A message from our Chairman and our CEO

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                   Paul Bulcke : Chairman of Nestlé Board and Mark Schneider : Nestlé Chief Executive Officer

Nestlé. Unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.

2020 was an extraordinary and challenging year. The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted everyone’s lives and created much instability and uncertainty.

Nestlé responded immediately and with clear priorities, activating and implementing measures to keep our people safe, and ensuring the supply of essential foods and beverages to consumers.

We also provided care for our communities, as well as financial and in-kind support to business partners. For example, we joined forces with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide urgently needed help for emergency services and caregivers and to strengthen healthcare systems. Our Always Open for You platform supported the food service industry by extending credit terms, suspending rental fees on coffee machines and offering free products when those businesses are able to reopen.

It is in times as challenging as these that we can truly demonstrate how business can be a force for good. This is what Creating Shared Value (CSV) has always been about, focusing energy and resources where we can make the greatest positive impact on people and the planet.

Last year, the time frame for many of our public commitments came to an end. We have made progress that everyone at Nestlé can be proud of, having fulfilled the majority of our commitments. We are intensifying our efforts to close the small gaps on the few that remain.

Despite the clear challenges of the past year, we have continued to respond to consumer demands and do our part for the planet by developing products that deliver great taste and nutritional value while minimizing their environmental impact. For example, we have significantly invested in plant- based products, launching Garden Gourmet brand’s Sensational Burger and Sensational Vuna, our vegan tuna alternative, in Europe.

Our commitment to supporting youth opportunities has also not wavered. Amid the pandemic, we have scaled up online training to ensure continuity of our internship and apprenticeship programs. We have made significant progress on our journey to sustainable packaging too. This included the investment of USD 30 million (CHF 26.4 million) in the Closed Loop Leadership Fund to lead the shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics in the US.

In 2020, we reaffirmed our support for the UN Global Compact and were again named a LEAD company in recognition of our ongoing determination to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are defining new ambitions that will push us to go further and faster, drive progress on social issues and support a healthy food system.

We have set new commitments to achieve 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025 and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, supported by our Net Zero Roadmap with tangible, time-bound targets to reduce emissions, within and beyond our operations. Our actions include working with 500 000 farmers and 150 000 suppliers to support them in implementing regenerative agricultural practices, planting hundreds of millions of trees within the next 10 years and completing the company’s transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

This report provides a detailed overview of how Nestlé is making a difference across our three impact areas – individuals and families, communities and the planet. We know that amazing things should and can happen when we all work together. This belief is at the heart of CSV and will drive our business in 2021 and beyond.

 

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