The Kraft Heinz Company is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, formed through the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company. It operates approximately 75 manufacturing sites globally, employs approximately 36,000 people, and generates annual net revenues of approximately $26 billion across iconic brands including Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Oscar Mayer, and Capri Sun. Its sustainability framework, Together at the Table, is organised around three pillars: Environmental Stewardship, Responsible Sourcing, and Healthy Living and Community Support.
The company published its 2025 ESG Report, covering fiscal year 2024 data, in December 2024. In 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated Kraft Heinz’s net zero and 2030 interim targets, a milestone described by Global Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer Janelle Aydin as enhancing “the credibility of our Path to Net Zero transition plan.” The 2024 report also introduced a significant forward-looking context: with the planned separation of Kraft Heinz into two independent, publicly traded companies in 2026, Aydin confirmed that no new science-based, time-bound targets will be set until the separation is complete.
Kraft Heinz made meaningful operational progress in 2024, including a 37% absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction vs the 2021 baseline, 43% renewable electricity procurement, and surpassing the sugar reduction target of 60 million pounds two years ahead of schedule. Several 2025 targets, including recyclable packaging, water efficiency, and cage-free egg sourcing, remain at risk of missing their 100% completion thresholds.
2024 Key Highlights
- Total carbon footprint: 25,079,857 metric tonnes CO2e (Scope 1: 412,646; Scope 2 market-based: 349,066; Scope 3: 24,151,713)
- Absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction: 37% vs 2021 baseline, against a 50% target by 2030
- Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions: 15% reduction vs 2021 baseline, against a 50% target by 2030
- Scope 3 FLAG emissions: 11% reduction vs 2021 baseline, against a 30.3% target by 2030
- Scope 1 emissions: 412,646 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 455,972 in 2023 vs 501,786 in 2022; a 9.5% year-on-year reduction
- SBTi validation of net zero and 2030 interim targets confirmed in 2024
- Renewable electricity procurement: 42.93% of electricity from renewable sources in 2024 vs 28.74% in 2023 vs 14.21% in 2022
- Total energy use: 3,669,450 MWh in 2024 vs 3,879,490 MWh in 2023 vs 4,202,158 MWh in 2022
- Water use intensity (all facilities): 9.06% reduction vs 2019 baseline, against a 15% target by 2025
- Water use intensity (high-risk watershed areas): 13.77% reduction vs 2019 baseline, against a 20% target by 2025
- Total water withdrawals (all facilities): 28,616,000 m3 in 2024 vs 30,455,000 m3 in 2023 vs 32,608,000 m3 in 2022
- Waste to landfill intensity: 31.23% reduction vs 2019 baseline, surpassing the 20% target
- Total waste to landfill: 66,194 metric tonnes in 2024 vs 90,257 in 2023 vs 89,296 in 2022
- Packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable: 86% in 2024 vs 87% in 2023, against a 100% target by 2025
- Virgin plastic reduction: 2% vs 2021 baseline, against a 20% target by 2030
- Palm oil: 100% sustainable palm oil maintained in 2024, target achieved and sustained
- Sugar reduction goal of 60 million pounds by 2025 surpassed: 65.3 million cumulative pounds reduced as of 2024
- Heinz ketchup tomatoes sustainably sourced: 83% in 2024 vs 66% in 2023 vs 75% in 2022, against a 100% target by 2025
- Cage-free or better eggs globally: 61% in 2024 vs 64% in 2023, declining vs target of 100% by 2025
- Meals provided to people in need: 1.5 billion meals target achieved, 203 million meals in 2024 alone
- Certified as a Great Place to Work in 22 countries in 2024
- Total recordable incident rate (TRIR): 0.39 in 2024 vs 0.53 in 2023, a 26% year-on-year improvement
- $170 million DOE grant awarded to Kraft Heinz for electrification and energy storage across US manufacturing plants
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/esg/index.html
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/kraft-heinz-2025-esg-report-a-together-at-the-table-ce7d50dbdf8bf223
Sustainability Strategy and Goals
Kraft Heinz’s Together at the Table sustainability framework is organised around three pillars: Environmental Stewardship, Responsible Sourcing, and Healthy Living and Community Support. All goals are aligned with the UN SDGs, and the company serves as a Communication on Progress signatory to the UN Global Compact and CEO Water Mandate. The Path to Net Zero transition plan, validated by SBTi in 2024, covers near-term 2030 targets and the long-term 2050 net zero ambition across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
The strategy recognises agriculture as the dominant emissions source, with purchased goods and services (Category 1 Scope 3) accounting for 73.58% of total Scope 3 emissions. In 2024, the company implemented its Grower Excellence Program as the primary mechanism for engaging directly with farmers on regenerative practices and productivity. With the planned separation of the business into two independent companies in 2026, the forward-looking goal structure is transitioning from the current 2025 targets to three new pillars, People, Product, and Planet, though no new time-bound science-based targets have been set pending completion of the separation.
