The challenge of nature loss
Nature is deteriorating at rates unprecedented in history due to unsustainable human activity1. Around one million species face extinction, with current extinction rates causing scientists to declare a ‘sixth mass extinction’ underway2. Many essential services nature provides are now at risk, with significant negative impacts on ecosystems and human wellbeing3. One of the services at risk is the regulation of freshwater quantity and quality, which is decreasing access to clean water around the world4. The impacts of nature loss are wide-reaching and threaten the foundations of our global economies, livelihoods, and food systems5 6.
The most significant driver of nature loss is the change in the use of land and seas, including the conversion of natural areas to agriculture and urban areas. Nature loss is also driven by unsustainable levels of extraction of natural resources, pollution, climate change, and the introduction of invasive species7.
Countries around the world are recognising the urgency of addressing nature loss. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), also known as the Biodiversity Plan, was adopted in December 2022 at COP15. It calls for countries to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and put nature on a path to recovery by 2030.
A commitment to acting for nature
As a leading food processing technology and packaging solutions company, the Tetra Pak value chain is highly dependent on nature and the essential services it provides.
Nature is one of the focus areas of Tetra Pak’s sustainability agenda, reflecting the risks posed by nature loss and the role we play in driving positive change across our value chain.
Our ambitions in this area revolve around the following priorities:
- Helping to halt and reverse nature loss by reducing the impacts of our value chain and safeguarding the ecosystems from which our raw materials are sourced. This includes strengthening traceability across our supply chains and supporting land restoration.
- Contributing to global water resilience by promoting water stewardship, reducing impacts on local water resources and helping to address shared water challenges in at‐risk basins8 across our value chain.
- Supporting the transition to a circular economy through improved product design and performance, more efficient equipment, and an optimised approach to collection, recycling and waste management.
Building on these cornerstone objectives, we work with our suppliers and customers to reduce the impacts of food value chains, contributing to more secure, resilient and sustainable food systems.
Recognising the interconnections between nature and people, our actions in these areas are carried out with respect for human rights.
A value chain framework to support protecting and restoring nature
To advance our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and acknowledge the interdependencies of different sustainability dimensions, we have articulated our efforts to help halt and reverse nature loss into a strategic approach rooted in measurable, quantitative targets and practical actions.
Our Approach to Nature, first launched in 2024 and then updated in 2026, aligns with and supports the objectives of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
It also connects with and contributes to our broader efforts on climate, circularity, social sustainability and food systems.
Our actions are consistent with the findings of our combined climate and nature risk and opportunity assessment, which provided a comprehensive mapping of risks and identified opportunities to advance a nature-positive business model that strengthens resilience. Using these insights, we have structured our approach with targets that span the entire value chain, prioritising the areas where we can make the greatest positive contribution.
The four pillars of our approach to nature
Tetra Pak approach to nature
To realise our ambitions, each of the four pillars in the Tetra Pak Approach to Nature is defined by concrete areas for action. These action areas, in turn, are supported by quantitative targets that enable us to measure our progress.
1 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019
2 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019
3 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019
4 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019
5 Herweijer, C., et al. "Nature risk rising: Why the crisis engulfing nature matters for business and the economy." World Economic Forum and PwC. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Nature_ Economy_Report_2020.pdf
6 FAO. 2019. The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, J. Bélanger & D. Pilling (eds.). FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome. 572 pp.
7 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019
8 At-risk basins are identified using the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) methodology, based on eight different indicators across water quantity, quality and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services
9 This refers to paper-based materials and paper used in Tetra Pak food packaging materials and applications