Nestlé joins 'LEAF', the global initiative that seeks to protect tropical forests around the world

Article by  Dustin Bailey for BarTalks - https://bartalks.net/nestle-joins-leaf-to-finance-forest-protection-plan/

Adapted by the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cocoa

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There is a coalition of governments and private companies aimed at combating climate change. The Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance  (LEAF) is a public-private initiative that includes the governments of the UK, Norway and the US; plus a set of private companies including Amazon, Bayer, Airbnb, Boston Consulting Group, GlaxoSmithKline, McKinsey, Salesforce, Unilever, and now Nestlé.

John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate stated: "The LEAF coalition is a pioneering example of the scale and type of collaboration needed to fight the climate crisis and achieve net zero emissions globally to 2050 ".

Through a press release, LEAF emphasized that ending deforestation by 2030 was critical if they were to meet other sustainability goals. The funding element of the program will be used to reward companies for results. In other words, countries like Brazil, whose polarizing leader Jair Bolsonaro believes its Amazon forests are an asset the country should exploit, would be rewarded for preserving them instead. The LEAF informational website refers to Brazil to illustrate the effects of results-based financing against deforestation.

The funding would be "driven by results, which means that cash would only be paid if the objectives are achieved." It may sound crude, but it is a pragmatic approach to the problem, although it is difficult to know how successful it will be and if it will work.

Coalition members hope to reach the milestone as a result, not only of investing funds, but also of changing practices within their own organizations. The organizations involved have committed to reducing the emissions they produce in their supply chain, and these are scientific goals aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Nestlé, for its part, stated through a press release that "Nestlé's ongoing actions to protect and restore tropical forests where and near where it sources its main ingredients are part of the company's climate roadmap to 2050".

The company continued to state its commitments over the past decade to non-deforestation, citing its existing program and toolkit. Much of the focus has been on satellite tracking and supply chain management, which they would later have certified. A certain amount of cynicism has accompanied the value of these certifications in the past. However, in recent years there is a feeling that companies are beginning to take a serious look at the problem.

"Tackling deforestation and restoring forests are imperative battles in tackling global climate change. Nestlé is proud to join the LEAF Coalition, working with national governments and other companies to accelerate climate action. This complements our drive to achieve net emissions. zero, achieve deforestation-free supply chains and plant the equivalent of 200 million trees by 2030, "stated Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider.

The company's participation in LEAF is expected to be an indicator that it is time for companies to move beyond questionable audits and certificates, to enable real change through proactive conservation practices in addition to education and monitoring of Supply Chain.

For more information about the coalition you can access the LEAF website.

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