A Maker of Plant-Based Spreads Is Catching Up on Climate Goals
Upfield aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations and supply chain by 2050 — 11 years later than its former parent Unilever.
Boxes of Becel margarine in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergWhen Unilever Plc sold its plant-based spreads business to private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc. in 2018, the consumer-goods giant effectively wiped more than 3 million tons of carbon off its ledger. Now those emissions are set to stick around for an extra decade.
Upfield, which makes plant-based spreads under the Flora, Becel and Country Crock brands, said in an ESG summary released earlier this month that it aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations and supply chain by 2050. That’s a less stringent target than the one Upfield would have been aiming for had it remained part of Unilever: to reach net zero by 2039.