Net Zero and Carbon Emissions
Kraft Heinz targets net zero GHG emissions across its operational footprint (Scope 1 and 2) and entire global value chain (Scope 3) by 2050. Interim 2030 targets, validated by SBTi in 2024, include a 50% absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction, a 50% Scope 3 non-FLAG reduction, and a 30.3% Scope 3 FLAG reduction, all vs the 2021 baseline.
- Absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction: 37% vs 2021 baseline in 2024, against a 50% target by 2030
- Scope 1 emissions: 412,646 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 455,972 in 2023 vs 501,786 in 2022 (a 9.5% reduction year-on-year; 35.01% reduction since 2019)
- Scope 2 (market-based): 349,066 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 399,330 in 2023 vs 457,547 in 2022
- Scope 2 (location-based): 515,498 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 548,907 in 2023 vs 558,444 in 2022
- Total Scope 1 and 2 (location-based) combined: 928,144 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024, a 7.64% reduction vs 2023
- Scope 3 total: 24,151,713 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 24,332,316 in 2023, broadly stable year-on-year
- Scope 3 non-FLAG: 15% reduction vs 2021 baseline, against a 50% target by 2030
- Scope 3 FLAG: 11% reduction vs 2021 baseline, against a 30.3% target by 2030
- Renewable electricity procurement: 42.93% in 2024 vs 28.74% in 2023 vs 14.21% in 2022, against a majority (more than 50%) target by 2025
- Energy use intensity: 576 kWh per metric tonne of production in 2024 vs 578 in 2023 vs 580 in 2022; 4.91% improvement vs 2019 baseline against a 15% target
- Total energy use: 3,669,450 MWh in 2024 vs 3,879,490 in 2023 vs 4,202,158 in 2022
- $170 million Department of Energy grant awarded in 2024 for the Delicious Decarbonization Through Integrated Electrification and Energy Storage project, targeting a more than 99% Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint reduction from 2022 metrics, a 97% natural gas use cut, a 23% overall energy use reduction, and a 3% water use reduction across six US plants
- Green hydrogen project: partnership with Carlton Power at Kitt Green (UK), the largest food processing plant in Europe producing 250,000 tonnes annually; planned 20MW electrolyser capable of producing 2,000 tonnes (80 GWh) of hydrogen per year, meeting 50% of the plant’s natural gas demand and reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 16,000 tonnes per year
- Virtual PPA with Repsol in Europe added 75,000 MWh; vPPA with BHE Renewables in North America added 292,000 MWh to the 2024 renewable energy portfolio
- Solar PV systems installed or commissioned in China, Australia, North America, and Europe; first European system in the Netherlands estimated to supply 650,000 kWh annually to the Heinz ketchup plant
Water Stewardship
Kraft Heinz’s water strategy targets two distinct improvement thresholds: a 15% water use intensity reduction across all manufacturing facilities and a 20% reduction in high-risk watershed areas, both vs the 2019 baseline and targeting completion by 2025. The company is a CEO Water Mandate signatory and reports water withdrawal data separately for all facilities and for high-risk watershed locations.
- Water use intensity (all facilities): 9.06% reduction vs 2019 in 2024 vs 8.10% in 2023 vs 8.70% in 2022, against a 15% target
- Water use intensity (high-risk watershed areas): 13.77% reduction vs 2019 in 2024 vs 19.50% in 2023, showing year-on-year backsliding after exceeding the 20% target in 2023
- Total water withdrawals (all facilities): 28,616,000 m3 in 2024 vs 30,455,000 m3 in 2023 vs 32,608,000 m3 in 2022
- Total water withdrawals (high-risk watershed areas): 9,802,000 m3 in 2024 vs 9,709,000 m3 in 2023, indicating a slight increase in high-risk watershed sites
- Water use intensity at high-risk watershed areas: 6.59 m3 per metric tonne of production in 2024 vs 6.08 in 2023 vs 6.50 in 2022, confirming the 2024 backslide
- DOE electrification project at six US plants includes a projected 3% water use reduction in addition to energy and carbon benefits
- Brazil Grower Excellence Program applied water management best practices to tomato growing partners, resulting in a 25% productivity increase vs the national average
Regenerative Agriculture
Kraft Heinz’s agricultural sustainability strategy is anchored in the HeinzSeed programme, the Grower Excellence Program, and a multi-year regenerative agriculture partnership with tomato supplier Conesa in Europe. The company sources from over 40 countries and the tomato supply chain, the largest single agricultural input for Heinz ketchup, is the primary focus of measurable regenerative practice deployment.
