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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Trellis or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Food companies like Mars, General Mills, and Nutrien are investing in “insetting” to reduce their Scope 3 emissions by funding supply-chain sustainability projects
• Despite growing adoption, challenges remain in accounting for these emissions reductions
• Industry groups are working to clarify guidelines, with multiple organisations issuing Scope 3 credits
🔭 The context: Insetting allows companies to claim emissions reductions by supporting interventions within their supply chain, such as regenerative agriculture or methane-reducing feed additives
• SustainCERT, a key player in this space, has verified 32 interventions, while new entrants like Athian and Proba are expanding the market
• However, complexities in tracking supply-chain emissions and qualifying investments remain hurdles
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Agriculture is a major emitter, particularly through methane from livestock and fertiliser use
• Insetting could drive systemic change by incentivising sustainable farming practices
• Scaling these interventions could make emissions reductions more achievable for food companies facing pressure to meet climate targets
⏭️ What's next: Uncertainty in carbon accounting rules, particularly from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Science Based Targets Initiative, may slow wider adoption
• Efforts like the Advanced and Indirect Mitigation Platform, backed by Amazon and ClimeCo, aim to create standardised insetting frameworks
• Companies are pushing forward despite regulatory delays, showing strong industry commitment
💬 One quote: "Insetting is in what I call the ‘teenage sex moment’—there’s so much talk but there isn’t a whole lot of action." – Jeffrey Yorzyk, Senior Director for Sustainability, HelloFresh
📈 One stat: Athian has issued its first Scope 3 credits and has contracts to distribute $9 million to producers
See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Amazon, HelloFresh, Mars, General Mills, and Nutrien
Click for more news covering the latest on sustainable agriculture and corporate sustainability
