What’s good today won’t be good enough tomorrow: Sanjay Khajuria on sustainability

The increasing focus on sustainability in business practices is being driven by consumer demand for honest, transparent, and value-driven companies.

To delve more into the topic was Sanjay Khajuria, Director - Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Nestle, who spoke at the e4m Do Good Conference on ‘Driving sustainability and corporate responsibility in the food and beverage industry’.

Khajuria highlighted this shift encompasses contributions towards water and energy conservation and that consumers are paying attention to the practices of the companies behind the products they purchase. “I have a feeling it is going to be absolutely essential that this becomes part of business strategies and more and more work will be seen to be done here.”

Sharing the Nestle narrative, he said, “What is good today will not be good enough tomorrow. Consider the challenge of satisfying the nutritional needs of 10 billion people by 2050 in a responsible and sustainable way. This will demand significant, even radical changes.”

He also emphasized Nestle's commitments, including achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and reducing emissions by 50% by 2030, and by 20% by 2025.

He also emphasized Nestle's efforts in this journey, noting that they began by establishing a governance council for sustainability, with their chairman and managing director leading it. They identified five key areas or initiatives for the company to focus on. Each task force is sponsored by a management committee member, with specialists working within each task force. Currently, about 90 of his colleagues are either working solely on sustainability or are managing sustainability alongside their primary roles.

Khajuria highlighted that in Nestle's sustainability efforts, several task forces have been established to address key areas. The Responsible Sourcing Task Force focuses on interventions within the value chain to ensure sustainability while also considering livelihood improvements, particularly for those in agriculture-dependent communities.

Another critical focus is on Sustainable Packaging, aiming to reduce plastic usage and responsibly manage post-consumer plastic waste. Task forces dedicated to Manufacturing, Energy, Water, and Logistics maintain a focus on sustainability within their respective domains.

Additionally, there's a task force exploring the role of brands in sustainability efforts, with practical examples showcased. Lastly, Nestle is actively engaged in advocacy, recognizing the evolving policies and the need for further collaborative efforts in the years ahead.

He said, “The team will make sure that there is a balanced approach. One of the areas is going out and speaking about some of the initiatives which we have. Hopefully, that will be an inspiration for some.”

In his address, he also mentioned how Nestle has been exploring innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability. For instance, they're considering biomass boilers to generate energy for their factories. An exciting development is the use of stubble-derived briquettes at their Moga factory in Punjab.

The company is also addressing winter pollution by utilizing 4% of stubble generated for energy purposes. They're also focused on enhancing energy efficiency, achieving a significant 36% reduction in energy usage in their factories over the past 15 years, Khajuria shared.

He concluded the address with some of the takeaways that Nestle believes in and is actively working on. He stressed the need for clear priorities and initiatives amid the multitude of options available. Focusing on significant actions is essential to initiate the journey effectively, Khajuria said.

Establishing a governance model that supports desired objectives is crucial. The emphasis is on shifting from merely avoiding harm to creating positive impacts, evident in their approach to biodiversity and water management. Nestle advocates finding innovative approaches that prioritize improving community livelihoods. Continuous monitoring and measurement are vital for long-term projects, such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction by 2030.