- HeinzSeed: supports growers in over 40 countries using breeding stations and field trials to develop seeds suited to diverse soils and climates; the Stockton, CA research centre tests sustainable agriculture methods including cover cropping and crop rotation
- Grower Excellence Program: implemented in 2024 across key origin markets; in Brazil, crop protection protocols and water management best practices delivered a 25% tomato productivity increase compared to the national average in 2024
- Regenerative partnership with Conesa (Europe): practices include organic fertilisation, optimised irrigation, nutrient management, soil preparation, crop protection, and efficient harvesting; neighbouring farms have adopted the same practices, amplifying outcomes across the local agricultural community
- Heinz ketchup tomatoes sustainably sourced: 83% in 2024 vs 66% in 2023, a 17-percentage-point improvement year-on-year, against a 100% target by 2025
- Scope 3 FLAG emissions: 11% reduction vs 2021 baseline, reflecting early progress from regenerative and sustainable agriculture deployment
Deforestation and Biodiversity
Kraft Heinz’s deforestation commitments are embedded in its responsible sourcing framework, which requires suppliers to adhere to the Kraft Heinz Supplier Guiding Principles covering land rights, natural resource protection, and deforestation prevention. Palm oil is the most mature commodity for deforestation accountability, with 100% sustainable palm oil maintained through RSPO-certified Tier 1 direct suppliers.
- 100% sustainable palm oil sourced through RSPO-certified direct suppliers in 2024, 2023, and 2022; target met and sustained
- Supplier Guiding Principles mandate that suppliers recognise land rights, protect natural resources, and ensure all labour recruitment is conducted legally and ethically
- Regenerative agricultural practices including cover cropping and crop rotation deployed through HeinzSeed and Grower Excellence Program, which contribute to soil health, biodiversity, and environmental resilience in origin farming communities
Packaging and Circular Economy
Kraft Heinz has committed to 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by 2025 and a 20% reduction in virgin plastic use by 2030, vs the 2021 baseline. By 2024, 86% of packaging was recyclable, reusable, or compostable, declining slightly from 87% in 2023, with 13 percentage points outstanding from the 2025 target. Virgin plastic reduction stands at just 2% vs the 2021 baseline, leaving an 18-percentage-point gap from the 2030 target.
- Packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable: 86% in 2024 vs 87% in 2023 vs 87% in 2022, against 100% target by 2025
- Virgin plastic reduction: 2% vs 2021 baseline, against a 20% target by 2030
- Total packaging weight: 1,067,000 metric tonnes in 2024 vs 1,116,000 in 2023 vs 1,207,000 in 2022
- Total plastic packaging: 222,000 metric tonnes in 2024 vs 235,000 in 2023 vs 293,000 in 2022
- Percentage of packaging from recycled or renewable materials: 22% in 2024 vs 23% in 2023
- Kraft Mayo, Miracle Whip, and NotMayo bottles in North America replaced with 100% recycled PET, expected to eliminate approximately 14 million pounds of virgin plastic
- Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh packaging redesigned with a peel-and-reseal lid, expected to reduce virgin plastic by 1.8 million pounds
- Heinz condiments dippot redesigned with a mono-material lid, improving recyclability of the full unit
- Heinz EazySauce dispenser launched in Europe, reducing waste by replacing single-use plastic sachets
- Kraft Heinz invested in The Recycling Partnership (TRP), helping fund its single largest grant to date: retrofitting a Houston, TX materials recovery facility with advanced technology to capture film and flexible packaging historically sent to landfill
- Kirksville, MO plant diverted 575 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastics through a specialised collection programme, reducing landfill volume by 26% compared to the prior year
Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing
Kraft Heinz applies its Global Human Rights Policy, aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), across its own operations and global supply chain, with specific protections for vulnerable groups including migrant workers, women, children, indigenous populations, and minorities. Supplier compliance with the Kraft Heinz Supplier Guiding Principles is a mandatory requirement for all suppliers.
- Global Human Rights Policy requires that all labour recruitment and employment procedures are carried out legally and ethically, and prohibits child labour, forced labour, discrimination, and harassment
- UK Modern Slavery Statement 2024 confirms active due diligence processes and supply chain mapping at Kitt Green and European operations
- Canadian Forced Labour Supply Chains Report 2024 published in compliance with Canada’s Bill S-211
- Supplier diversity programme covers businesses majority-owned by people of colour, women, LGBTQ-plus individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans; originated in the US and is expanding globally
- Engagement survey results for inclusion and belonging: 77% in 2024 vs 76% in 2023 vs 74% in 2022, showing consistent improvement
- Certified as a Great Place to Work in 22 countries in 2024
- 12 Leadership and Development awards won from Brandon Hall Group in 2024
Nutrition and Health
Kraft Heinz’s nutrition strategy is governed by its Global Nutrition Targets framework, which covers sugar, sodium, and saturated fat reduction alongside increases in fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. The company’s partnership with NotCo is the primary vehicle for plant-based innovation, having launched NotHotDogs, NotSausages, and KD NotMacandCheese in 2024.
