Turn supplier engagement into action for nature

Tetra Pak is a food processing and packaging solutions company delivering packaging solutions, food processing and packaging technology and equipment, digital solutions and services.

In 2024, Tetra Pak articulated its nature-related activities and commitments through a framework comprising quantitative targets and practical actions. The framework was revised in 2026 to reflect updates in Tetra Pak’s approach and progress against its nature-related ambitions. Tetra Pak’s Approach to Nature has been developed in alignment with the objectives of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For the upstream activities, the approach focuses on the implementation of nature-related sourcing requirements, increasing supply chain traceability, and engaging suppliers on nature-related actions. Tetra Pak’s value chain depends on nature, particularly through the sourcing of raw materials such as paperboard, polymers and aluminium foil. The company recently carried out an integrated climate and nature risks and opportunities assessment which further confirmed the importance of focusing on the upstream part of the value chain and in particular the sourcing of raw materials to protect business continuity and support customer operations. As nature loss can affect the ecosystem services on which the value chain relies, supplier engagement is a key lever to manage impacts and dependencies and to shape a system able to anticipate and effectively respond to disruptions and drive greater resilience across the whole value chain.

In 2020, the company launched Join Us in Protecting the Planet as its flagship supplier sustainability initiative, with nine action areas for suppliers to focus on, across climate, nature, circularity and social sustainability. Focused on strategic and high-impact suppliers, the initiative recognizes that value chain transformation cannot be achieved by individual companies in isolation and requires close cross-supply chain collaboration. The program embeds sustainability expectations into supplier relationships, scorecards and procurement routines.

Location of the initiative: Global

The initiative combines supplier assessment, tailored engagement, and capability building. Suppliers in scope complete a yearly questionnaire adapted to their category and context, rather than a one-size-fits-all request. The overall framework is the same for all suppliers, with the nine actions in Figure 1, but the company adapts actions and evaluation criteria to reflect what is relevant and feasible for each supplier category. Responses are reviewed, gaps are followed up, and technical experts are involved where needed. Suppliers receive a sustainability scorecard and can understand how they compare with peers, helping create motivation for improvement. They also receive personalized guidance on where to focus their efforts, one-to-one support from Tetra Pak sustainability experts, and access to dedicated capability building sessions.

The program is embedded into existing supplier management processes. Sustainability performance is included in supplier scorecards alongside traditional supplier metrics and discussed through regular supplier engagement, with sustainability as one of the key pillars of common agendas with suppliers. This helps move the initiative from a standalone sustainability exercise into day-to-day procurement and supplier relationship management.

Figure 1: Join Us in Protecting the Planet: Tetra Pak’s flagship supplier sustainability initiative

Certification remains an important foundation (2): in 2025, 100% of the paper-based materials used in Tetra Pak products originated from FSC™-certified and other controlled sources (3), while 100% of plant-based polymers were sourced as Bonsucro-certified (4). Tetra Pak also continues to increase the share of aluminium foil sourced as ASI Aluminium Chain of Custody material, which exceeded 70% in 2025 (2), and have set a new target of over 90% from 2026 onwards.

The Join Us in Protecting the Planet initiative goes beyond certification by strengthening supplier engagement, traceability and measurable action. With this perspective, Tetra Pak set the target of 100% high-impact suppliers having assessed their material impacts on nature and to be implementing actions to reduce negative nature impacts, by 2027 (2). Additionally, in an effort to translate supplier engagement into positive action, the aim is to reach 80% of high-impact suppliers having reduced their impacts on nature as quantified with an external, science-based initiative, by 2030 (2).

Sustainability Impact

Nature

The initiative supports supplier action on nature by focusing on high-impact materials and supplier categories linked to land-use and broader nature-related pressures. As of 2025, 42% of Tetra Pak’s suppliers had conducted and shared a nature assessment and 8% had shared an action plan to address their material impacts (1).

Climate

The initiative also contributes to climate action, with Tetra Pak reporting a 25% reduction in emissions from purchased materials (Scope 3.1) in 2025 compared to 2019 (1).

