In a shocking revelation, a new report by youth-led organization Bite Back exposes the environmental impact of the UK's top 10 food and drink manufacturers, whose collective emissions in 2022 were higher than the entire global aviation industry. With 477 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) emissions, these companies—familiar names like Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz—are quietly contributing to climate change in ways that go unnoticed by most consumers. The report, Fuel Us, Don’t Fool Us, shines a light on this hidden crisis and calls for urgent, systemic changes to the food industry.
Youth Activists: A New Generation of Climate Warriors
Young voices are at the forefront of this fight. Anna, a 17-year-old activist with Bite Back, shared her frustration: “Seeing big food companies use misleading claims about sustainability really upsets me. They are actively misleading so many people... Big businesses need to take responsibility.” These activists are not only concerned with the planet’s health but also with the ways in which the same food systems are harming their generation’s physical well-being.
As Reuben, another young advocate, pointed out, “Children’s health and planetary health naturally go together. And big food companies are hurting both.” It’s this interconnectedness—between the health of individuals and the planet—that makes reforming the food industry such an urgent priority.
The Eye-Opening Numbers
The scale of the problem is hard to fathom. Bite Back’s report offers a sobering comparison: while the UK as a whole emitted 426 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2022, the top 10 food and drink companies alone exceeded this figure, with emissions totaling 477 million tonnes. Even more startling, these emissions surpassed the aviation industry's total emissions for the year, which also stood at 426 million tonnes.
When broken down by company, the numbers reveal that Nestlé alone was responsible for over 112 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022, while Unilever followed closely behind with 111 million tonnes. Other major offenders included PepsiCo (61 million tonnes), Coca-Cola (61 million tonnes), and Kraft Heinz (30 million tonnes). Even companies with a relatively smaller footprint, like Ferrero and Mars, are adding millions of tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere each year.
Greenwashing: More Than Just a PR Problem
A key issue highlighted by the report is the pervasive greenwashing by these companies. Despite flashy marketing campaigns that emphasize sustainability, many of these businesses are failing to meet their own climate targets. Seven out of the 10 companies examined are not on track to meet their emissions reduction goals, and some are even moving in the wrong direction. Ferrero, Kraft Heinz, and PepsiCo, for example, have actually increased their emissions since setting reduction targets.
This discrepancy between rhetoric and action is what’s fueling the frustration of youth activists like Edda, who, at just 15 years old, understands the stakes: “They’re coming up with new ways of telling some element of the truth, but they are not telling the full story and hiding the truth from the public.”
Scope 3 Emissions: The Hidden Impact
One of the most overlooked aspects of food production’s environmental footprint is Scope 3 emissions. These are the indirect emissions that occur throughout a company’s supply chain—from deforestation for agriculture to transportation and waste. For food companies, Scope 3 emissions account for a significant portion of their overall carbon output. Yet, many of the companies in Bite Back’s report either fail to report these emissions or provide incomplete data, making it difficult to assess their true environmental impact.
The report notes that while some companies, like Danone and Mars, have started to include Scope 3 emissions in their climate targets, others, such as Ferrero and Unilever, lack transparency in their reporting. This lack of transparency is a major roadblock in holding these companies accountable for their role in climate change.
Health and Planetary Destruction Go Hand-in-Hand
The environmental harm caused by Big Food isn’t just limited to emissions. The report makes it clear that the same companies driving planetary degradation are also contributing to a public health crisis. As the report states, nearly one in three children in the UK aged 2-15 is at risk of food-related illnesses. This is no coincidence: the companies that dominate the UK food market rely heavily on the sale of ultra-processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. These products not only contribute to poor health outcomes but also have a disproportionately large environmental footprint.
It’s a vicious cycle: the more these companies profit from unhealthy foods, the more they harm both public and planetary health.
The Call to Action: What Needs to Change
Bite Back doesn’t just highlight the problem; they offer concrete solutions. To start, food companies must set ambitious, science-based targets that align with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This includes a 50% reduction in total emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Crucially, these targets must cover all emissions, including Scope 3, and be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The report also calls for transparency in reporting, so that the public can hold companies accountable for their progress—or lack thereof.
Governments, too, have a critical role to play. Bite Back recommends that they mandate businesses to report publicly and consistently on both the health impact of their products and their sustainability metrics. Such policies would ensure that companies no longer get away with greenwashing or making empty promises.
Conclusion: A Broken System in Need of Repair
The data from Fuel Us, Don’t Fool Us is clear: the food system is not only a major driver of climate change, but it’s also failing to protect public health. As the world faces an escalating climate crisis, there is no more room for half-measures or empty promises. The food industry must transform from a profit-driven machine that prioritizes quantity over quality into a system that values health and sustainability.
The young activists leading this charge are right to be outraged. They’re inheriting a world where both their health and the planet’s health are under threat. But they’re also leading the way, calling for the kind of systemic change that’s needed to build a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable food system. As Anna so powerfully put it, “Everyone deserves access to food that is good for them and for the planet. But this isn’t how it is. Big businesses need to take responsibility.”
Now, the question is: Will Big Food listen?
For a deeper dive into the environmental and health impacts of the global food system, visit trusted sources like Our World in Data or PCRM.
