ekaterra, the Tea Division of Unilever, was joined by its partners at COP26 calling for greater collaboration between all parties to accelerate the transformation of the tea industry for the planet and people.
COP26 is the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, taking place Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.
John Davison, CEO of ekaterra, speaking at the Green Zone at COP26 this morning, described ekaterra’s plans to become climate and nature positive, setting a clear target for zero emissions by 2030.
“We are determined to transform the industry from the ground up,” said Davison. “As the largest tea company in the world, we recognise our responsibility. It is clear from everything we have heard at COP26 that we need to go further than “net zero” and we need to do that as quickly as possible, working with scientists, NGOs and others in our industry.”
ekaterra’s brands include Lipton, PG tips, Pukka, T2 and TAZO. With 11 production factories in four continents and tea estates in three countries, ekaterra said it is growing a world of wellbeing through the regenerative power of plants.
Sharing Insights on Becoming Climate Positive at COP26
ekaterra executives shared their vision to accelerate action towards becoming climate positive at a panel discussion at COP26 on Nov. 10, together with experts from NGOs.
Jenny Costelloe, executive director of the Ethical Tea Partnership, said, “We need action urgently. As much as 40 percent of tea growing is at threat from climate change. We challenge the industry to “open source” its innovation so everyone can benefit, including the 9 million livelihoods that depend on smallholdings. We need climate smart solutions that can reward sustainable practices, and drive change.”
Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, climate policy lead at the Rainforest Alliance, said: “There is still hope – but for hope to be realised we have to start today. If we are going to continue to enjoy tea, that ‘cup of culture,’ it is important that we think about the wider landscape, not only the farm, and have a climate strategy with clear, measurable goals for the whole eco-system.”
Ruchira Joshi, U.K. director of the IDH - Sustainable Trade Initiative, spoke of the need to break down silos. “The pace of change is too slow. We are hearing so many pledges daily at COP26 – but the people working on the ground are not getting the funding they need for vital projects. We are working to deliver innovative finance mechanisms that translate these pledges into real action, building coalitions that can support small holder farmers.”
ekaterra’s climate and nature goals of reducing emissions, restoring biodiversity and shifting fully to nature-based materials include the following commitments:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2030 from 2010 baseline (reduced by 66 percent already)
- 100 percent sustainably sourced teas by 2023 (98 percent today)
- 100 percent plant-based tea bags by 2025 (73 percent today)
- All packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 (82 percent today)
- Maintain no waste to landfill from own operations
- Regenerative agriculture deployed for raw materials sourcing by 2030
Ekaterra said its tea brands are already playing a role with sustainable business practices across the value chain. Lipton, for example, sources 100 percent of its teas globally from sustainably certified suppliers. PG tips, which was the first major brand to introduce bio-degradable tea bags in 2018, recently removed all traditional plastic from its packaging in the U.K. Pukka is B-Corp certified and allocates one percent of its annual turnover to support environmental initiatives. T2 is another B-Corp certified brand affirming 100 percent ethical sourcing for all aspects of its business. And TAZO is campaigning boldly in the USA for climate justice by planting more trees in deprived inner urban areas in order to help clean the air.
To learn more about ekaterra, the Tea Division of Unilever, visit ekaterratea.com.
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World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022
To learn about other key trends, issues and hot topics within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022, celebrating its 20th anniversary. World Tea Conference + Expo will be co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo, creating unique opportunities and synergy. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
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