Upon the release of its 14th Sustainability Progress Report, Ferrero’s Australian operations are aiming to reduce C02 emissions by 1.5 per cent and cut gas consumption by 50 per cent year on year by utilising green energy from the grid and electrifying equipment. Currently, operations in NSW are making positive progress.
The 14th Sustainability Progress Report highlights the steps taken during the 2021/22 financial year on four key pillars: protecting the environment, sustainable sourcing, promoting responsible consumption and empowering people.
In NSW, Ferrero’s Lithgow factory producing Nutella and Tic Tac has completed stage 2 of its solar panel installation, with panels across 75 per cent of its roof, and generates around 20 per cent of the factory’s overall energy consumption.
The factory is also minimising water usage and wants to purify and reuse 100 per cent of water used in the industrial process over the next seven years. Since 2021, water consumption has been reduced by 30 per cent.
Ferrero Australia will also become a supporter of the National Packaging & Recycling Scheme (NPRS) from June. The NPRS is Australia’s largest industry-led plastics recycling scheme, which aims to take hard-to-recycle soft plastic packaging out of waste streams and giving it new life. This move follows a recent landmark decision by the government on packaging waste legislation.
Ferrero’s gold status membership was also reaccredited in the NSW’s Government’s Sustainability Advantage Recognition Scheme for the tenth consecutive year.
Global sustainability highlights from the Sustainability Progress Report included:
- 92 per cent of the company’s global electricity is now sourced from renewables – up from 84 per cent last year;
- 100 per cent of palm oil is RSPO certified segregated, with 99.95 per cent traceable to 146 palm oil mills and 722 plantations;
- the publishing of the company’s first Human Rights Report at the end of 2021;
- completion of Ferrero’s first four-year Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) action plan, achieving or even surpassing the majority of targets set in 2018;
- Ferrero Farming Values (FFV), a cross-commodity framework delivered one-to-one coaching to 32 per cent of cocoa farmers on farm and business planning;
- Ferrero Group is now reaching traceability back to farm level across more than 96 per cent of its cocoa supply volume. 82 per cent of the entire cocoa volume was sourced from dedicated farmer groups Ferrero supports, and
- continued progress on Ferrero’s target of designing 100 per cent of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable, across four main areas of action: R&D and open innovation, existing packaging development and design, working with recyclers and national waste-management systems, and educating consumers.
Ferrero Group executive chairman Giovanni Ferrero said the financial year had been particularly challenging.
“War broke out, supply chains were disrupted, energy costs surged, and inflation grew alongside the cost of raw materials.
“In the face of these challenges, Ferrero has not only been able to grow, but to also make strong progress with a number of our sustainability targets – and, in some instances, exceed them,” said Ferrero.
