UK Environment Bill – how can we help?
Enacted in November 2021, the UK Environment Bill will have far reaching implications for every UK food business.
Setting out the UK government’s plans and policies for improving the natural environment following Brexit, the new bill has introduced challenging new targets on air pollution, water quality, waste, resource use and biodiversity. It all amounts to the biggest shake up in environmental legislation for decades, and presents difficult, but necessary challenges for us all.
Key for many our customers, will be the need to demonstrate that their supply chains have not contributed to the destruction of forests overseas. UK businesses will need to show that the commodities they use in their products have come from deforestation-free supply chains. This is especially the case for products such as palm and soy, which often come from at risk areas.
This will be where we can to help. In the past year, we have taken a number of important steps in the development of our own palm and soy supply chains. Already, over 77% of everything we supply is traceable to plantation and 69% is verified as deforestation-free. We are planning to achieve 100% on both scores by 2025.
How can we be sure? That’s easy, we have stepped up our supplier monitoring and engagement and strengthened our processes for proactively addressing non-compliance. This is underpinned by full-scale monitoring of our global palm oil supply base. Together, these initiatives put us in an excellent position to help you prove that green credentials of your commodities.
Once the new bill has landed, we will be able to share further insights with you. However, if you need information or advice on the provenance of our ingredients before then, please do get in touch.