Navigating Net Zero Handbook

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netzero@fdfscotland.org

Navigating Net Zero

Making sense of sustainability jargon

July 2024

netzero@fdfscotland.org

The Scotland Food & Drink Net Zero Commitment Programme

is helping businesses to understand Net Zero, how they are

a@ected and how we can work together to ensure a resilient

food system for our future.

The race to Net Zero is on, and Scotland's food and drink industry is lacing up for the long

run. As the voice driving this vital pledge to reach Net Zero emissions by 2045, the

Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Net Zero Commitment Programme is supporting

food and drink businesses of all sizes every step of the way.

To help navigate the path ahead, we want to demystify the jargon and acronyms around

Net Zero. From cutting through the jargon to practical advice, we'll equip you with what

you need to join us and your industry peers in hitting our climate change targets.

netzero@fdfscotland.org

Contents

A common language………………………………………………….4

What is Net Zero?............................................................5

Agreements, COPs and Protocols………………………………..6

Emissions explained………………………………………………….8

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions……………………………………….10

The human side……………………………………………………….12

Renewable energy……………………………………………………14

Greenhouse gases…………………………………………………..18

Biomass…………………………………………………………………23

Science Based Targets initiative…………………………………25

Carbon capture, storage and sequestration…………………27

Carbon credits………………………………………………………..28

Adaptation……………………………………………………………..30

Why Net Zero should matter to you…………………………….32

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A common language to combat climate change

As members of the food and drink industry, it is crucial that we take proactive steps to

reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to the global eOort against climate change.

By embracing sustainable practices, investing in renewable energy sources, and

supporting initiatives that promote environmental stewardship, we can play a vital role in

mitigating the impacts of climate change and ensuring a sustainable future for

generations to come.

Understanding

the

language

around

emissions and Net Zero is vital for driving

real change in Scotland’s food and drink

industry. By knowing and understanding

these key terms, you can better engage in

conversations, interpret data, and make

informed sustainability decisions for your

business.

Embracing this terminology empowers us to communicate eOectively, using a shared

vocabulary and to measure progress more accurately. Ultimately, by adopting a common

language, we can conﬁdently navigate the path to reducing our environmental impact

while celebrating milestones along our Net Zero journey.

Let's move forward together, armed with the knowledge to make a meaningful diOerence

and create a sustainable future for generations to come.

Iain Clunie

Programme Director

netzero@fdfscotland.org

What is Net Zero?

Net Zero refers to achieving a balance between the greenhouse gas emissions produced

by human (anthropogenic) activity and the emissions removed from the atmosphere. For

an organisation or sector to reach Net Zero, it must reduce its emissions as much as

possible through measures like improving energy eOiciency, transitioning to renewable

energy sources, and adopting sustainable practices. Any remaining hard-to-eliminate

emissions can then be counterbalanced by removing an equivalent amount of carbon

dioxide from the atmosphere, through the likes of carbon capture technologies or land-

use change.

The key aspects of Net Zero are:

1. Reducing Emissions

This involves implementing strategies to signiﬁcantly cut emissions across all

activities and the entire value chain. For the food and drink industry, this includes

emissions from agriculture, manufacturing processes, packaging, transportation,

and other operations.

2. Residual Emissions

Even with ambitious reduction eOorts, some emissions are extremely diOicult to

eliminate entirely with current technologies. These residual emissions need to be

counterbalanced.

3. Removals

Any residual emissions must be oOset through certiﬁed greenhouse gas removal

methods like carbon capture and storage, reforestation projects, or other nature-

based solutions that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

4. Net Zero State

When emissions have been reduced as much as possible and any remaining

emissions are fully counterbalanced by removals, the ‘Net Zero state’ is achieved

where no additional emissions are added to the atmosphere.

Reaching Net Zero emissions is crucial for limiting global temperature rise and mitigating

the worst impacts of climate change. The food and drink sector has an important role to

play, which is why Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Net Zero Commitment

Programme is supporting businesses on this journey.

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Agreements, COPs and Protocols

While the buzz around COP26 in Glasgow was hard to miss for Scottish food and drink

businesses, it might feel easier to summit Ben Nevis carrying a full cask of whisky than to

navigate the road of climate negotiations that led up to it, which can feel like a maze of

protocols and agreements.

It was at this pivotal conference, in November 2021, that the Scotland Food & Drink

Partnership announced its Net Zero Commitment – our pledge to meeting the Scottish

Government’s Net Zero targets by 2045.

However, before we dive further into that, it's worth brushing up on said protocols and

agreements, starting with COP itself.

Standing for ‘Conference of Parties’, COP is the supreme decision-making body of the

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It meets annually

to review the implementation of the Convention and negotiate new commitments or

agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact.

