Dive Brief:
- General Mills has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint worldwide — becoming the first major corporation to answer a call that Oxfam issued two months ago.
- General Mills promised not only to reduce its own carbon emissions, but said it would push for similar reductions by its agricultural suppliers — a move that goes well beyond what is typical among companies that launch sustainability initiatives.
- General Mills also pledged to use its considerable lobbying power to push for government action to combat climate change. The maker of Cheerios, Yoplait, and other brands said it has joined the Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy advocacy group, which already includes Starbucks and Unilever.
Dive Insight:
Congratulations are owed to Oxfam and the folks who sent 236,000 emails to General Mills demanding change.
You'd be hard-pressed to name a company that could do as much to fight climate change as General Mills can. By demanding that its suppliers address the climate issue and reduce carbon emissions, the cereal maker is saying that it wants change from the giants of the agricultural-commodity world: ADM, Cargill, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, and the like. If those companies want to continue to do business with the cereal powerhouse — and they do — they will have to reduce their own footprints and work with farmers to reduce their footprints.
When Oxfam released its report two months ago, it singled out two companies in particular for public shaming: General Mills and Kellogg. Oxfam intends to push this week — and to push hard, taking out ads in newspapers and speaking to the press — for Kellogg to follow General Mills lead.