Supply chains in the spotlight: Planet Tracker & Vizzuality publish a nature footprinting report featuring Nestlé.

As environmental regulations tighten and consumers reclaim agency over which brands to ethically purchase from, companies like Nestlé face rising pressure to trace their supply chains with greater transparency.

Environmental accountability is no longer a niche concern. It’s a strategic priority, driven by both regulatory frameworks and consumer expectations. In collaboration with Vizzuality, Planet Tracker has leveraged LandGriffon to conduct a “nature footprinting” analysis of Nestlé’s supply chain.

This analysis showcases how companies can identify environmental risk areas even with limited internal data. Featured in Planet Tracker’s latest report, “Tracking Nature Impacts”, this study emphasizes the potential of “nature footprinting” to support corporate sustainability efforts and foster stronger partnerships for environmental accountability.

Why supply chain transparency is key for corporations.

Amid expanding regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and increased interest from consumers and shareholders, investing in supply chain traceability is an essential step for companies. With the growing availability of external tracking tools, corporations have new opportunities to partner with data-driven platforms to gain visibility into their supply chains. By leveraging tools like LandGriffon, companies can work collaboratively to achieve sustainability goals and proactively address environmental risks.

In Tracking Nature Impacts, Nestlé’s supply chain is highlighted as a case study for nature footprinting, demonstrating how external observers can use limited available data to assess supply chain impacts. The analysis, which reviewed Nestlé’s disclosures for commodities like coffee, cocoa, fresh milk, and palm oil, highlights the value of linking raw materials to their sourcing origins. For instance, the report found that fresh milk and coffee had the highest environmental footprints due to emissions and water use, while cocoa sourcing had the highest deforestation footprint per tonne.

LandGriffon: A collaborative tool for corporate sustainability.

Supply chain software like Vizzuality’s LandGriffon plays a vital role in this evolving landscape. By integrating resource origin data, LandGriffon offers corporations and external stakeholders a shared platform to assess environmental impacts. “We are reaching a point where only limited supply chain data is needed by external observers to estimate the environmental impact of these food businesses and identify potential risk hotspots,” notes Giorgio Cozzolino of Planet Tracker. This collaborative approach enables corporations to gain clarity on impact areas, ultimately supporting transparency goals and promoting a sustainable global supply chain.

Opportunities for shared value in transparency.

Planet Tracker’s research highlights a unique opportunity for corporate, investor, and regulatory stakeholders to work together in strengthening traceability. By collaborating on improved environmental disclosures, companies not only reduce risk but also enhance competitiveness in a market increasingly driven by sustainability metrics. Planet Tracker’s previous research shows that improvements in traceability can create significant financial value. For example, enhancing traceability in the global seafood industry by even 1% could unlock a $600 billion boost in enterprise valuations.

Key findings from Tracking Nature Impacts:

The report shares several insights from Nestlé’s commodity data:

• Fresh milk and coffee: These commodities were found to have high environmental footprints, largely due to emissions (milk) and water use (coffee).
• Cocoa: This commodity had the highest deforestation footprint per tonne.
• Palm Oil: With over 80% of Nestlé’s suppliers geo-located, palm oil displays a higher level of traceability than other commodities.

Embracing nature footprinting as a path forward.

By consolidating diverse data sources and using tools like LandGriffon, companies can build a “nature footprint” that supports supply chain transparency and meets regulatory requirements. This approach allows corporations, alongside investors and shareholders, to make informed, data-driven decisions that support long-term environmental and financial health. By partnering with Planet Tracker, Vizzuality, and similar organizations, companies can take steps toward meaningful change, building trust with stakeholders and advancing collective sustainability goals.

Planet Tracker’s partnership with Vizzuality highlights a collaborative model for the future of corporate sustainability, where data transparency supports actionable insights into global supply chains. As environmental accountability becomes integral to business success, tools like LandGriffon offer valuable pathways for companies to align with ambitious environmental targets and help ensure a sustainable future.

Read the Tracking Nature Impacts reports and set up a call with LandGriffon to achieve greater corporate supply chain transparency and environmental impact.