Glasgow, Kyoto, Montreal and Paris – A Common Climate Connection

Over the years, various international protocols and conventions have been established

to address the challenge of anthropogenic climate change and mitigate its impacts. For

those in the Scottish food and drink industry, the following are the most pertinent.

Montreal Protocol

Adopted in 1987, the Montreal Protocol is an international agreement designed to protect

the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting

substances, such as chloroﬂuorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. It is widely regarded as one

of the most successful environmental agreements to date.

Kyoto Protocol

Adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, the Kyoto Protocol was the ﬁrst legally

binding international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It set binding emission

reduction targets for developed countries, with the goal of reducing overall emissions by

at least 5% below 1990 levels during the commitment period of 2008-2012.

Paris Agreement

Adopted in 2015, the Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rises to well below

2°C above pre-industrial levels, with eOorts to further limit the increase to 1.5°C. It

requires countries to set nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their eOorts over time.

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Glasgow Agreement (COP26)

At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, countries

agreed to revisit and strengthen their NDCs by the end of 2022 to align with the Paris

Agreement's temperature goals. The Glasgow Climate Pact also called for accelerated

action on climate adaptation, ﬁnance, and loss and damage.

COP26 Climate Change Conference, Glasgow 2021

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Emissions Explained

From carbon footprints to greenhouse gas emissions, the language surrounding

sustainability can sometimes feel like a maze of unfamiliar jargon.

With the emission of greenhouse gases - particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane

– the main driver of climate change, we felt it was important to start with some key terms

relating to emissions:

Base year

Historic data (a speciﬁc year or an average over multiple years) against which a

company’s emissions are tracked over time.

Base year emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the base year.

Baseline

A hypothetical scenario for what GHG emissions, removals or storage would have been

in the absence of the GHG project or project activity.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2E)

A measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon

their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents are commonly

expressed as 'million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCDE)'. For

example, the GWP for methane is 21 and for nitrous oxide 310. This means that emissions

of 1million metric tonnes of methane and nitrous oxide respectively is equivalent to

emissions of 21 and 310 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Carbon neutrality

Net Zero CO2 emissions are also referred to as carbon neutrality.

Cradle-to-gate

A life cycle assessment that considers the environmental impacts and emissions from

raw material extraction (cradle) up to the factory gate. This excludes the use and disposal

phases of the product and emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the

reporting company).

Emissions intensity

The rate of GHG emissions relative to a speciﬁc activity or industrial output, typically

expressed as the amount of emissions per unit of energy produced or economic output

(e.g. grams of CO2 per megajoule or per £ of GDP).

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Fugitive emissions

Emissions of GHGs that are not produced intentionally by a stack or vent. Fugitive

emissions may include leaks from industrial plants and pipelines.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

Assessment of the sum of a product’s eOects (e.g. GHG emissions) at each step in its life

cycle, including resource extraction, production, use and waste disposal.

Methane (CH4)

One of the seven greenhouse gases (GHGs) to be mitigated under the Kyoto Protocol (see

above) and a major component of natural gas and associated with all hydrocarbon fuels.

Signiﬁcant emissions occur from animal husbandry and agriculture, and their

management represents a major mitigation option.

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Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

While understanding key terms and concepts related to greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions is crucial, it is the three types of scoping emissions that are the most important

to Scottish food and drink businesses on their Net Zero journey.

Think of them as diOerent layers of an onion (but without the tears!). Below, we peel back

each layer, one by one, and reveal what they really mean.

Scope 1 emissions

Scope 1 emissions are direct GHG emissions from operations owned or controlled by a

company. For example, in the food and drink industry, scope 1 emissions may arise from

the combustion of fossil fuels in manufacturing facilities, on-site power generation, or the

operation of company-owned vehicles and equipment.

A brewery that uses natural gas to power its boilers or a dairy company that operates a

ﬂeet of refrigerated trucks for example, would need to account for these emissions as

part of their scope 1 inventory.

Scope 2 emissions

Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the generation of

purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heating, or cooling consumed by a company. In

the food and drink industry, scope 2 emissions are often signiﬁcant due to the energy-

intensive nature of many processes, such as refrigeration, cooking, and packaging.

For instance, a bakery that purchases gas and electricity to power its ovens and lighting

would need to account for the associated scope 2 emissions based on information from

the supplier.

Likewise, while distilleries may produce some direct (scope 1) emissions, a signiﬁcant

portion comes from scope 2 emissions related to purchased energy sources like steam

or electricity used to operate the stills and other distillery equipment.

Scope 3 emissions

Scope 3 emissions are indirect GHG emissions that occur in a company's value chain,

both upstream (from suppliers and logistics) and downstream (from product use and

disposal), over which the company has limited direct control.

In the food and drink industry, scope 3 emissions can be substantial and may include

emissions from agricultural activities (e.g., fertiliser use and livestock rearing),

transportation of raw materials and ﬁnished products, and the disposal or recycling of

packaging materials.

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