Business Impact

Benefits

From a business perspective, the program helps strengthen long-term supplier relationships by creating a more focused and constructive engagement model, where sustainability is an integral part of the commercial relationship with strategic suppliers. To simplify the process and minimize data collection requirements for suppliers, the initiative was relaunched in 2023 with a clearer focus on actions that are both strategic priorities for Tetra Pak and relevant to suppliers’ specific contexts. The same year, the initiative scope was also expanded to include more suppliers beyond raw materials, across equipment and services categories. Since then, the scope is regularly reviewed with clear selection criteria – the goal is not just to have more suppliers in scope, but to select the right ones, who can make a concrete difference in the value chain. Technology-enabled data sharing also supports more efficient information flows across the supply chain.

Costs

The main costs of the initiative relate to internal resources and the technology backbone required to run the program. Various Tetra Pak teams across Supplier Management and Sustainability review assessments, follow up on gaps and support suppliers through regular engagement. Additional investment is linked to the datasharing tool that enables more efficient information flows across the supply chain, including its maintenance, updates and integration into existing procurement routines.

Typical Business Profile

The initiative is most relevant for companies with complex upstream value chains, high-impact raw materials and long-term relationship with key suppliers supported by established supplier relationship management processes. It is particularly applicable where supplier engagement is needed to move from visibility and compliance towards action, performance improvement and measurable progress.

Approach

1. Prioritize high-impact suppliers based on spend, risk and category relevance.

2. Start with focused actions where suppliers are likely to engage and early progress is possible.

3. Tailor requests by supplier category to reduce burden and improve relevance.

4. Embed sustainability into supplier scorecards alongside traditional performance metrics.

5. Use supplier meetings for follow-up and keep sustainability on the regular agenda.

6. Support suppliers through capability building, including learning journeys and interactive formats.

7. Recognize progress through incentives such as sustainability awards.

8. Iterate and improve based on supplier feedback and evolving regulation.

Stakeholders Involved

The program is coordinated by Tetra Pak’s Supplier Management teams, with support from experts across key focus areas – i.e. climate, nature, human rights, and circularity. Category and Supplier Managers play a central role in implementation, as they manage supplier relationships, integrate supplier performance into category planning and reinforce the importance of sustainability in day-to-day interactions with suppliers. Procurement teams have been involved from the start to secure their support in driving the initiative with their suppliers. Over time and with dedicated training, they have also built capability to lead sustainability discussions with suppliers autonomously, with support from sustainability experts where needed.

Suppliers are the main external stakeholder this initiative is addressed to and, at the same time, the main partner for the achievement of the relevant targets. Additional external stakeholders include certification bodies and providers of data sharing tools.

Key Parameters To Consider

Key parameters to consider include the maturity of existing supplier management processes, the ability to prioritize high-impact suppliers, and the level of collaboration between sustainability, procurement and category management teams. Supplier guidance and capability-building mechanisms, such as learning sessions, practical guidance or regular dialogue, are also important to support effective engagement and action.

Implementation And Operations Tips

A key challenge is ensuring consistent engagement across diverse supplier categories, especially when suppliers have varying levels of maturity and capacity to act. Another recurring difficulty is balancing the need for robust data with the risk of supplier fatigue, requiring continuous simplification of requests and clear communication on why information matters.

To overcome these challenges, start with a focused scope of strategic and high-impact suppliers, using a positive and collaborative approach that encourages improvement rather than only compliance. Keep requests simple and relevant to each supplier category to reduce supplier fatigue. Embed sustainability into existing supplier management routines, such as scorecards, regular meetings and category planning. Use supplier feedback, dialogue and practical learning formats to support action, involve procurement early, and remain flexible as regulations, tools and expectations evolve.

Source List

(1) Tetra Pak Sustainability Report FY25

(2) Tetra Pak Approach to Nature

(3) Tetra Pak’s license code is FSC™ C014047. Read more at www.fsc.org.

(4) Read more at www.bonsucro.com