Zespri Updates Sustainability Goals, Targeting Carbon Neutrality by 2050
Zespri’s Executive of Sustainability, Carolyn Mortland, stated that achieving net-zero emissions requires sustained action across the entire industry and supply chain. The company will advance this goal in phases and work closely with its partners. This includes advocating for the necessary infrastructure and systemic changes to enable low-emission solutions, while developing and promoting practical, economically viable initiatives across the value chain.
The company’s specific targets are: a 42% reduction in direct carbon emissions (from vehicles and buildings) by 2030; and, using 2022 as the baseline year, a 30% reduction in transport emissions per pallet of product shipped from New Zealand. Transport is Zespri’s single largest emission source. The company is collaborating with its shipping partners to improve vessel efficiency. This includes Fresh Carriers delivering two new ships in 2025 equipped with the latest engine-efficiency and container-capacity enhancement technologies, with another two vessels scheduled for delivery in 2028.
At the orchard level, Zespri is testing and demonstrating practical on-orchard emission-reduction and carbon-removal technologies to provide long-term support to growers. Carolyn noted that climate change is causing more frequent and severe extreme weather events, impacting orchards, infrastructure and logistics, and shaping trade rules through new regulations and reporting requirements. At the same time, consumers increasingly expect suppliers to set strict climate targets and prefer to purchase products from environmentally responsible brands. The company is taking action now to continue supplying high-quality Zespri kiwifruit to markets worldwide while delivering maximum value to growers and shareholders.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI) CEO Colin Bond said the initiative aims to trial practical measures in orchards to help the industry understand which emission-reduction solutions are realistic and genuinely useful to growers. Orchard emissions represent only a small portion of the total supply-chain carbon footprint. However, some growers are keen to do everything possible to reduce their environmental impact, and the potential cost savings—such as switching to electric vehicles and machinery, improving productivity, adopting alternative production systems, fine-tuning inputs, or making better use of data for decision-making—will attract many others. One of the strengths of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry is the strong collaboration between growers and industry partners. The final outcomes of this work will depend on this collective approach and the shared willingness to keep improving, adapting and supporting one another.
In addition, Zespri is focusing on reducing the environmental impact of its packaging, which is critical to maintaining kiwifruit quality and ensuring customers and consumers around the world can enjoy premium fruit. The company’s target is for 90% of packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2030, with recycled content in plastic packaging reaching 30%.
As part of its 2035 strategy, Zespri has recently released these updated sustainability goals. Chief Executive Jason Te Brake said the strategy is designed to address the rapidly changing global environment and to maintain leadership amid shifting consumer expectations, intensifying competition, climate pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and accelerating technological change. The company aims to become a leading player in the global fruit industry by championing consumer health and nutrition, building resilient supply chains, delivering leading products and creating leading value for growers.
