UK Food System GHG Emissions: 2023-24 Update (Summary Report)

Urgent action is needed to abate GHG emissions in the food and drink sector by 2030, with increasingly adverse effects on food production and security due to climate stress.

This report details progress to date towards the Courtauld 2030 target of reducing GHG emissions from UK food and drink consumption by 50% by 2030 (from a 2015 baseline), through key insights from the UK Food System GHG Emissions Model annual update.

It also explores activities undertaken by the sector through Courtauld in 2023-24, and highlights WRAP projects catalysing net zero ambitions through collaborative and data-driven action. 

Key highlights

• WRAP remain committed to providing practical, accessible guidance to scope 3 reporting, aligned with the latest international guidance, with the updated version 2 of the WRAP GHG measurement and reporting protocols now published.
• The expansion of data work through strategic partnerships, such as the three-year Long Term Improvements to Environmental Data for Food (LED 4 Food) project which builds on the successes of the HESTIA project with University of Oxford and WWF. This project will improve the availability, accessibility, interoperability and standardisation of product-level food environmental impact data.
• The unprecedented Retailer Net Zero Collaborative Action Programme, launched in March 2023, has continued to develop in 2024. WRAP’s analysis of critical action gaps has extended into a partnership with the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and EY to create A Net Zero Transition Plan for the UK Food System.