- 85% compliance with Kraft Heinz Global Nutrition Targets by 2025: 75.33% achieved in 2024 vs 75.06% in 2023 vs 71.80% in 2022
- Sugar reduction goal of 60 million pounds by 2025 surpassed: cumulative 65.3 million pounds reduced as of 2024
- Sodium reduction in BBQ Sauce and Kraft Salad Dressings (North America): 1.32% reduction vs 2020 baseline, against a 5% target by 2025
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup sodium reduced by 10% in China in 2024
- Master soy sauce sodium reduced by 5% in China in 2024
- Quero mayonnaise sodium reduced by 18% and pasta sauce by 17% in Brazil in 2024
- NotHotDogs, NotSausages, and KD NotMacandCheese launched in 2024 through the NotCo joint venture
Community and Social Impact
Kraft Heinz’s community investment is anchored in the Together at the Table hunger alleviation programme, delivered through the Kraft Heinz Company Foundation and strategic partners including Rise Against Hunger, Feeding America, Heifer International, Food Banks Canada, Magic Breakfast (UK), and Eat Up (Australia).
- 1.5 billion meals to people in need by 2025 goal: achieved as of 2024; 203,490,536 meals provided in 2024 alone
- Partnership with Rise Against Hunger reached more than 4.3 million people globally in 2024 to improve food security, embed sustainable agriculture, and improve livelihoods
- Grower Day hosted in Brazil in 2024, bringing together key stakeholders and top-performing tomato growers to recognise achievements and set sustainability aspirations for 2025
- Average learning hours per employee: 11.66 hours in 2024 vs 8.08 in 2023 vs 8.30 in 2022, a 44% year-on-year increase
- Total recordable incident rate (TRIR): 0.39 in 2024 vs 0.53 in 2023, a 26% year-on-year improvement
Governance and Transparency
Kraft Heinz reports against GRI Sustainability Standards, SASB standards for food and beverage, TCFD recommendations, and is a UN Global Compact Communication on Progress signatory. The company engaged a third-party auditor to provide limited assurance of specific 2024 environmental data.
- SBTi validation of net zero and 2030 interim targets confirmed in 2024, covering Scope 1 and 2 (50% reduction by 2030), Scope 3 non-FLAG (50% by 2030), and Scope 3 FLAG (30.3% by 2030), all vs the 2021 baseline
- Separate GRI, SASB, UNGC, and TCFD disclosure indices published as downloads alongside the annual ESG Report
- Basis of Reporting document published separately, covering scope, boundaries, reporting principles, and assumptions for all environmental indicators
- ESG performance reporting aligned with operational control approach
- Planned separation into two independent publicly traded companies in 2026 confirmed; new People, Product, Planet framework published as the forward-looking sustainability organising structure
- 2024 ESG Report confirmed as covering the fiscal year ending December 28, 2024
Technology and Innovation
Kraft Heinz’s sustainability technology portfolio is defined by three major investments in 2024: the DOE electrification grant, the green hydrogen project at Kitt Green, and the renewable electricity vPPA expansion. The company is also deploying packaging innovation at product level and recycling infrastructure investment through The Recycling Partnership.
- DOE Delicious Decarbonization project: $170 million US Department of Energy investment (2024) for electrification and energy storage across six US manufacturing plants; targets more than 99% carbon footprint reduction from 2022 metrics, 97% natural gas reduction, 23% total energy reduction, and 3% water reduction; developed in partnership with ENGIE Impact
- Green hydrogen at Kitt Green (UK): partnership with Carlton Power for a 20MW electrolyser producing 2,000 tonnes (80 GWh) of green hydrogen annually; will meet 50% of Kitt Green’s natural gas demand and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 16,000 tonnes per year; one of the first green hydrogen applications in food manufacturing at this scale in Europe
- Solar PV expansion: systems installed or commissioned in China, Australia, North America, and Europe; Netherlands ketchup plant system generates 650,000 kWh annually
- Renewable electricity vPPAs: Repsol (Europe) added 75,000 MWh; BHE Renewables (North America) added 292,000 MWh in 2024, driving the renewable electricity share from 28.74% to 42.93%
- Kraft Mayo, Miracle Whip, and NotMayo 100% recycled PET packaging: replaces virgin PET; eliminates approximately 14 million pounds of virgin plastic annually
- Heinz EazySauce dispenser: reusable alternative to single-use plastic sachets, launched in Europe in 2024
- The Recycling Partnership investment: funded the organisation’s largest-ever single grant, retrofitting a Houston, TX materials recovery facility with advanced technology for film and flexible packaging capture
- HeinzSeed: breeding station and field trial network across 40-plus countries; Stockton, CA centre tests cover cropping, crop rotation, and sustainable soil management, sharing results with growers globally
- NotCo joint venture: AI-driven plant-based food technology applied to Kraft Heinz product lines; NotHotDogs, NotSausages, and KD NotMacandCheese launched in 2024
Global Partnerships and Advocacy
Kraft Heinz’s partnership model spans food security, agricultural innovation, clean energy, recycling infrastructure, and climate science. The company operates as a UN Global Compact signatory, CEO Water Mandate participant, and Consumer Goods Forum member.
