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions at the company’s 25 factories in the Middle East and North Africa by nearly 60% over the last decade, including at KitKat manufacturing.”
Most emissions occur when producing KitKat’s ingredients like cocoa and milk. The brand will reduce these emissions as much as possible through initiatives like restoring forests and supporting a transition to regenerative agriculture.
For any emissions that cannot be eliminated, the brand will invest in high quality offsetting based on natural climate solutions.
KitKat is working with The Carbon Trust, a global climate change and sustainability consultancy, to measure the brand’s current carbon footprint and will complete this process later in 2021.
Protecting and restoring forests
Deforestation is one of the main global drivers of carbon emissions in the agricultural supply chain. Nestlé has used a variety of tools for the last ten years, including certification, supply chain mapping and satellite imagery, to achieve its no-deforestation commitment.
Furthermore, Nestlé is focusing on forest conservation and restoration. For example, it published an action plan in 2019 to help protect and restore forests in its cocoa supply chain. Earlier this month, Nestlé joined forces with others to launch the Rimba Collective. This initiative supports the protection and restoration of over 500,000 hectares of tropical forest landscapes in Southeast Asia, where the company sources its ingredients.
Expanding regenerative agriculture
KitKat will expand its work with cocoa, palm oil, cereals, sugar and dairy farmers to implement regenerative practices. Farming methods such as reducing synthetic inputs, better management of soils and tree planting can help draw down carbon from the atmosphere, enhance biodiversity and boost on-farm productivity. To support this, KitKat will help farmers plant five million shade trees where it sources its cocoa by 2025.
Accelerating the transition to renewable electricity
KitKat is working to improve the environmental footprint of its factories. It has already reduced the energy required to produce KitKat by more than 40% per ton of product since 2000.
Nestlé is using renewable electricity at KitKat manufacturing sites, such as power drawn from wind farms in the UK and solar plants in the MENA region and Brazil. The company will continue to find new ways to end dependency on fossil fuels and use 100% renewable electricity for all KitKat factories before the end of 2025.
Building on more than a decade of action
KitKat has a history of improving the sustainability of its supply chain that dates back more than a decade. In 2009, Nestlé launched the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and by 2016, KitKat sourced 100% of its cocoa from the program. Under the Plan, Nestlé has planted more than 15 million cocoa trees and invested CHF 300 million in cocoa sustainability.
For more information, please contact:
Layal Dalal, Nestlé Media Relations Manager, Middle East and North Africa
Email: [email protected]
About KitKat
KitKat is a perfect balance of chocolate and wafer first launched in the UK in 1935 as 'Chocolate Crisp.' The KitKat brand name and logo were introduced on packs in 1937. Today, the iconic brand is present in more than 80 countries. The famous “Have a break, have a KitKat” strapline was first used in 1958 and has been used without a 'break' ever since. KitKat is the first global confectionery brand to be sourced from 100% sustainable cocoa.
About Nestlé Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Nestlé’s heritage in the Middle East and North Africa goes back over 100 years with the sale of the first Infant Cereals in Egypt. Today, Nestlé operates 25 Food & Beverage factories across the 19 countries of the MENA region, and provides direct employment to more than 15,000 people who are all committed to Nestlé’s purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. Nestlé MENA also provides indirect employment across the region to several thousand more.
The Nestlé portfolio in the region currently exceeds 60 innovative product brands in a wide range of categories: Dairy, Infant Nutrition, Coffee and Creamers, Confectionery, Bottled Water, Breakfast Cereals, Culinary products, Health Science, and Pet Care, among others. Nestlé NIDO, Nestlé CERELAC, Nestlé NAN, S-26, PROGRESS, NESCAFÉ, NESPRESSO, Bonjorno Café, Coffee-mate, KitKat, MAGGI, Nestlé FITNESS, Nestlé Grain d’Or, Nestlé Pure Life, OPTIFAST, and PURINA Friskies are just some of the brands available in the Middle East and North Africa.
To know more, you can visit:
Website: www.nestle-mena.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NestleMiddleeastNorthafrica
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nestleme
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NestléMENA