Our Well-being Promise
ekaterra is leading the tea world with purposeful brands like Lipton, PG tips, Pukka, T2 and TAZO®. As the world’s largest tea company, we’re one of the first major businesses to raise the bar to become climate positive while setting a clear target for net zero emissions by 2030.
We want to give back to nature more than we take. How are we doing it? By reducing emissions, restoring biodiversity and switching to natural materials wherever possible – from bush to cup.
Here’s how we’re doing so far – and where we’re working towards:
● Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030 compared to 2010 – we’ve cut 66% so far
● Switch to 100% sustainably sourced teas by 2023 – just 2% to go!
● Make all tea bags plant-based by 2025 – 73% and counting
● Ensure all packaging is recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 – 82% today
● Send no waste to landfill from ekaterra operations
● Source raw materials using regenerative agriculture by 2030 – learn more about this eco-friendly approach here
“Sustainability is about using less of the planet’s resources, which is a good start, but at ekaterra, we want to go beyond this. We have a unique opportunity to become climate positive through the regenerative power of plants”.
John Davison, Chief Executive, ekaterra
Our tea brands are already pioneering sustainability wherever they can.
– Lipton sources 100% of its teas from sustainably certified suppliers – as the world’s largest tea brand, this makes a real difference.
– PG tips was the first major brand to introduce biodegradable tea bags in 2018 – and recently removed all traditional plastic from its packaging.
– Pukka is B Corp certified and reinvests 1% of annual turnover to support environmental initiatives.
– T2 is another B Corp certified brand that ensures 100% ethical sourcing across the entire business.
– TAZO® is campaigning for climate justice in the USA by planting more trees to improve air quality for people living in deprived towns and cities.
We’re making this happen together
Collaboration is the only way to ensure we give back to the planet more than we take. That’s why we’re calling to everyone in the tea world to join us in growing a world of well-being together.
On November 10, 2021, we went to the COP26 climate conference to show how the tea industry could become climate positive as quickly as possible. Our 'Plant-Powered to become Climate Positive' panel discussion got various NGOs talking about long-term goals and immediate actions.
Here’s what some of our partners had to say:
Protecting people and planet
“We need action urgently. As much as 40% of tea growing is under threat from climate change. We challenge the industry to make their solutions and innovations “open source” so everyone can benefit, including the 9 million smallholders, whose livelihoods depend on tea. We need climate-smart solutions that can reward sustainable practices and transform the industry.”
Jenny Costelloe, Executive Director, Ethical Tea Partnership
Making a difference starts now
“There is still hope – but for hope to be realized we have to start today. If we are going to continue to enjoy tea, that “cup of culture”, it is important that we think about the wider landscape, not only the farm, and have a climate strategy with clear, measurable goals for the whole ecosystem.”
Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, Climate Policy Lead, Rainforest Alliance
Breaking down silos
“The pace of change is too slow. We are hearing so many pledges daily at COP26 - but the people working on the ground are not getting the funding they need for vital projects. We are working to deliver innovative finance mechanisms that translate these pledges into real action, building coalitions that can support smallholder farmers.”
Ruchira Joshi, UK Director of the IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative
Press enquiries: pressoffice.ekaterra@ekaterratea.com
