Forty major food and drink companies have signed up to a pledge put together by the Food and Drink Federation to reduce food miles and reduce transport's environmental impact generally.
The firms, including UBUK, Unilever, Tate & Lyle, Mars UK, Kellogg's UK, and Premier Foods have "committed to" a 10-point checklist of standards. It includes vehicle emissions standards, reducing empty trucks and increasing rail and shipping use.
This commitment "embeds environmental standards right into the heart of companies' transport policies," said the FDF. It includes contracts with third party hauliers to achieve "fewer and friendlier food miles.
Fiona Dawson, Mars UK MD, said the firm is committed to achieving a 20% reduction in CO2 from transport by 2010". Unilever's UK chairman Dave Lewis added a note of caution: "We can only maximise the benefits by collaborating effectively with our retail and transport partners".
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