- Rise Against Hunger: long-term strategic partner for hunger relief and sustainable agriculture across developing markets
- Feeding America, Heifer International, Food Banks Canada, Magic Breakfast (UK), and Eat Up (Australia): community food security partners
- The Recycling Partnership: packaging circularity infrastructure investment partner in the US
- Carlton Power: green hydrogen development partner at Kitt Green, UK
- ENGIE Impact: net zero transition implementation partner for the DOE electrification project
- Repsol (Europe) and BHE Renewables (North America): vPPA renewable electricity partners
- Conesa (Europe): regenerative tomato agriculture development partner with practices now adopted by neighbouring farms
- SBTi: independent validation of the Path to Net Zero transition plan confirmed 2024
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/esg/index.html
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/NZTP.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/Modern_Slavery_Statement_2024_UK.pdf
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
https://news.kraftheinzcompany.com/press-releases-details/2024/Kraft-Heinz-Partners-With-Carlton-Power
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
Progress vs. Target Tracker
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/kraft-heinz-2025-esg-report-a-together-at-the-table-ce7d50dbdf8bf223
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.integrumesg.com/insights/20241212-110003-can-kraft-heinz-really-hit-their-2025-esg-targets/
Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies
Kraft Heinz’s sustainability technology portfolio in 2024 is anchored by three large-scale clean energy investments and a packaging innovation pipeline that combines product-level material substitution with recycling infrastructure co-investment. The company’s approach to deep operational decarbonisation, particularly the DOE electrification project and the green hydrogen pilot at Kitt Green, positions it ahead of most food industry peers on industrial process decarbonisation ambition, even as operational renewable electricity coverage remains below 50%.
- DOE Delicious Decarbonization project: $170 million US Department of Energy investment, the largest single clean energy commitment in Kraft Heinz’s history; targets more than 99% Scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint reduction from 2022 metrics across six US manufacturing plants; covers integrated electrification, energy storage, a 97% natural gas use reduction, a 23% total energy consumption reduction, and a 3% water reduction; developed in partnership with ENGIE Impact
- Green hydrogen at Kitt Green (UK): partnership with Carlton Power for a 20MW electrolyser producing 2,000 tonnes (80 GWh) of green hydrogen per year from wind and solar-sourced renewable electricity; will meet 50% of Kitt Green’s natural gas demand; reduces carbon emissions by an estimated 16,000 tonnes per year; Kitt Green produces 250,000 tonnes of food annually including Heinz Baked Beans and represents one of the highest-profile green hydrogen deployments in European food manufacturing
- Solar PV programme: systems commissioned in China, Australia, North America, and Europe; Dutch ketchup plant system generates 650,000 kWh annually; forms part of the broader behind-the-meter renewable strategy alongside vPPAs
- Renewable electricity vPPA expansion: Repsol vPPA in Europe added 75,000 MWh; BHE Renewables vPPA in North America added 292,000 MWh to the 2024 renewable portfolio; combination drove procurement from 28.74% to 42.93% in a single year
- 100% recycled PET packaging: Kraft Mayo, Miracle Whip, and NotMayo bottles converted to 100% recycled PET in North America, eliminating approximately 14 million pounds of virgin plastic annually
- Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh peel-and-reseal lid: redesigned packaging expected to reduce virgin plastic by 1.8 million pounds
- Heinz EazySauce dispenser: launched in Europe in 2024 as a reusable alternative to single-use plastic sachets; received industry award recognition for packaging innovation
- Heinz condiments dippot redesign: mono-material lid replaces multi-material construction, significantly improving the recyclability of the full unit for European markets
- The Recycling Partnership (TRP) investment: Kraft Heinz co-funded TRP’s largest-ever single grant, retrofitting a Houston, TX materials recovery facility with advanced film and flexible packaging capture technology
- Kirksville, MO hard-to-recycle plastics programme: 575 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastics diverted through a specialised collection and processing programme, reducing landfill volume 26% vs the prior year
- HeinzSeed platform: global breeding station and field trial network in 40-plus countries testing cover cropping, crop rotation, climate-resilient seed varieties, and soil management; results disseminated directly to farming partners
- NotCo AI-driven plant-based innovation: joint venture deploying AI-based flavour and texture modelling to replicate animal-based products using plant ingredients; NotHotDogs, NotSausages, and KD NotMacandCheese launched in 2024
Source
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
https://news.kraftheinzcompany.com/press-releases-details/2024/Kraft-Heinz-Partners-With-Carlton-Power
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://manufacturingdigital.com/news/kraft-heinz-overhauls-manufacturing-for-net-zero
Measurable Impacts
Kraft Heinz’s 2025 ESG Report provides three-year data tables against the 2019 and 2021 baselines used for its targets. The strongest results are in waste reduction, sugar reformulation, meals provided, and Scope 1 and 2 decarbonisation. The most significant underperformance is in energy use intensity, water efficiency at high-risk sites (which backslid in 2024), packaging recyclability, and virgin plastic reduction.
