Co-op says it’s moving away from using carbon credits to offset emissions produced in creating the milk.
Fonterra has removed the Toitū carbonzero certification from its Anchor specialty milk after choosing to move away from using carbon credits to offset the emissions produced in creating the milk.
The range includes Anchor Organic, Anchor Protein+, Anchor Calci+, Anchor Zero Lacto and Anchor Silver Top. The news comes after One News reported Fonterra had dropped the certification on its Simply Milk range.
The Simply Milk range re-branded with a focus on donating 10 cents a bottle to social supermarkets.
Fonterra Oceania director of marketing & innovation Renée Milkop-Kerr said Anchor had moved away from the use of carbon credits in 2023.
“The global legal and regulatory environment relating to green claims, and use of carbon credits to offset emissions, has and continues to evolve at pace.
“Fonterra seeks to balance consumer demand for more sustainable options with best practice in relation to offsetting and related claims. Accordingly, Fonterra decided to move away from its use of carbon zero claims due a lack of consumer understanding,” Milkop-Kerr said.
The milk was launched in November 2020 following the launch of the Simply Milk certification in July.
The milk was part of the Toitū carbonzero certification programme, which saw Anchor procure carbon offsets from three projects approved by Toitū.
The three credit projects support native forest regeneration in Kaikoura, New Zealand, a windfarm in New Caledonia, and a solar energy installation in India.
At the time of the launch of Simply Milk, Fonterra’s then director of sustainability, Carolyn Mortland, and senior manager of sustainable solutions, Lara Philips, said the introduction would establish firstly whether New Zealand consumers were prepared to pay for carbon offsets.
“This is starting to put some value on the sustainability initiatives of our farmers, which they have asked us to try to do.”
If supported, carbon zero options would be extended to other dairy products from Fonterra Brands on the domestic market, they said.
Consumer NZ investigations leader Rebecca Styles told One News that it had been surprising to see Simply Milk change.
“It’s a big pivot really. It feels like an abandonment of green claims on products.”
According to Toitū Envirocare’s website, carbonzero certification is time limited, and continuous improvement must be demonstrated to continue to be certified annually.
Toitū Climate Impact members measure and verify emissions on an annual basis. Reductions must be achieved on a six-year cycle.
“Toitū Enviromark members build continual improvement into their bespoke environmental management systems and regularly check that the current system is still the most applicable and appropriate framework.”
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