Royal Canin has committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its full value chain to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.

The brand expects the first Royal Canin product range to be certified carbon neutral by 2022 and will use the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality.

The announcement comes as Royal Canin’s parent company Mars, Incorporated, announced that it would seek to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain by 2050.

Loic Moutault, President of Royal Canin, says Royal Canin will report transparently and regularly on its journey to carbon neutrality.

“As experts in cat and dog nutrition, we have been guided by science for the last 50 years. It is science-led initiatives and decisive action, not just ambition, which will help us hit our 2025 climate target.

“We believe that making this bold carbon neutral commitment will inspire and mobilise new and impactful ideas, action and results across Royal Canin’s global value chain that help us improve our environmental footprint and make a meaningful positive difference to pets, people and the planet.”

Royal Canin has committed to four key action areas, including transitioning to renewable energy, sourcing sustainable ingredients, reducing waste, and promoting a climate-smart business transformation.

The brand has committed to achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity across its factories and offices while reducing energy consumption overall. This work has been underway across Royal Canin for two decades and already 72 per cent of the business’ electricity comes from renewable sources.

Currently three-quarters of Royal Canin’s carbon footprint comes from its ingredient supply chain, so a part of its commitment to reaching carbon neutrality will come from procuring sustainable ingredients.

For example, Royal Canin’s sourcing of soy for its European factories is already 100 per cent certified by ProTerra, an independent standard which fosters sustainable agricultural practices and contribute to halt deforestation.

In addition, the brand is also working with its rice, wheat, and poultry supply chains as a priority to identify, support and activate regenerative agriculture practices and stop deforestation.

Key suppliers will be invited to join the Mars Incorporated’s Pledge for Planet initiative, which supports them in identifying their footprint, setting science-based targets, and implementing plans to drive reductions.

Efforts are underway to significantly boost recyclability, compostability, and the use of reusable packaging in alignment with Mars’s ambitious packaging sustainability goals. By 2022 a mono-material plastic packaging will be introduced, which will be recyclable where the infrastructure exists.

Additionally, the brand will drive down the packaging carbon footprint by starting to integrate recycled content and through the reduction of the amount of packaging material used.

The business has also committed to a climate-smart transformation, with Royal Canin committing to a range of initiatives, including:

  • Senior executive pay and remuneration will be linked to climate actions and delivering emissions cuts.
  • Setting an internal price on carbon to generate resources and drive action to reduce emissions.
  • A science-based methodology that enables Royal Canin to measure the carbon footprint of its products worldwide, enabling climate-smart decision-making regarding formulation, ingredients, raw materials, and logistics.
  • The rollout of an associate sustainability engagement, awareness, and upskilling ‘Go Green’ program to 100 per cent of its offices and sites by the end of 2025.
  • Creating a work environment where innovation and internal and external collaboration is significantly mobilised to drive creativity in rising to the climate challenge.

For any residual emissions that Royal Canin cannot completely remove or reduce, the brand will invest in high-quality, removals-based certified carbon credits.

Fabrice Mathieu, Global Sustainability Director at Royal Canin, said the company considers carbon neutrality as a necessity for future generations.

“We know this journey won’t be easy, but we’re committed to taking action to reduce our footprint and making the investments needed together with partners across our value chain worldwide,” he said.