- Total Scope 1 and 2 (location-based): 928,144 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024, a 7.64% reduction vs 2023; Scope 1 down 35.01% since 2019
- Absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction: 37% vs 2021 baseline
- Total Scope 3: 24,151,713 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024 vs 24,332,316 in 2023 vs 27,426,878 in 2022
- Renewable electricity: 42.93% in 2024 vs 28.74% in 2023 vs 14.21% in 2022
- Total energy use: 3,669,450 MWh in 2024 vs 3,879,490 in 2023 vs 4,202,158 in 2022
- Energy use intensity: 576 kWh per metric tonne in 2024 vs 578 in 2023; 4.91% reduction vs 2019
- Total water withdrawals (all facilities): 28,616,000 m3 in 2024 vs 30,455,000 m3 in 2023 vs 32,608,000 m3 in 2022
- Water use intensity (all facilities): 9.06% reduction vs 2019 in 2024 vs 8.10% in 2023
- Water use intensity (high-risk watershed areas): 13.77% reduction vs 2019 in 2024 vs 19.50% in 2023, indicating backsliding from near-target levels
- Waste to landfill intensity: 31.23% reduction vs 2019, surpassing the 20% target
- Total waste to landfill: 66,194 metric tonnes in 2024 vs 90,257 in 2023, a 26.7% reduction year-on-year
- Packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable: 86% in 2024 vs 87% in 2023
- Total plastic packaging: 222,000 metric tonnes in 2024 vs 235,000 in 2023 vs 293,000 in 2022
- Virgin plastic reduction: 2% vs 2021 baseline
- Sugar reduction: 65.3 million pounds cumulatively, exceeding the 60 million pound goal
- Heinz ketchup tomatoes sustainably sourced: 83% in 2024 vs 66% in 2023, a 17-percentage-point improvement
- Meals to people in need: 203,490,536 in 2024; 1.5 billion total target achieved
- TRIR: 0.39 in 2024 vs 0.53 in 2023
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/kraft-heinz-2025-esg-report-a-together-at-the-table-ce7d50dbdf8bf223
https://www.integrumesg.com/insights/20241212-110003-can-kraft-heinz-really-hit-their-2025-esg-targets/
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
Six of the eighteen 2025 targets have been formally missed at the time of reporting, and two more are at risk, meaning the majority of the company’s original 2025 sustainability commitments will not be delivered on schedule. The energy use intensity improvement of 4.91% against a 15% target, the water intensity reduction of 9.06% against a 15% target across all facilities, and the packaging recyclability of 86% against a 100% target represent the three largest numerical gaps in Environmental Stewardship.
The most alarming single data point in the 2024 report is the backsliding in water use intensity at high-risk watershed areas, which moved from 19.50% reduction in 2023 (near-target) to 13.77% in 2024, moving away from rather than toward the 20% target. Total water withdrawals at high-risk sites increased from 9,709,000 m3 in 2023 to 9,802,000 m3 in 2024, an absolute increase at the very sites where performance is most critical for community water security.
Scope 3 presents the most structural long-term challenge. Purchased goods and services (Category 1) contributed 17,771,567 metric tonnes CO2e in 2024, accounting for 73.58% of total Scope 3. This category was higher in 2024 than in 2023 (17,483,259). Against a target of 50% Scope 3 non-FLAG reduction by 2030 from the 2021 baseline, the current 15% reduction at the four-year mark signals that the pace of agricultural and supply chain decarbonisation is insufficient without a significant step change in supplier engagement and regenerative agriculture investment.
