The Consumer Goods Forum (“the CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries. It reflects the diversity of the consumer goods sector in geography, size and product category. The CGF defines its mission as “Bringing together our members in pursuit of business practices for efficiency and positive change across our industry benefiting shoppers, consumers and the world without impeding competition”. Sustainability is one of the CGF strategic pillars: its work focused on activities that address climate change such as deforestation, refrigeration and waste.

The CGF has decided to bring together its members and produce a publication to share how they are addressing climate change through the implementation of low carbon solutions in their direct operations.

The consumer goods sector impacts climate change both directly (energy used in order to manufacture, carry and sell products) and indirectly (through the sourcing of materials and end-use of products). Today, the sector already addresses, in many ways, both direct and indirect emissions. The variety of existing actions implemented in the consumer goods sector is substantial and one publication would not be exhaustive enough to deal with all the solutions available across the value chain. For this reason, the CGF decided to only present the low carbon solutions in companies’ direct operations.