Reducing food waste, cutting carbon and protecting critical water resources.
The Courtauld Commitment 2030 is a voluntary agreement that enables collaborative action across the entire UK food chain to deliver farm-to-fork reductions in food waste, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water stress that will help the UK food and drink sector achieve global environmental goals.
The targets
For food waste:
To deliver against UN SDG 12.3: a 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 vs the UK 2007 baseline (covering manufacture, retail, hospitality and food service, and household).
The scope of the Courtauld Commitment’s food waste reduction target will remain unchanged from the Courtauld Commitment 2025 (covering manufacture, retail, hospitality and food service and household), as will the level of ambition for impact to 2025 (a 20% reduction compared to 2015).
More about taking action on food waste
For GHG emissions:
To deliver a 50% absolute reduction in GHG emissions associated with food and drink consumed in the UK by 2030 (against a 2015 baseline).
This is aligned to a 1.5oC pathway and an important milestone towards meeting wider food sector targets for Net Zero by 2040 (e.g. within the British Retail Consortium’s Climate Roadmap).
More about reducing GHG emissions
For water:
As well as businesses continuing to increase water use efficiency in their own operations, our combined objective is that, by 2030, the UK food & drink industry will have helped to achieve sustainable water management to improve the quality and availability of water at catchment scale in the top 20 most important product & ingredient sourcing areas in the UK and overseas.
With an overall target by 2030 that: 50% of fresh food is sourced from areas with sustainable water management.
More about reducing water stress
Courtauld Commitment progress
The Courtauld Commitment Annual Report demonstrates the great progress that has been made across all three targets – food waste, carbon and water – in a challenging year for food and drink.
To achieve these outcomes we are working together across the entire food chain, from producer to consumer, to deliver changes which we cannot realise individually.
Who we work with
Associates
Our new level of membership enables even more businesses than ever before to enjoy the benefits.
Retailers
By collaborating with WRAP and using our tools, guidance and research, retailers can enable their supply chains to be more resource efficient, encourage consumers to reduce their waste, and support third-sector organisations to redistribute more surplus food to those in need.
Manufacturers
Manufacturers can leverage change from the farm, directly to the supermarket shelf, and they are stewards of critical resources such as water. By making their production processes more efficient, manufacturers are instrumental in protecting key resources - food, water carbon.
Hospitality and food service
Many sector organisations collaborate with WRAP to reduce the amount of food thrown away, and increasingly on reducing water stress and GHG emissions.
Farmers and growers
WRAP research has taken the first steps in mapping the scale of food waste in primary production. Projects to improve forecasting and maximise crop utilisation are now underway and our Food Waste Reduction Roadmap grower guidance helps to measure in-field food surplus and waste.
Surplus food redistribution
We work with redistribution organisations to identify ways of increasing the beneficial use of surplus food.
We work with many other types of organisation that can help achieve the Courtauld Commitment targets. These include trade associations, universities, local authorities, governmental and non-governmental bodies including third-sector organisations. Contact us to find out how the Courtauld Commitment can help achieve your sustainability goals.
Taking action
Reducing food waste
Using WRAP's tools and guidance, food and drink businesses can work out what types of waste to measure and how to measure it. By working with WRAP your organisation can improve processes, find new techniques and implement best practice in your supply chain.
Reducing water stress
WRAP is helping to restore habitats, protect soils, increase carbon storage, conserve water, reduce pollution and protect against flooding.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Taking action to reduce the 150 million tonnes of CO2e associated with UK food and drink.