NEW TECH FOODS

As the food and beverage industry faces regulatory and consumer pressures for greater environmental responsibility, how can it continue to make meaningful progress towards cutting carbon emissions and eliminating waste? Sandra Perletti, global head of food and beverage at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, believes change is still possible – but it all starts with a shift in mindset.

Having spent many years working with manufacturers across the F&B sector and around the world, I've never felt the urgency to reduce carbon emissions and resource use more acutely. It clearly remains an industry priority and I see the determination to reach sustainable goals, but 2030's sustainability targets (set using SBTi for example) are fast approaching, and there are many companies – of all sizes – finding themselves behind schedule. 

When you look at the numbers – particularly the 55 MtCO2e emissions (scope 1 & 2) from the top 20 F&B companies – there is both progress and missed opportunities. Yes, we've achieved roughly 20% emissions reduction, mainly in scope 2, since 2017 (based on their annual sustainability reports), but as an industry we need to do more and move faster. 

Recent conversations I’ve had with food and beverage industry leaders at events have highlighted one key message: we need to stop waiting for the perfect conditions and start acting on sustainability now. To do this though, we have to shift our mindset to one focused on action.

There will never be a ‘right time’

What I hear most often from clients is that sustainability initiatives are proving more complex and resource-intensive than initially planned. Added to that are the financial pressures to deliver results and drive down costs, which are equally challenging for businesses big and small.

Pitted against these financial challenges, the brakes are being pumped on sustainability. People are thinking “maybe we should just take a rain check” and progress green initiatives when the market conditions are fairer and less turbulent. 

But those perfect conditions may never arrive, and then what?

In my experience, success in sustainability doesn't require having all the answers – or indeed all the capital up front to deliver everything you want to do. It just needs businesses to develop a ‘can do’ mindset to take that first step and commit funding towards initiatives. Every step has an impact. 

Breaking decarbonisation down into manageable steps

Sustainability as a concept can sometimes feel like a mountain to climb. That’s why I think of end-to-end decarbonisation as a journey with clear, manageable steps. It is achievable and it can be done in stages.

The first step on the journey is to focus on reducing consumption. This is where you'll see the biggest impact and it’s also fundamental to future success as it helps you to reduce waste. Figuring out how to reduce consumption relies on having data at your fingertips – you can’t change what you can’t measure, so data is key. We're seeing exciting developments in AI and digital technologies that can transform energy efficiency by giving manufacturers a definitive picture of where their energy is going.  

Once you have identified where you can save energy, the next step is to consider transitioning to electrified processes and producing your energy onsite instead of relying on fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, particularly to drive thermal production processes. Depending on the size and location of your facility, you may be able to utilise solar and wind generation, biofuels, or you could electrify your thermal energy using heat pumps powered by green energy.  

The final step is to look at clean energy procurement. This can be achieved in a variety of ways such as making an agreement with your power supplier to only buy clean energy, or to collaborate with operators (such as a local solar farm or wind farm) directly.

Each step builds on the last, creating a comprehensive approach to sustainability. 

Success in action 

Let me share a practical example. We have been working with Heineken on a decarbonisation programme to target significant energy savings and a 50% CO2 reduction over 15 breweries and malt houses worldwide by 2025. A huge undertaking, but one which will both reduce environmental impact and operational costs in the long term.

We started by collaborating on an initial project of consulting, auditing and advisory services, using a digital energy twin of a typical brewery to analyse and identify where the biggest efficiency savings could be made. The digital twin showed that approximately 70% of energy consumption was linked to the heating and cooling necessary for brewing processes. 

The end-to-end programme combines operational data in combination with the energy digital twin so that we could work with Heineken to design, engineer and implement a system to electrify the production of heating and cooling, using heat pumps powered by renewable energy. The system also uses Siemens Cooling Plant Optimization algorithms, which use built-in analytics to analyse data from the plant to reduce energy costs and ensure operational efficiency.

The overall solution for Heineken is replicable and scalable for implementation at multiple sites globally.

One of the reasons Heineken's sustainability project has been so successful is that they haven’t done it alone. Partnerships are very important – not only to designing and delivering the initiatives needed to decarbonise, but also in doing it quickly.

Collaboration is also an important thread of partnership, particularly when implementing digital solutions for decarbonisation.

The time to act is now 

The challenges around achieving Net Zero are complex, and no one has it all figured out – not even the biggest players in our industry. But that's precisely why we need to act now. Start with what you can measure and control. Leverage digital technologies to understand your consumption patterns. Build partnerships that can guide your investments and help you avoid making decisions you later regret.  

As an industry we are agreed that the conversation on sustainability must move forward. 2030 is too close now to be saying the same thing year after year and stalling on progress. Let's embrace the complexity of this challenge and move forward together, one step at a time. Because when it comes to sustainability in the F&B sector, the best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is today.