SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. Agriculture is the biggest user of water worldwide, and irrigation now claims close to 70 percent of all freshwater for human use.
The efficient management of our shared natural resources, and the way we dispose of toxic waste and pollutants, are important targets to achieve this goal. Encouraging industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is equally important, as is supporting developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030.
A large share of the world population is still consuming far too little to meet even their basic needs. Halving the per capita of global food waste at the retailer and consumer levels is also important for creating more efficient production and supply chains. This can help with food security, and shift us towards a more resource efficient economy. (UNDP, 2015)
Companies that are achieving this are:
Unilever Pte Ltd (NYSE:UL)
Industry: Food & Staples Retailing, Beverages, Food Products, Household Products, Personal Products
Headquartered in: UK
Unilever is transitioning towards a circular economy to reduce waste materials in its production processes. Its targets include:
1) Halving the amount of virgin plastic used in packaging by 2025.
2) Increase recycled plastic material content in packaging to 25% by 2025.
3) Collect and process more plastic packaging than the amount sold by Unilever by 2025.
4) All plastic packaging will be designed to be fully reusable, recycable or compostable by 2025.
5) Halve food waste in all operations by 2025.
6) Adopting a zero waste model by maintaining the existing target of zero non-hazardous waste to landfill.
Lego (NASDAQ:LEGO)
1. Lego has set an ambition to make LEGO bricks from sustainable materials by 2030 and our packaging 100% sustainable by 2025. 2. They will begin to phase out single-use plastic bags used in LEGO® boxes to package the loose bricks. Several prototypes made from a range of different sustainable materials have so far been tested with hundreds of parents and children. From 2021, recyclable paper bags, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®C117818) will be trialled in boxes, if successful the new bags will be phased in over a four-year period, from 2021
Industry: Leisure products
Headquartered in: US
Swiss Reinsurance Company
(SIX:SREN)
Swiss Re is targetting to completely phase out of thermal coal-related re-insurance in OECD countries by 2030 and the rest of the world by 2040. At the same time, it aims to phase out of direct and facultative re-insurance for the world’s most carbon-intensive oil and gas companies (top 10%) by 2023.
Industry: Insurance
Headquartered in: Switzerland
L'Oreal (EURONEXT:OR, OTC:LRLCY)
L'Oreal saw a -81% reduction in CO2 emissions from plants and distribution centres since 2005, a -49% decrease in water consumption and -37% reduction in waste generated. (As of 2020)
Industry: Personal Products
Headquartered in: France
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)
Lilly strives to embed environmental innovation early in the product development lifecycle through its focus on green chemistry and end-product engineering. By 2030, 100% of plastic waste will be repurposed for beneficial use, with at least 90% recycled or reused, and zero waste to landfill from routine operations.
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Headquartered in: France
LG Chem (KRX:051910)
1. LG Chem intends to undertake the post-consumer recycled(PCR) project by promoting mechanical recycling in the shortterm and chemical recycling in the mid-term and longterm. 2. LG Chem plans to find partner companies to obtain core raw materials from battery wastes and recycle them, expanding the introduction of recycled materials. 3. Further in the field of bioplastic, they plan to ensure stable supply of bio-materials by partnering with various suppliers and gradually expand the production of biodegradable products
Industry: Chemicals
Headquartered in: Korea
Danone (EPA:BN, OTC:DANOY)
Industry: Food & Staples Retailing, Beverages, Food Products
Headquartered in: France
Danone aims to be certified as a B Corp™ by 2030. B CorpTM certification is a mark of trust for entities demonstrating high standards of social and environmental performance. Today, 20 Danone entities in different geographies are certified and over one third of its global business is covered by the B CorpTM certification: Danone's ambition is to be amongst the first global company to be certified as a B CorpTM, which will be a clear recognition of its engagement behind sustainable and responsible consumption.
Danone is advancing towards a circular economy and eliminating waste in its packaging and food products.
1) The objectives of Danone's Packaging Policy are built around 3 pillars:
- “Packaging designed for circularity”: Initiatives to improve product design and develop alternative delivery and reuse models (target: Use 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025).
- “Reused, Recycled or Composted in practice”: Investments to develop effective, efficient and inclusive systems for increased collection and recycling, to boost recycling (target: launch or support collection and recycling initiatives in each of Danone's 20 largest markets by 2025)
- “Preservation of natural resources”: Actions to preserve natural resources by reintegrating recycled materials into Danone's packaging and developing use of renewable materials (targets: 50% recycled material in average for water and other beverage bottles by 2025; offer consumers 100% recycled PET bottles in all major markets; zero polystyrene worldwide by 2025).
2) As a food manufacturer Danone has committed in the context of Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) to play its part and reduce food waste and maximize recovery within its operations by 50% by 2025 (2016 baseline).