Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Nestlé in society:
Creating Shared Value
Nutrition, health
and wellness Rural development Water
Environmental
sustainability
Human rights
and compliance
Our
people
G4-26, G4-27, G4-EC2, Energy G4-DMA, G4-EN11, G4-EN12, G4-EN13, Emissions G4-DMA, Public policy G4-DMA
We have further identified those factories where we have
either a dependency or a potential impact on Important Water
Areas. Our initial analysis identified 17 factories associated with
Important Water Areas, all of which were contacted to obtain
further information. Further analysis and refinement provided
us with a definitive list of 13 factories that are located in
protected areas categorised as Important Water Areas, split into
four categories based on their level of dependency or impact.
Five factories fall into the category of highest significance.
While we already have robust operational practices at
these factories, in all cases, there are opportunities to
strengthen engagement with relevant authorities and, where
appropriate, align the management of our land holdings with
surrounding stakeholders.
To develop natural habitats and increase biodiversity, we have
now planted wildflower meadows at all Nestlé UK & Ireland
sites. The meadows are designed to attract a variety of
wildlife, including pollinators such as butterflies, bees and
birds that are integral to the food supply chain. Eleven out of
thirteen Nestlé in the Market factory sites had also developed
butterfly meadows by the end of 2015.
Meanwhile, Nestlé Indonesia has made augers available for
loan to encourage employees to drill biopore holes at their
work locations and at home. Through this activity, we hope to
make the land better able to absorb and store rainwater, and
reduce the risk of flooding. The company has also purchased
and planted thousands of locally sourced trees on factory
premises and in the surrounding community in recent years.
Supporting public policy
We are involved in a number of initiatives that enable
businesses to assess, measure and value their dependencies
and impacts. The objective of this work is to enable
organisations to better understand these aspects, and
determine the business value and rationale for actions to
protect, manage and restore nature.
Restoring the natural balance
Britain’s record on habitat protection is among the poorest in
Europe, according to a recent report from the European
Commission and the European Environment Agency, partly due
to the pressure from agriculture on UK land. The report
showed that more than 80% of the UK’s habitats are in a poor
condition.
In June 2015, the UK think tank Green Alliance launched a
major new Natural Environment programme, addressing
politicians’ failure to deal with the continuing deterioration of
natural systems in the UK.
In its first year, the programme will be working on two
aligned projects, one of which includes a collaboration with
Nestlé. This will involve working with business and civil society
partners to turn new thinking about the economic value of
natural capital into practical policies and practices that enable
us to thrive and develop alongside natural systems, and within
natural limits.
The thinking behind the concept of natural capital is
advancing rapidly, and this project will allow us to
help identify and shape the incentives that can guide
further actions by land owners, and companies in the
value chain, to help the UK restore the nature upon
which we depend.”
Andrew Griffiths, Head of Environmental
Sustainability, Nestlé UK and Ireland
Nestlé is a signatory to the Natural Capital Leadership
Compact, launched by the Cambridge Institute for
Sustainability Leadership, and is also an active member of the
Cambridge Natural Capital Leaders Platform, a major
business-led programme focused on gathering practical
evidence to inform the actions that companies can take and to
identify supporting policies. The cross-sectoral platform
addresses the impacts of ecosystems and natural capital loss
and degradation on businesses, their customers and wider
society. During 2015, we continued our membership of the
platform, supporting the development of the next three-year
phase of its work. We are part of one of the working groups
investigating natural capital in the dairy sector in the UK.
Nestlé also produced an initial valuation of the impact our
business has upon natural capital, providing insights into the
emerging discipline of natural (and social) capital valuation.
A study completed in 2015 helped us better understand the
methodologies behind the valuation of natural and social
capital, through the production of an evaluation of
environmental impact for Nestlé. It also explored how to
Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015 219