Dawn Meats has announced plans to invest €100m towards reaching net zero carbon operational emissions by 2040 and making its supply chain net zero as soon as possible.

The meats processor said its approach would take into account the entire supply chain across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

By 2030, Dawn Meats aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 59%, through investment in new technology to upgrade plant infrastructure, transport, thermal energy generation and refrigeration systems.

Its Scope 3 supply chain targets will be increased to align with 1.5C, the UN's goal for capping global warming, putting the company on a net zero trajectory.

Dawn Meats also aims to reduce emissions and improve farm efficiencies by engaging with suppliers through innovative farming projects and knowledge sharing events.

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The company plans to enhance production efficiencies, improve carcase utilisation and derive greater value from its livestock products to further reduce emissions intensity.

Dawn Meats has set a number of other targets, including ensuring all plastic packaging is reuseable, recyclable or compostable, and sourcing all cattle and sheet from Bord Bia-assured farms, and Red Tractor-assured farms in the UK.

The group, which was the first European beef and lamb processor to set science-based targets, reduced greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 248,000 tones in 2020.

For the year ending 2021, the Group achieved a 40% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 15% reduction in Scope 3 emissions intensity.

Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats, said: “Addressing climate change is one of the key challenges of our time.

"Dawn Meats has an opportunity to continue to positively impact the supply chain as well as our communities and environment, and a commitment to achieving net zero operational emissions by 2040 is a goal which is the culmination of significant progress to date.

"Our leadership and wider team across Ireland and the UK are fully focused on delivering this goal and while we are proud of our achievements to date, we recognise there is much still to do.”

Gill Higgins, group sustainability director at Dawn Meats, said: “We have consistently set ambitious targets when it comes to addressing climate change, which is necessary to face the enormous challenge in front of us.

"Through working with our primary producers and wider supply chain partners on innovative approaches to food production and packaging we have an opportunity to address Scope 3 emissions in a meaningful way.

"These are emissions which are amongst the most difficult to combat, but industry collaboration is vital in working toward Net Zero.”

Dawn Meats generates some €2bn in annual revenue and employs 7,500 people in 12 countries. Its combined businesses in the UK and Ireland process approximately 1m cattle and 3m sheep annually.

Photo: (l-r) Gill Higgins, group sustainability director at Dawn Meats, and Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats.