Webinar Q&A follow-up report

Ulla Luhtasela and Gregory Norris

Q&A with Ulla

It is true that LCA is much broader topic than just the GHG emissions. In 10 minutes time, this was just one example on how we work with LCA, and as the climate commitments are still new and strategically important for Nestlé, I decided to focus on this one topic.
The quality and safety of our products are non-negotiable and most important to us!! You can read more about the infant formula and our way of working with these extremely sensitive product category: https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/breastfeeding-nutrition/baby-milk
We are very much looking into our recipes and total portfolio, moving towards plant based alternatives and reducing the use of meat. However, we are not planning (at least for now) to phase out all animal products from our portfolio.
Nestlé has specific requirements for the suppliers. https://www.nestle.com/aboutus/suppliers
They must fulfill the certain criteria described below.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/asset-library/documents/library/documents/suppliers/nestle-responsible-sourcing-standard-english.pdf.
We verify compliance with the Standard by our direct suppliers through independent audits carried out by audit firms accredited by Nestlé.
Our NetZero goal (by 2050) is based on the Science Based Target initiative. In addition, it is supporting the EU goal to be NetZero. The planned activities are based on the LCA and where we can make a difference.
Here are some links to answer your question
Palm oil: https://www.nestle.com/sustainability/sustainable-sourcing/palm-oil

Coffee: https://www.nestle.com/sustainability/sustainable-sourcing/coffee

Cocoa: https://www.nestle.com/sustainability/sustainable-sourcing/cocoa

Fair wages: https://www.nestle.com/sustainability/human-rights/living-income
You can read it detailed on the page 4 of the report
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
You can find answer to your question on the page 4 of the report
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
We have discussed this question in our report on pages 8, 10, 36 and 37.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
You can find answers in our report.
Emissions tackling is described on the pages 1-2. Emissions from suppliers - pages 22-24, 28, 39-41. Reforestation activities - page 25.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
In many places in our LCA we have used generic data, and at the moment our LCA is getting more accurate while receiving more primary data from our suppliers. As we get more accurate data, we also correct our baseline year 2018, so that our reductions are based on the same data. Some projects we run together with our suppliers, some they do independently and report to us. These we always review and evaluate case by case. We have also received the limited insurance from EY on our tools to monitor the progress with our KPIs.
You can find the answer to your question on the pages 22 and 40 of our report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
You can find answer to your question on pages 25 and 27 of our report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
What comes next - for example new packaging https://www.nestle.com/brands/baby-foods/naturnes.
Costs vs environmental impact tackling is discussed on the pages 25, 27, 35, 36, 41 and 42 of our report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
Our Net impact is discussed on the pages 25-26 of the report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/2021-tcfd-report.pdf
You can find our ideas about it here
https://www.nestle.com/media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/nestle-open-blockchain-pilot
Some examples of it are described in the article below
https://www.nestle.com/media/news/nestle-investment-taygete-renewable-energy-us
Some of our ideas are discussed in this article
https://www.nestle.com/stories/protecting-restoring-forests-sustainable-cocoa-farming-communities
Here is an article for this topic
https://www.nestle.com/ask-nestle/water/answers/nestle-sustainable-bottled-water
You can find answer to your question on the pages 35 and 37 of our report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
You can read more about our vision at this topic on the pages 39-42 of the report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
You can find our opinion on this topic on page 58 of the sustainability report and page 7 of the TCFD report.
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/creating-shared-value-sustainability-report-2021-en.pdf
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/2021-tcfd-report.pdf

Q&A with Greg

One great way is to attend Environmental Impacts Academys LCA internship program. The 2,5-months internship program is designed to kick-start your career as an LCA professional. This internship program is designed to enable participants to become confident and capable beginning practitioners of LCA. Students will specifically develop a practical familiarity with:
Life cycle inventory databases and datasets, both process-based and input/output-base
The ISO standards for Life Cycle Assessment
Earthster LCA software
Life cycle impact assessment methods, with a focus on the ReCiPe 2016 method
As an apart of the program, students will complete one or multiple real-life LCAs in a company. Read more about the program and apply here: https://www.environmentalacademy.org/students

