Carbon Performance assessment of food producers methodology note - version 1.0

The Carbon Performance assessment of food producers methodology note - version 1.0 outlines how major food producers are evaluated against global climate targets, including those under the Paris Agreement. The methodology benchmarks companies’ greenhouse-gas emissions intensity against sector-specific decarbonisation pathways, enabling investors to assess how aligned food companies are with the transition to a low-carbon food system.

Using the Sectoral Decarbonisation Approach (SDA), the framework translates international emissions-reduction goals into measurable benchmarks for the food sector. It compares companies’ emissions intensity - covering both operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and key upstream supply-chain emissions from agricultural inputs (Scope 3) - with benchmark pathways derived from climate scenarios. This allows investors to evaluate whether companies’ current and projected emissions trajectories are consistent with climate-aligned transition pathways.

The methodology addresses the complex supply chains and agricultural emissions that characterise the food sector, including emissions linked to land use and raw material sourcing. By providing transparent assumptions, data sources and benchmarking methods, it supports the assessment of the Carbon Performance and climate alignment of global food producers.