Meat has been on the agenda (and doubtless the menu) in Manchester this week as the Conservative Party met for its annual conference. Alas, those hoping against all odds for a nuanced discussion over the role of animal protein in a sustainable diet were left disappointed as ministers once again used the spectre of the phantom meat tax to create an imaginary dividing line between the government and the opposition.
“It’s no wonder Labour seems so relaxed about taxing meat. Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t eat it. And Ed Miliband is clearly scarred by his encounter with a bacon sandwich,” declared new energy security and net-zero secretary Claire Coutinho. In a subsequent interview with Sky News, Coutinho defended herself against the accusation that no such Labour policy has ever existed by calling it a “light-hearted moment”. Indeed, the conference was littered with moments of such levity: take for example the assertion of home secretary, Suella Braverman, that net-zero is a “luxury belief” – news that came as a relief to those of us previously anxious about leaving behind a habitable biosphere for our children, and a surprise to businesses investing billions in decarbonisation.
As for the prime minister, his speech contained more red meat for the right wing of the Conservative Party as he doubled down on his retreat from net-zero policies, both real and fictional. “I decided to take a pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to reaching net-zero,” said Sunak, adding that “we will still meet our domestic targets and we will still get to net-zero by 2050” (an optimism not shared by its own Climate Change Committee).
Environmental groups were not impressed by the lack of green substance to Sunak’s speech. “If the prime minister is serious about providing a brighter future for our children, he must stop backtracking on our commitments to solve the nature and climate crisis. If he wants to deliver growth, green is the only way to do it,” said WWF chief executive Tanya Steele.
Sunak did, however, receive a positive response from the hospitality sector to the creation of a new Advanced British Standard that will combine academic and technical education for 16-19 year olds. “Putting vocational education on the same footing as academic education is long overdue and sectors like hospitality will stand to benefit when this plan comes to fruition,” said UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.
Away from conference, reporting of sales of healthy foods has once again been making the headlines after responsible investment NGO, ShareAction, criticised new nutrition targets by Nestlé that it said undermined the company’s pledge to lead the food industry in ensuring balanced diets are within reach for people around the world. Last week, Nestlé announced plans to grow the sales of its more nutritious products by CHF 20-25bn (£22-27bn) by 2030 and report against progress. This represents about 50% growth over 2022 sales and will be achieved through a combination of innovation, reformulation and a strengthening of responsible marketing of indulgent products, according to the company. ShareAction, however, noted that the target is broadly in line with Nestlé’s current overall growth guidance of 4-6% year, adding that if sales of unhealthier products also increase at a similar rate there would be no improvement in the impact of the food it sells on consumer diets and public health. Nestlé was also criticised for choosing to count within the target certain products to which government-endorsed nutrient profile models do not apply, such as coffee and commercial baby foods.
To packaging next, where the public want the UK government to take more decisive action on plastic waste if new polling is to be believed. Confusion currently surrounds the status of key packaging-related policies such as extended producer responsibility, a deposit return scheme and consistent household collections. Yet a study carried out by YouGov for Just Eat found that 70% of people think the government should be taking further action to tackle plastic use, with 73% supporting extending the recent ban on single-use plastic items such as plates, trays, bowls and cutlery to include takeaway boxes. A quarter (25%) of respondents said they were actively reducing the amount of plastic they purchase or use, while over half (52%) said they were trying to make small changes such as using a refillable non-plastic water bottle.
Just Eat called on the government to prioritise the environment and commit to taking further action to reduce plastic waste. “Plastic waste is a significant environmental issue and our research shows it’s still a top concern for consumers. If we are to make this work, action is required not just from the public, but wider industry and policymakers,” said Robin Clark, director of partnerships and sustainability at Just Eat.
Elsewhere in Footprint News this week, we cover a new assessment by the World Benchmarking Alliance that finds food businesses are not doing enough to manage their impact on health and the environment; research showing that lowering the price of plant-based options could be key to encouraging more sustainable diets; and a decision by the UK government to require mandatory water efficiency labels on certain household appliances by 2025.