Other free resources are the free LCA textbook: Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, by Olivier Jolliet et al., published by CRC Press, 2016. You can download it via https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429111051
Handprinting will actually be the topic of our next webinar. Be sure to follow Environmental Impacts Academy on LinkedIn to get notified of the upcoming webinars.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-impacts-academy
EPD - Environmental Product Declaration, is basically the result of an LCA and it can be based on ReCiPe 2016 or on PEF.
PEF - Product Environmental Footprint program follows the ISO standards and adds more specificity in 2 ways.
One is general - product environmental footprints have to have specific attributes - there is a set of 16 environmental impact categories that need to be considered. In addition there are PEF category rules for doing PEFs to support comparability among the results of PEF or EPD. The goal is that your results can be used by somebody who is trying to select a greener product within a product category.
If you have results from studies where the boundaries are different - you can’t compare them. However, you may learn something from each study. In general, you have to be extremely careful on probably not drawing a comparison. The ISO standards provide us with the ability to exclude portion of the lifecycle if we can guarantee that they are absolutely the same between the options. Also, make sure that when you are sharing your results with someone, you make this boundary’s choice very clear, so that the future researches can make their own mind whether it is a valid comparison or not.

Webinar Q&A follow-up report

Ulla Luhtasela and Gregory Norris

Q&A with Ulla

Why is the focus just on GHG emissions as opposed to broader LCA metrics?

Were Nestlé products always safe? My friend worked as a nurse in Africa when Nestlé pushed baby formula on mothers. Their sales people dressed up as doctors and tricked the locals into not breastfeeding.

Are you aiming for, or have initiatives, to meet and support planetary diet through your sales? Meaning phasing-out most of animal-based products and keeping local agriculture's strengths and weaknesses in mind.

What kind of controlling activity Nestlé is adopting to double check on data collected by supplier from the feedstock to the Nestlé operations?

How did you come to your NetZero goals?

What do you mean exactly by certified palm oil, coffee and cocoa? If third/party, which ones? Does that include fair wages along the value chain?

How are you ensuring your decarbonization and regenerative agriculture is focused around just and inclusive practices?

From an LCA point of view the presented information focuses very much on CO2-equivalents. What about other impact-categories like water, are there any intentions to attempt and represent social aspects or other categories in line with the UN sustainability goals?

How about using as much recycled material for packing as possible? Not only making packing recyclable?

How do you tackle emissions in the dairy sector? How do you influence emissions from your suppliers and contractors? Are you reforestation activities backed by certificates?

How do you model the data, when primary data are available? Are you following specific guidelines to model the assessment and allocation of impact category to avoid burden shifting?

While gathering data for scope 3 emissions do you require audited supplier reports?

How is Nestlé addressing conversion of land use change and ensuring land ownership stays with indigenous communities?

So LCA is done, Hotspots identified, then what comes next? 2nd question: the cost versus environmental impact? How do you tackle that?

Would you say Nestlé has a positive or negative NET impact on the planet?

Are there some standardize metrics to use against some set criterion for open access/ use?

How do you incentivize farms/factories within your supply chain to source renewable energy. Assuming that most will be non-EU based?

How do you motivate suppliers to cooperate with your carbon reduction strategy?

How is Nestlé ensuring communities where they extract water will not be left without drinking water?

What are you doing to remove your plastic from the ocean and soil?

Do you think/believe that today's industry and society can achieve sustainability without a social change?

What is your opinion on using Carbon Labels in products and services?

Q&A with Greg

I want to gain practical LCA skills, any recommendations for a free resource? (I'm an undergraduate student)

Could you please explain a little bit about handprint?

What is the difference between PEF and ISO and EPD's?

How can one assess / evaluate LCA results when boundaries set by the client may vary?