Sustainable production and consumption are the goals proposed by the European Commission in the Green Consumption Pledge Initiative. The initiative was presented in Brussels on Jan. 25.1.21, with the aim of stimulating green transition through public-private synergies. (1) The focus is on carbon foot print and product environmental footprint. But two excellent examples are followed by an awkward fall into greenwashing, with a slip on palm oil.
Green Consumption Pledge Initiative
The Green Consumption Pledge Initiative targets the production and distribution chains of consumer goods in different industries. Which are invited to reduce, on a voluntary basis, the environmental impact of their activities. And to raise consumer awareness of this issue in order to stimulate sustainable purchasing choices.
‘These commitments aim to intensify the contribution of businesses to sustainable economic recovery and strengthen consumer confidence in the environmental performance of businesses and products. The Colruyt Group, Decathlon, the LEGO Group, L’Oréal and Renewd are the first pioneering companies to participate in this pilot project’ (European Commission, press release 25.1.21).
Carbon footprint and environmental sustainability
Carbon footprint
, the carbon footprint, is defined as ‘the amount of greenhouse gases, expressed as CO2-e, emitted into the atmosphere by an individual, organization, process, product, or event within a given boundary‘ (2)
Joining the Green Consumption Pledge Initiative postulates a commitment to take at least three of the following five measures:
– calculate the company’s carbon footprint, using the method proposed by the Commission, and set targets for its reduction. In line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, (3)
– Publish clear, accurate and accessible information about the company’s carbon footprint,
– calculate and reduce the carbon footprint related to some of the company’s flagship products, with a commitment to publish the results,
– To increase the share of sustainable products and services in the total sales of the enterprise (or chosen industry),
– Promote sustainable practices by allocating them a share of investment in public and commercial relations.
Green Consumption Pledge Initiative, early signups
The European Commission’s pilot project has gained the endorsements of three global leaders in their respective fields. Decathlon, Lego and L’Oreal. The results of their commitments will be made available and evaluated one year after their formal adoption.
A) Decathlon
The historical mission of Decathlon, founded by Michel Leclercq in 1976, is to promote sports activities in a logic that is as inclusive as possible toward the most physically and economically vulnerable groups. The French group-in designing, manufacturing and distributing sports and leisure equipment and accessories-has already embraced the principles of the EU Green Deal in its Transition Plan 2021-2026. (4)
Decathlon has also made a number of major commitments under the Green Consumption Pledge Initiative:
1) company carbon footprint. At the group level,
– Reduce CO2 intensity (kg CO2 equivalent per kg goods sold) significantly, -40% between 2016 and 2026,. With an intermediate -15% reduction target to 2022,
– Cut absolute greenhouse gas emissions, -75% from 2016 to 2026 (in line with targets to contain global temperature rise to within +1.5° C, (5)
– Achieve 100 percent renewable energy supply by 2026 (up from 20 percent in 2016),
2) product environmental footprint (PEF), GHG emissions. At the product level,
– environmental footprint (PEF) will be calculated by 2022 on products made by Decathlon, by 2026 on all references distributed by the group, (6)
– total product-reported greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced by 40% between 2016 and 2026, with an intermediate target -15% to 2022 (7.8).
B) Lego
The Lego Group, founded in Denmark in 1932, is itself a global leader in toy manufacturing. Under the Green Consumption Pledge Initiative, Lego commits to:
– Achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2022. Through the investment in solar energy in at least one production site, the supply of energy from renewable sources, and technological progress in energy efficiency,
– Reduce global carbon emissions, with a target of -37% by 2032, in line with targets set in the Paris Agreement. Using theEco-Management and Audit Scheme ( EMAS ) to measure environmental performance,
– Require 150 strategic suppliers to adopt appropriate carbon footprint reduction programs,
– Intensify research and development of materials to create more sustainable products and packaging,
– Promote sustainable practices among parents and children, including through the Lego Replay project for the reuse of Lego bricks. (9)
C) L’Oréal. From green pledge to greenwashing
L’Oréal, established in 1909, is the planet’s leading cosmetics industry at the planetary level. Commits to:
– achieve carbon neutrality in its production sites and distribution, administration and research centers by 2025. Through energy efficiency and 100% renewable supply, with intermediate steps 2021 (80%) and 2023 (90%),
– Reduce the environmental footprint of new and refurbished products compared with 2019 performance. The work will begin with shampoos, in 2021, and will be expanded to at least one product category each year. (10)
However, the Corporation excludes the processing and production sites of its suppliers from its commitments. An omission not at all coincidental, given its huge annual consumption of palm oil, 71,727 tons in 2019. (11) It is worth mentioning in this regard that:
– intensive oil palm monocultures cause greenhouse gas emissions that linger for 7-8 decades as a result of deforestation of the planet’s green lungs, (12)
– certifications of supposed palm oil sustainability, e.g., RSPO, have proven to be completely unreliable (13,14,15).
