or many decades, apetito has been preparing meals for schools, care homes, nurseries and hospitals around the UK. In 2020, the food producer decided to assess its greenhouse gas emissions and begin the process of setting emission reduction targets.

“It is our ambition to be one of the leading food businesses in sustainability,” said Lee Sheppard, apetito’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Policy. Apetito partnered with 3Keel in Spring 2020 to realise this goal — by setting stretching greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and developing a roadmap for their implementation.

We began by calculating apetito’s 2020 baseline carbon footprint. We consulted the apetito Board to explain our climate measurement work and the key concepts for setting emissions reduction targets. Following these discussions, the Board and CEO unanimously agreed to set a net zero target and applied for validated interim targets through the Science-based Targets initiative. In August 2021, apetito announced its plans publicly to achieve net zero by 2040.

“3Keel advised and supported us all the way, from understanding and committing to science-based targets, through to helping us to implement plans to decarbonise our business,” said Paul Freeston, who was Chair & CEO, apetito UK & North America. “They have been an invaluable partner throughout this process.”

To help ensure that apetito had the right programmes in place to meet its targets, we supported newly established decarbonisation working groups, which initially focussed on a 2025 interim target. Our team worked with these internal groups to understand what emission reductions were possible, and to co-design strategies to reach these targets, including supplier engagement, recipe designs and factory efficiencies.

Apetito’s commitment to decarbonisation is visible throughout its value chain. For example, it has partnered with meal providers to the NHS to develop lower carbon menus for hospital patients, and will be expanding this approach across healthcare and its other divisions.

When asked about apetitio’s plans to decarbonise, Paul Freeston said, “We believe passionately that this is the right way to do business and we are already making good progress on our journey.”

3Keel is proud to have supported apetito through this process, and excited to play an ongoing role in apetito’s progress towards reaching its science-based targets.