As part of a broader initiative to be more environmentally friendly, Kellogg announced Wednesday it will step up efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions, The Associated Press reported.
The Battle Creek-based food products manufacturer will now require suppliers like farms and mills to measure and publicly disclose their greenhouse gas outputs and targets to reduce them. The company said it will annually report those emissions and include climate and deforestation policies in the company's code of conduct for supplies, AP reported.
Kellogg will also strengthen cutback requirements for its own plans by building on a 2008 pledge to reduce emissions from 15 percent to 20 percent, said Diane Holdorf, chief sustainability officer. It also promised to join Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, a coalition that supports legislation favoring cleaner energy and a low-carbon economy.
"Not only is it what our customers and stakeholders expect of us ... but we want to hold ourselves accountable," Holdorf said.
Oxfam International, a group pushing the food and beverage industry to reduce carbon emissions, praised Kellogg Co.'s announcement.
"Climate change is putting hundreds of millions of people at risk and threatening everything from coffee and cereal to wine and chocolate," spokeswoman Monique van Zijil said. "Kellogg Is joining a growing list of companies that are putting the weight of their brands behind climate action."
The cereal maker known for Pringles also announced a series of green performance goals to reach by 2020 that includes a 50 percent increase in use of low-carbon energy and establishing water-reuse projects in 25 percent of its plants, AP stated.
Holdorf also said Kellogg will boost the number of plants sending no waste to landfills by 30 percent and will use more efficient packaging, with all timber-based packaging materials being recycled or coming from sources certified as sustainable.
