Greene King’s sustainability leader has told the National Farmers’ Union that it’s vital for the hospitality industry and farmers to work collaboratively together to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Assad Malic, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer at the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, addressed delegates at the NFU’s conference, taking place in Birmingham this week. The theme of the conference is ‘Feeding a Changing World’ and it is a first for a pub company and brewer to address the event.
Last week, Greene King’s target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative, and Mr Malic explained how the company would be setting about achieving this ambitious target in the years ahead.
Addressing the conference, he said it was crucial that the hospitality industry worked alongside UK farmers in reducing emissions through regenerative farming methods so that the country as a whole could reduce its nationwide emissions.
“We have to work collaboratively, not just within our sectors but across the multiple sectors from agriculture, through supply chain to hospitality and retail. We can’t expect farming to solve the problem for us all alone,” he said.
He also called on the government to work at pace to unblock bureaucracy and provide regulatory support so farmers and businesses can accelerate the changes needed to build resilience through sustainable practices into the UK’s food system.
Mr Malic was speaking shortly before the government’s Secretary of State for the Environment Thérèse Coffey took to the stage, and the day after the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
