Year one update and the road ahead
2017 marked a strong start for Project Gigaton—one focused largely on getting suppliers on board. As of April 2018, more than 400 suppliers had joined Project Gigaton, representing more than 30 countries, including China, the UK, Sri Lanka, and many more.
With the average supplier reducing their carbon emissions by 30,000 tons, these suppliers have already started to make an impact. Some suppliers have reported up to a million metrics tons in reductions, the biggest chunk of which have come from energy commitments, such as making more energy efficient products or switching their facilities to renewable energy.
In the months ahead, WWF will be looking to grow the number of participating suppliers and to encourage commitments across Project Gigaton’s six focus areas (or pillars): energy, waste, deforestation, agriculture, packaging and product use.
Deforestation currently accounts for 15 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminating existing food waste alone could reduce emissions by 10 percent. By helping suppliers make commitments around these issues, we’ll be well on our way to avoiding a gigaton of emissions by 2030.