What comes to your mind when you think of milk? Do you imagine a cow munching peacefully in a green field while their babies’ lips are taken away and replaced with human hands and a bucket? Maybe, maybe not.
But, whichever way your ethical needle swings, one thing is certain; animal agriculture is not sustainable for our climate.
The way we source and produce our food hasn’t been the most sustainable either, which is why it’s 2025 and Oatly just became the first food brand to be recognized as a “climate solutions company”.
Here’s the juice of the story
Milk is a popular food, that’s a fact we can’t deny. Although animals’ milk dominates the market, we have other sources of milk; like soy, coconut, almond, quinoa, oats, and others.
Oatly, a company specializing in oat milk production, has just hit a major sustainability milestone with its announcement as the world’s first “climate solutions company” in the food industry.
The brand’s success reflects the interdependence between nutrition, people, nature, and climate. But what does this really mean?
According to the Exponential Roadmap Initiative (Eri), a climate solutions company must make 90% of its revenue from climate solutions, be working to transform its sector, and have transparent near-term, long-term, and net-zero emissions targets that are disclosed annually.
And that, in a few words, is what Oatly has just done.
“We’re proud to be recognized as the first food and drink ‘climate solutions company’ for our role in transforming the broken food system. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.
“Our plan acknowledges the deep interconnections between climate, nature, people, and nutrition, and we’re calling on experts from these fields to work with us and pioneer the way forward,” the company’s CEO, Jean-Christophe Flatin, said.
Interestingly, since this announcement was made, some experts have started working with them to pioneer this noble cause.
Similarly, there are opposing views. Nutritional experts advising the UK government have argued that plant-based milk is not currently nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.
They say simply switching to them could result in higher consumption of free sugars across all age groups as well as insufficient intake of certain macronutrients, especially among children under five.
Notwithstanding, Oatly company said it will be pioneering a brand new way to set, measure, and report its contributions to societal net-zero ambition, developed in association with Eri, think tank Futerra, and research team Oxford Net Zero.
How food production affects our climate
Globally, the food industry is the primary driver of biodiversity loss and uses 70% of global freshwater resources.
Animal-based products account for about 50% of global food-related emissions, yet livestock yields less than 20% of global calories and only about 40% of the global protein supply.
Do you still need another reason to go vegan?
About 76% of the calories and protein in dairy milk is lost during conversion.
And this is where Oatly does the magic. Already the Europe-based company has set out a broad new sustainability plan.
It targets a 40% reduction of their climate footprint by 2030 (per liter of product); 70% by 2040, and 89% by 2050.
The brand also aims to transition to 100% renewable energy (electricity and thermal) and sustainable ground transportation in Europe by 2030, among other measures like:
- Implement regenerative agriculture practices in one-third of their Oat supply acres, reduce water usage to 2.2 litres per liter of product, and source 100% recyclable or renewable packaging.
- Finance at least 100 oat farmers in priority supply sheds to transition to regenerative practices.
- Maintain conversion from cow’s dairy to Oatly resulting in at least 0.5kgCo2e/l avoided emissions per liter sold by 2030, etc.
The chief executive of Eri, Johan Falko, praised Oatly’s new sustainability plan, saying;
“To shift the global economy, we must scale climate solutions exponentially. Companies delivering these solutions should be recognised for their low-emission alternatives to conventional products.
“We are proud to recognise Oatly as a climate solutions company in the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, and we applaud their willingness to lead boldly when it matters most.”
After reading this article, don’t you feel like becoming a vegan already, be frank? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below.