Popular chocolate brand KitKat has announced that it plans to become carbon neutral by 2025, boosting its sustainability efforts.

As part of its plan to become carbon neutral by 2025, KitKat aims to reduce the emissions generated through the sourcing of its ingredients, the manufacturing of the product and its distribution by more than 50%.

According to the brand, most emissions occur when producing its ingredients like cocoa and milk. The brand will reduce these emissions as much as possible through initiatives like restoring forests and supporting a transition to regenerative agriculture.

For any emissions that cannot be eliminated, the brand will invest in high quality offsetting based on natural climate solutions.

KitKat is working with The Carbon Trust, a global climate change and sustainability consultancy, to measure the brand’s current carbon footprint and will complete this process later in 2021.

Deforestation is a main global drivers of carbon emissions in the agricultural supply chain. Nestlé has used a variety of tools for the last 10 years, including certification, supply chain mapping and satellite imagery, to achieve its no-deforestation commitment.

Nestlé is focusing on forest conservation and restoration. For example, it published an action plan in 2019 to help protect and restore forests in its cocoa supply chain. Earlier this month, Nestlé also joined forces with others to launch the Rimba Collective (find out more on page 28). This initiative supports the protection and restoration of over 500,000 hectares of tropical forest landscapes in Southeast Asia, where the company sources its ingredients.

In addition, KitKat plans to expand its work with cocoa, palm oil, cereals, sugar and dairy farmers to implement regenerative practices. Farming methods such as reducing synthetic inputs, better management of soils and tree planting can help draw down carbon from the atmosphere, enhance biodiversity and boost on-farm productivity. To support this, KitKat will help farmers plant five million shade trees where it sources its cocoa by 2025.

Nestlé is committed to reaching net zero emissions everywhere by no later than 2050, throughout its value chain.