Business mobilisation to achieve the 1.5C climate target

Joining a multitude of international companies, Orkla is stepping up to support the UN Global Compact campaign, “Business Ambition for 1.5°C: Our Only Future”. The aim is to mobilise businesses to raise their climate ambitions ahead of the annual UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Madrid from 2 to 13 December 2019.

“There is an urgent need to find solutions to climate change challenges. Orkla has therefore set science-based climate targets and will take its share of responsibility for limiting global temperature rise to a maximum of 1.5 degrees,” says Jaan Ivar Semlitsch, President & CEO at Orkla.

The international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated Orkla’s climate targets, which are a 63% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and a 77% reduction by 2040.

“Business play a crucial role in achieving the sustainability goals. It is therefore inspiring to  see so many companies boldly raising their ambitions. Orkla is one of several leading companies that are already proving that 1.5ºC-compliant climate targets are possible. Orkla has set an example for others to follow.” said Kim Gabrielli, Director of the UN Global Compact in Norway.

Read more about the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C: Our Only Future” campaign here: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/events/climate-action-summit-2019/business-ambition

Orkla’s climate work:  

• All Orkla companies and factories work purposefully to cut their energy and water consumption, optimise resource use and reduce food waste.
• Sustainable innovation is high on the agenda at Orkla, which is launching plant-based alternatives to meat and a variety of products with a reduced environmental footprint.
• Orkla has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 54 per cent in the last five years. This reduction is in absolute figures, i.e. they have not been adjusted for increased turnover.
• All the electricity Orkla uses in Europe is renewable. Through our own hydropower operations, Hydro Power, we produce five times as much renewable electricity as we use.
• To document renewable electricity, Orkla buys Guarantees of Origin linked to its own hydropower plants.
• Orkla also takes responsibility for the climate impact of its value chain by taking action targeting the production of raw materials, with the goal of reducing indirect greenhouse gas emissions by around 30% by 2025 and 77% by 2040.