By Rubina Obaid
www.asianbiomass.com
To establish the targets in order to contribute to climate neutrality, a feasibility study has been conducted by ADM in partnership with WSP Global an engineering professional services firm to maintain a more realistic approach. Substantial goals would be achieved with the considerable support of current technological capabilities, growth projections, and commitment of leadership.
Archer Daniels Midland, ADM has transformed crops into products for more than a century to serve the fundamental needs of agricultural processors and food ingredients. In order to contribute its role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it stepped ahead and put forth an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas to 25% by 2035. The targets of curbing carbon emission is the expansion of the baseline plan established in 2011, a reduction of 15 percent on per unit of production basis in energy, emissions, water and waste sent to landfills.ADM-Carbon reduction ADM managed to achieve the said targets earlier than the projected timeline by restructuring the manufacturing model and supply chain. The company established a taskforce to consistently work for finding the projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to Allison Taylor, chief sustainability officer said: ” As a global enterprise climate change is an issue that has implications for ADM employees, stakeholders, communities in which we operate and all aspects of our business.”
Further, it has been elaborated by Taylor that increasing the amount of biofuel that is burnt on site will reduce scope 1 emissions. Using leftover corn stover after harvesting is used for biofuel rather than growing separate crop specifically to be converted to bioenergy. Due to the sufficient supply of food waste that can easily be used for the expansion of biomass, renewable energy is obtained through numerous pathways. Different regions have different policies for energy procurement therefore various strategies are utilized efficiently to obtain renewable energy purchases from the grid. ADM putting forth its efforts to respond positively for global climate change targets and keeping average temperature increase to less than 2-degree centigrade to prevent worst effects of climate change to our planet. According to the intergovernmental panel on climate change 41 to 72% reduction in global carbon emission is required by 2050.
In order to establish the targets for the contribution in climate neutrality, a feasibility study has been conducted by ADM in partnership with WSP Global an engineering professional services firm to maintain more realistic approach. Substantial goals would be achieved with the considerable support of current technological capabilities, growth projections and commitment of leadership. Annual progress for the achievement of sustainable goals are going to be reported in company’s report through Carbon Disclosure Project. In order to reach climate neutrality targets, ADM has identified three major strategies that include purchasing renewable electricity, increasing the use of biomass fuels and transportation fleet changes and equipment changes in few of the locations.
ADM focuses on the achievement of operational excellence and serving essential needs in order to improve the environmental profile and inculcating innovation towards having a more sustainable supply chain. For reaching scope 2 and 3 emissions, ADM-Carbon reduction targets has concrete plans to invest in buying renewable and focus on no-deforestation in the supply chain. It is imperative for all the stakeholders to work collaboratively across the food chain to experience paramount change. ADM believes that large organizations hold responsibilities to bring vital change and keeping an eye on long term outcomes on environment.
Reference links:
https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2020/04/02/ADM-sets-2035-emissions-energy-reduction-targets
