Oxfam welcomes General Mills’ efforts to fight climate change
Oxfam welcomes General Mills’ newly announced goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2025 and to work with its suppliers to find ways for them to reduce their carbon footprints.
This GHG reduction target is a component of the wider climate change commitment General Mills released in July 2014, which includes pressing for political action to address climate change. Their commitment came after more than 230,000 Oxfam supporters signed petitions and took action as part of Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign to urge the top 10 food and beverage companies to help stop climate change.
Oxfam is now working with a third party to develop an analysis on whether General Mills’ emission reduction target meets the level of effort needed to truly contribute to preventing the increase of 2°C in global temperatures, which scientists say is crucial in order to tackle the climate crisis.
“As one of the biggest food and beverage companies on the planet, General Mills has immense power to influence its suppliers and help create stronger standards in the industry,” says Irit Tamir, Special Advisor to Oxfam America’s private sector team. “Oxfam estimates that the 10 biggest food and beverage companies together emit so much greenhouse gas that, if they were a single country, they would be the 25th most polluting in the world.
“Oxfam looks forward to continuing work with General Mills to ensure their actions as a climate leader are implemented,” continued Tamir. “It is imperative that food and beverage companies, like General Mills, continue to step up and make commitments to address climate change in their operations and supply chains, as well as helping to bring about a strong global deal on climate in Paris.”