- Energy use intensity: 4.91% reduction vs 2019 against a 15% target by 2025
- Renewable electricity: 42.93% vs majority (more than 50%) target by 2025
- Water use intensity (all facilities): 9.06% vs 15% target by 2025
- Water use intensity (high-risk sites): 13.77% vs 20% target; backslid from 19.50% in 2023
- Packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable: 86%, declining from 87%; against 100% by 2025
- Virgin plastic reduction: 2% vs 2021 baseline against a 20% target by 2030
- Cage-free or better eggs globally: 61% in 2024, declining from 64% in 2023, against 100% by 2025
- Cage-free or better eggs in Asia Pacific: 15% in 2024 vs 23% in 2023, a significant regression
- Heinz ketchup tomatoes sustainably sourced: 83% vs 100% by 2025
- Global Nutrition Target compliance: 75.33% vs 85% by 2025
- Scope 3 non-FLAG: 15% reduction vs a 50% target by 2030; Category 1 purchased goods increased in 2024
- Post-2025 targets: no new science-based, time-bound targets being set pending the 2026 company separation, creating a goal framework gap
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.integrumesg.com/insights/20241212-110003-can-kraft-heinz-really-hit-their-2025-esg-targets/
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/kraft-heinz-2025-esg-report-a-together-at-the-table-ce7d50dbdf8bf223
Future Plans and Long-Term Goals
Kraft Heinz’s 2050 net zero ambition governs all long-term sustainability planning, with SBTi-validated 2030 interim milestones providing the near-term accountability structure. The DOE electrification project across six US plants and the green hydrogen deployment at Kitt Green represent the two most capital-intensive decarbonisation investments with defined outcome targets within the next three to five years.
The company has formally announced its intention to separate into two independent publicly traded companies in 2026. This structural event directly affects the sustainability strategy: no new science-based, time-bound targets will be set until the separation is complete, and the forward-looking sustainability framework has transitioned to three new pillars (People, Product, and Planet) with ten priority areas. How the two new companies divide, inherit, and rebuild sustainability commitments will be the single most consequential governance event in the Kraft Heinz sustainability story over the next 24 months.
- DOE electrification project: targeting more than 99% carbon footprint reduction from 2022 metrics at six US plants; implementation timeline running 2024 to approximately 2027
- Kitt Green green hydrogen: 20MW electrolyser in development, reducing the plant’s natural gas demand by 50% and carbon by 16,000 tonnes per year when operational; future phases may be brought forward
- Renewable electricity: trajectory from 14.21% in 2022 to 28.74% in 2023 to 42.93% in 2024 shows a clear acceleration curve; crossing the 50% majority threshold in 2025 is achievable if contracted capacity comes online on schedule
- Heinz ketchup tomatoes: 83% sustainably sourced in 2024 vs 66% in 2023; the 17-percentage-point annual gain makes reaching 100% by 2025 plausible if the same trajectory holds
- Regenerative agriculture: Grower Excellence Program and HeinzSeed network will expand to additional origin markets building on the Brazil and Europe pilots
- People, Product, and Planet framework: new post-2025 organising structure covering ten priority areas; details on specific measurable targets within this structure will emerge as the company separation is finalised
- Company separation into two independent businesses in 2026 will require both new entities to establish independent sustainability baseline disclosures and goal frameworks from 2026 onward
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/NZTP.pdf
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
https://manufacturingdigital.com/news/kraft-heinz-overhauls-manufacturing-for-net-zero
Comparisons to Industry Competitors
Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, and Unilever are all large-scale global food companies with SBTi-aligned net zero commitments, published sustainability reports, and comparable operational footprints in processed and packaged food.
Unilever leads all three companies on renewable electricity, having reached 100% at manufacturing since 2020, compared to Kraft Heinz’s 42.93% in 2024 and Nestlé’s 91.9% in 2023. Kraft Heinz’s absolute Scope 1 and 2 reduction of 37% from a 2021 baseline is numerically competitive, but the shorter baseline period of three years versus Nestlé’s six years (from 2018) and Unilever’s nine years (from 2015) means the pace of reduction is not directly comparable. Kraft Heinz’s packaging recyclability at 86% and declining trails Unilever which claims 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging achieved by 2022, and Nestlé which is approaching 95%. The green hydrogen project at Kitt Green and the DOE electrification investment represent the most distinctive capital-intensive technology bets in Kraft Heinz’s portfolio and have no direct equivalent at this scale at either Nestlé or Unilever in food manufacturing.
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/non-financial-statement-2024.pdf
https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators
Three signals will define whether Kraft Heinz’s sustainability standing strengthens or weakens between mid-2026 and end-2027.
