
Creating impactful and beneficial climate action is an important ambition for companies around the world.
In a complex and ever-changing economic environment, however, it is not clear how companies large and small can do this in practice – and simultaneously with others in the national and global market. Terms such as ‘greenwashing’ are rightly growing in use, as organizations struggle to manage reputation alongside business growth.
In Finland, a country known for its ambitious climate targets (it plans to be carbon neutral by 2035) and the breadth of companies operating in climate-related industries such as energy and material production, the focus is on the collaboration of companies and wholes. impact on the value chain.
The Climate Leadership Coalition (CLC) is the largest non-profit climate business network in Europe, with 94 organizational members mostly from Finland, employing more than half a million people. This network shapes the business environment to benefit companies that are leading climate action and work on policies with governments and supranational institutions.

5% of the CO2 emissions of packaged food is
because of packaging: 80% is food
manufacturing.
Huhtamaki, a global Finnish food packaging company that has been operating for over a century, has set ambitious climate targets and committed to working with suppliers who have signed the Science-Based Targets by 2026 With over 20,000 suppliers, the company plays an important role in the food value chain.
POLITICO Studio spoke with Thomasine Kamerling, Executive Vice President of sustainability and communications at Huhtamaki, and Tuuli Kaskinen, CEO of CLC, about sustainability in the food packaging sector.
POLITICO STUDIO: What is the context of packaging in the food value chain, and what is the role of the industry in reducing carbon emissions?
Thomasine Kamerling: Food packaging plays an important role because it protects food, and we know that food waste is a big issue. Of all the food produced, one-third is wasted – that’s 931 million tons worldwide every year.
There is societal concern about access to safe and hygienic food, and reducing food waste so that more people can access it, but there is also concern about the impact of the food system on global gas emissions. in the greenhouse. 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are now attributed to the food system, and 80 percent of them are driven by food production. Food packaging is only responsible for 5 percent of emissions by comparison – and it can reduce the overall tally by protecting food and preventing waste.
PS: CLC has developed the concept of ‘carbon handprint’ – actions that have a positive impact on the climate. Can you tell me about the carbon handprints about CLC and Huhtamaki?
Tuuli Kaskinen: A large section of Finnish industry creates climate solutions that reduce the emissions of others. There is a need to describe the positive impact of a method that details the ability of businesses to make emission reductions in full value. We developed the concept together with VTT, which is the technical research center of Finland, and LUT University. The idea is that you take a new product and compare its carbon emissions to the average product on the market. This allows us to evaluate the reduction in emissions made possible by this new product. That’s the carbon handprint: it’s a positive measure to show a company’s ability to help others reduce their impact on the environment.
Chamberlain: At Huhtamaki, that is one of our aspirations – to have a positive impact on the entire value chain. When we talk about our sustainability ambitions, the carbon handprint is only one part.
PS: What is the role of businesses in the fight against climate change?
Kaskinen: Politicians and businesses know something needs to be done. The regulatory framework ensures that change takes place in all spheres of society. But if we look at who is proposing solutions and who is able to scale them, that is the private sector. These are new businesses such as start-ups that create new solutions, and these are legacy businesses that reach millions of consumers around the world. The truth of the matter is that we need big investments into the green transition, and they need to be ramped up – about 3 to 4 percent of GDP should be used for this change, and 70 percent of the money should be from the private sector. .
PS: Sustainability is more than climate change. How do you define sustainability, and what steps do you implement to ensure it? ?
Chamberlain: We believe we have a role to play in delivering quick, affordable, clean and safe food for people everywhere in the world. How do you do that in a sustainable way? Science is at play. For example, what you need for food storage in Finland is different than what you need in a hot, humid environment like India. We push research and technology to make packaging smarter and use the right materials for the right use. It is also about fair wages, good working conditions, diversity, inclusion – they are all components of the sustainability agenda. We take this holistic approach to becoming a sustainable business. If we want our innovations to be sustainable, all these different factors play a part in terms of our saying that our products have a net positive impact.
PS: Well, you will be speaking at COP27 in Egypt. What will you talk about, and with what purpose?
Kaskinen: There are two main topics. The first is carbon pricing. Research tells us that carbon pricing is a very efficient tool, especially in the European context, and the same is now seen in many other parts of the world. Currently, however, only a quarter of global emissions are subject to some form of carbon pricing system. We work together with international organizations and governments to implement carbon pricing so that it supports the best climate solutions in the market.
Another topic is the concept of carbon handprint. It is a key indicator of the climate impact that shows how a product or service reduces the carbon footprint – and is able to bring the concept of the carbon handprint into a global context and include it in existing certificates and measurement methods is an important theme.
PS: Thomasine, as the EVP of sustainability and communications at Huhtamaki, how do you take the company and the employees on the sustainability journey?
Chamberlain: One of my roles is to push forward very clear targets. CLC’s handprint concept, for example, is clear and active, and it gives consumers a better understanding of what sustainability is all about. We set this ambition and we share our achievements and shortcomings with our investors.
Another one of my roles is to call out where there are gaps in the system. Today, recycling is a big issue because it doesn’t happen on the scale we need. To address the problem on an industrial scale, partners across the value chain must come together. It is related to another task, to find ways to help others learn from what we see, and from working together. We need to encourage people to make a change. The agenda is a transformation for all our industries. The clearer we are, the better we can work with others, and that’s how we can make a real difference.