What does being a regenerative business mean? | The Circular Economy Show

Summary

At COP26, Walmart and PepsiCo shared their ambitious regenerative goals, aiming to integrate sustainability into every aspect of their operations. Walmart strives to become a regenerative company by embedding nature and humanity into decision-making, like sourcing tuna in ways that support both conservation and local communities. PepsiCo's 'PepsiCo Positive' program transforms its business with sustainability at its core, focusing on regenerative agriculture, positive value chains, and inspiring better consumer choices. Both companies stress the importance of interconnected solutions for climate, people, and economics, driving impactful, nature-positive change across their global operations.

Takeaways

• 😀 Walmart aims to become a regenerative company, putting humanity and nature at the center of decision-making.
• 🌱 The concept of regeneration is about creating positive impact, not just minimizing harm, especially in purchasing and operational decisions.
• 🌍 Walmart’s tuna purchasing decision involves investing in restoration, conservation, and supporting community livelihoods.
• 💡 The regenerative approach requires integrating economic, environmental, and social factors to create holistic solutions.
• 🌎 Circular economy ambitions at Walmart align with its goal to create interconnected solutions that consider climate and resource impacts.
• 🌿 PepsiCo’s ‘PepsiCo Positive’ program is a business transformation focused on sustainability, from product creation to consumer choices.
• 🌱 PepsiCo's approach is not about doing less harm but creating a positive impact on nature and people.
• 🍏 PepsiCo's agricultural footprint spans millions of acres annually, showing the company's significant role in agriculture sustainability.
• 🥤 Despite being known for soft drinks, PepsiCo's portfolio is mostly food-based, including brands like Quaker, Tropicana, and Frito-Lay.
• 🌱 PepsiCo's regenerative goals include promoting sustainable agriculture, positive value chains, and encouraging consumers to make sustainable choices.
• 📈 PepsiCo's scale and reach (70+ billion in revenue, 290,000 associates in 200 countries) give it an opportunity to drive large-scale change.

Q & A

What does Walmart mean by becoming a regenerative company?

Walmart aims to become a regenerative company by incorporating humanity and nature at the center of its decision-making processes. This approach is meant to guide strategic decisions and purchasing choices, ensuring that sustainability and positive impact on nature and communities are prioritized.

How can Walmart make its tuna purchasing decisions more regenerative?

Walmart is exploring ways to integrate restoration, conservation, and support for local communities in its tuna purchasing decisions. This means that investments made in buying tuna also contribute to the restoration of natural resources and the livelihoods of the people in the communities involved.

What does the concept of regenerative business mean for Walmart and its strategy?

The regenerative business concept for Walmart involves creating positive impacts on both the environment and people, aligning all aspects of its operations with sustainability goals. This approach is designed to go beyond reducing harm to actively enhancing natural resources and supporting social well-being.

How does Walmart’s regenerative approach tie into its broader ambitions like climate action and circular economy?

Walmart's regenerative approach is closely connected to its climate ambitions and its commitment to the circular economy. By addressing the interconnectedness of natural resources, climate impact, and community well-being, Walmart seeks to integrate these concepts into a unified strategy for positive environmental and social outcomes.

What is PepsiCo's 'PepsiCo Positive' program, and how does it relate to their regenerative ambitions?

PepsiCo Positive is an end-to-end business transformation program, not just a sustainability initiative. It focuses on creating a positive impact across three main areas: agriculture, the value chain, and consumer choices. The goal is for PepsiCo to become a nature-positive and people-positive company, influencing everything from product creation to consumer behavior.

Why does PepsiCo focus on being a positive company rather than just reducing negative impacts?

PepsiCo's focus on being a positive company means striving to have a beneficial impact on both the environment and people. Rather than simply reducing harm, the company seeks to actively create positive outcomes, particularly in its agriculture and product offerings, and inspire consumers to make better choices.

How does PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio contribute to its regenerative goals?

PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio, which includes brands like Quaker, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Pepsi, plays a key role in its regenerative strategy. The company’s agricultural footprint, covering about seven million acres per year, gives it a significant opportunity to drive positive environmental and social change across its operations.

What role does agriculture play in PepsiCo's regenerative business model?

Agriculture is a central component of PepsiCo’s regenerative business model, with the company managing a vast agricultural footprint. By transforming agricultural practices, PepsiCo aims to create a more sustainable and regenerative food production system that supports both the environment and local communities.

How does PepsiCo plan to influence consumer behavior through its regenerative initiatives?

PepsiCo plans to use its brands to inspire consumers to make positive choices by promoting awareness about sustainability and encouraging more responsible consumption patterns. This includes emphasizing the positive impact of its products and offering choices that align with regenerative values.

What scale of impact does PepsiCo have, and how does that influence its regenerative efforts?

PepsiCo operates on a massive scale, with over 200 countries, 290,000 associates, and more than $70 billion in revenue. This scale provides the company with a significant opportunity to influence both environmental and social outcomes globally, allowing it to leverage its reach to drive transformative changes toward regenerative practices.