On 14th December, the dairy sector published the 2015 Dairy Roadmap. A report showing that the UK dairy industry has made significant strides in its environmental performance.

The Dairy Roadmap is a leading supply chain initiative that represents the UK dairy industry's commitment to reduce its environmental footprint. The taskforce is made up of 25 organisations from across the UK dairy industry, including Dairy Crest, and encourages engagement between stakeholders including policymakers, NGOs and consumers to promote the industry's strong sustainability credentials and ethos. Together, these organisations define targets and produce regular reports on progress that the industry is making on environmental matters.

Since the creation of the Dairy Roadmap in 2008, dairy processors, farmers and retailers have made some key achievements.

• Dairy processors have demonstrated at 16% improvement in overall energy efficiency, exceeding the original target of 15%;
• 77% of dairy holdings are now implementing nutrient management plans. In addition to this, 69% of these farmers are updating their management plan every year;
• Dairy processors achieved a 15% reduction in relative water consumption;
• 78% of dairy farmers are currently taking action to reduce the GHG emissions on their farm;
• There has also been a rise to 74% of liquid cartons in the dairy category which now carry the Forest Stewardship Council label to show they were made with responsibly-sourced wood fibre;
• 78% of farmers have implemented water efficiency methods, going beyond the target of 70%;
• Dairy processors are now sending only 4% of factory waste to landfill down from 32% in 2008, thanks to improved segregation of mixed waste, employee engagement activities as well as a greater use of energy from waste incineration and AD technology.

This is the third report since the roadmap was launched in 2008, uniting the supply chain to agree challenging and monitored environmental and sustainability targets. The 2015 report highlights a new set of targets for 2025, including some targets that have been expanded.

The full report is available for download here.