Greenwashing, no more thank you.
Dario Dongo and Sabrina Bergamini
Notes
(1) European Commission. European Commission launches sustainable consumption initiative, first companies pledge to take concrete actions for greater sustainability. Press release. 25.1.21 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/it/ip_21_182
(2) Pandey D, Agrawal M, Pandey JS. Carbon footprint: current methods of estimation. Environ Monit Assess. 2011 Jul;178(1-4):135-60. doi: 10.1007/s10661-010-1678-y. Epub 2010 Sep 18. PMID: 20848311
(3) Dario Dongo. Biodiversity and climate emergency, the common thread. Égalité. 13.2.20, https://www.egalite.org/biodiversita-ed-emergenza-climatica-il-filo-comune/
(4) Dario Dongo. Green Deal, the new EU strategy. Égalité. 12/13/20, https://www.egalite.org/european-green-deal-la-nuova-strategia-in-ue/
(5) Dario Dongo, Sabrina Bergamini. Global warming, the WMO report. Égalité. 10/30/19, https://www.egalite.org/riscaldamento-globale-il-rapporto-wmo/ (6) Luca Zampori, Rana Pant (2019). Suggestions for updating the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method. JRC Technical Report. ISBN 978-92-76-00654-1. doi: 10.2760/424613 (online)
(7) Total product-related greenhouse gas emissions are measured by considering the three factors:
– direct emissions,
– Indirect emissions related to the purchase of electricity,
– Other indirect emissions (production and operation sites, product transportation, personnel and customer travel, raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life)
(8) Green Consumption Pledge by Decathlon, 25.1.21 https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/green-consumption-pledge-decathlon_en
(9) Green Consumption Pledge by LEGO, 25.1.21 https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/green-consumption-pledge-lego_en
(10) Green Consumption Pledge by L’Oréal, 25.1.21 https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/green-consumption-pledge-loreal_en
(11) Dario Dongo. Palm oil in foods, where it is found and how to avoid it. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 8.10.20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/olio-di-palma-nei-cibi-dove-si-trova-e-come-evitarlo
(12) Dario Dongo. Unsustainable palm oil, from palmocrats’ fairy tales to data on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 3.4.17, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/olio-di-palma-insostenibile-dalle-favole-dei-palmocrati-ai-dati-su-emissioni-di-gas-serra-e-cambiamento-climatico
(13) Dario Dongo. Palm oil, land robbery and deforestation. One million hectares escape RSPO records, reports the ‘Zoological Society of London’. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 3/31/17, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/olio-di-palma-rapina-delle-terre-e-deforestazioni-un-milione-di-ettari-sfugge-ai-registri-di-rspo-denuncia-la-zoological-society-of-london
(14) Dario Dongo. Unsustainable palm oil, science confirms. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 10/25/18, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/olio-di-palma-insostenibile-la-scienza-conferma
(15) Dario Dongo, Giulia Caddeo. Indonesia, fires and RSPO-certified palm oil. Greenpeace Report. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 11/23/19, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/indonesia-incendi-e-olio-di-palma-certificato-rspo-rapporto-greenpeace
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Journalist. Consumption, rights, nutrition, social, environment. Head of Consumers Help. She collaborated with ResetDOC, Il Riformista, La Nuova Ecologia, IMGPress.