First, the company separation and sustainability goal framework publication. The planned separation of Kraft Heinz into two independent publicly traded companies in 2026 is the single most consequential event in the company’s sustainability story over the next 24 months. The new People, Product, and Planet framework has been announced, but no specific time-bound, science-based targets have been set pending the separation. Watch for both new companies to publish independent sustainability baseline disclosures, SBTi commitments, and 2030 interim targets within 12 months of separation. Any delay beyond that window would indicate that sustainability governance was subordinated to financial restructuring priorities. The absence of public targets during the transition period creates accountability risk for Scope 3 and packaging, the two areas with the largest performance gaps.
Second, the Kitt Green green hydrogen project delivery and DOE electrification project execution. The Carlton Power green hydrogen partnership at Kitt Green is structured as a defined outcome project, with the 20MW electrolyser targeting 2,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually and a 16,000 tonne annual CO2 reduction. The DOE project across six US plants targets a more than 99% carbon footprint reduction from 2022 metrics with a 97% natural gas reduction. Both projects are in development and neither had confirmed operational dates in the 2024 ESG Report. Watch for commissioning milestones in 2026 and 2027, since both projects are the largest single operational decarbonisation bets in Kraft Heinz’s net zero pathway and their on-time delivery will determine whether the 2030 Scope 1 and 2 target of 50% reduction is achievable.
Third, water intensity at high-risk watershed areas and Scope 3 agricultural trajectory. The backslide from 19.50% water intensity reduction in 2023 to 13.77% in 2024 at high-risk sites is the most visible regression in the 2024 dataset. Total water withdrawals at high-risk sites actually increased from 9,709,000 m3 to 9,802,000 m3 year-on-year, meaning the company moved further from, not closer to, the 20% target in 2024. Simultaneously, Scope 3 Category 1 (purchased goods) emissions increased from 17,483,259 tCO2e in 2023 to 17,771,567 in 2024. Both metrics must reverse in the 2025 and 2026 reporting cycles for the 2030 Scope 3 targets to remain credible, particularly with no new formal targets being set during the separation period.
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
Kraft Heinz has delivered genuine and measurable progress in the areas most directly within its operational control. Absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions are down 37% from 2021, Scope 1 specifically has declined 35% since 2019, total energy use has fallen from 4,202,158 MWh in 2022 to 3,669,450 MWh in 2024, and waste to landfill intensity has exceeded the 20% reduction target at 31.23%. The DOE electrification grant and the Kitt Green green hydrogen project are the most technically ambitious clean energy investments in the food manufacturing sector globally, and they reflect a capital commitment to deep operational decarbonisation that competitors have not yet matched at the same scale.
The credibility challenge is that the majority of original 2025 targets will not be met, and several have declined year-on-year rather than improved. A packaging recyclability rate that declined from 87% to 86%, cage-free egg sourcing that declined from 64% to 61% globally and from 23% to 15% in Asia Pacific, and water intensity at high-risk sites backsliding from near-target to mid-range performance all signal that the company’s ESG execution is uneven across pillars. The decision not to set new science-based, time-bound targets until after the 2026 company separation creates a formal accountability gap that will be visible to all stakeholders benchmarking ESG performance, at a moment when regulatory requirements under CSRD and investor stewardship expectations are increasing.
Three strategic takeaways for practitioners benchmarking or replicating this approach:
- Deep industrial decarbonisation requires technology bets, not just procurement efficiency. The DOE electrification project and Kitt Green hydrogen represent the kind of capital commitment that moves a large food manufacturer’s Scope 1 trajectory irreversibly. Practitioners designing net zero pathways for food and beverage companies should model the unit economics of electrification and green hydrogen at their highest-volume sites, not as pilot projects, but as primary manufacturing technology transitions.
- Multi-target frameworks require prioritisation discipline. Kraft Heinz’s eighteen tracked targets range from operational metrics it controls (energy use, waste) to systemic outcomes requiring third-party change (cage-free egg infrastructure, flexible packaging recycling). Practitioners should distinguish between targets that are primarily management-controlled and those that depend on industry-wide infrastructure or supplier behaviour change, and ensure the latter are backed by co-investment models, not just procurement policies.
- Corporate separations create ESG accountability gaps that require deliberate governance design. The 2026 Kraft Heinz separation will produce two companies that each inherit portions of a sustainability track record without full continuity of commitment. ESG practitioners advising on mergers, acquisitions, and separations should treat sustainability goal continuity and SBTi re-validation as first-order governance requirements, not post-transaction communications tasks.
Source
https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/sustainability/pdf/KraftHeinz-2025-ESG-Report.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/kraft-heinz/ghg-emissions
https://energydigital.com/articles/kraft-heinz-pioneers-clean-energy-leap-with-us-170m-boost
https://just-food.nridigital.com/just_food_jun24/case-study-kraft-heinz-green-hydrogen-plant
https://www.integrumesg.com/insights/20241212-110003-can-kraft-heinz-really-hit-their-2025-esg-targets/
