The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

It’s easy to get swept up in the news and activities of the industry’s global titans, but what about the smaller firms that are out there flexing their creative muscles? In this instalment of ‘Start-up of the month’ – which celebrates the lesser-known companies and their innovations – we speak to George Wade (left), co-founder of Zevero, a company using AI to break down barriers in the way businesses not only calculate but also reduce their carbon footprint.

Can you tell us about Zevero’s journey from its inception to its recent acquisition by Levelup? What inspired you to focus on decarbonisation?  

For my co-founder Ben and me, there was nothing else we wanted to do than help tackle climate change. Before Zevero, I was working in waste and Ben was a carbon consultant.  

My sustainability journey came from the realisation that changing what bin somebody puts their packaging into won't make as much of a difference as what the packaging is made of and the product it contains. Once I saw the “invisible” impact beyond the physical product, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my profession to making it easier for companies to see the entire carbon footprint of their business.  

Ben grew up on a small cow farm and he got into sustainability when he asked the question “why is my beef from the field in front of me higher in impact than tofu from Brazil?” 

We both came to the same conclusion that to answer these questions, we needed to create a scalable way for every business in the world to see the full carbon footprint of their business. Having already worked in climate, we knew that supply chains were often the biggest emitter and notoriously difficult to measure, which is why we made that Zevero’s focus.  

What are the biggest challenges you see in decarbonising the food and drinks industry, especially concerning calculating scope 3 carbon emissions?  

The biggest challenges in the industry can be split into three categories.  

Firstly, the fact that decarbonisation is a huge problem, with a lot of challenges that need to be solved simultaneously. There’s a huge amount of emissions stemming from the food and drinks industry. Food production alone accounts for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For comparison, aviation accounts for 3%.  

The second challenge is the complicated and fragmented nature of the supply chains. The missing data, traceability and transparency are some of the biggest issues that the industry is facing.  

When it comes to scope 3 emissions, you need to understand where you need to make changes in the supply chain. So, last but not least, the industry is facing a lack of reduction capabilities as a result of the above two points.  

Every challenge comes with an opportunity. There are a lot of ways we can reduce the impact of food and drink manufacturing. Wildfarmed and their regenerative wheat and barley in Europe is one example of a company creating climate solutions. It’s awesome to see. 

How is Zevero leveraging AI to help food and beverage companies not only calculate but also reduce their carbon footprint?  

We use AI in two ways. One is to calculate emissions. Matching supply chain data with emission factors is hard work, but with our AI models, we’re automating the process and even improving the accuracy. Whether you’re buying one item or 10 million items, we have a scalable system to calculate the emissions from our purchases.  

The second is to empower our clients. We’ve built an AI chatbot called GAIA, an ancient Greek term for the planet, but also a ‘Green AI Assistant’. With this tool, it makes it easier for our customers to get clear actionable insights from their data. That helps them learn more and reduce their impact too.  

Based on your research, how are climate-conscious consumer trends influencing the food and beverage industry? What should brands know about the future of carbon accounting in this sector?  

They are a massive influence. Consumers care about sustainability when deciding what they’ll purchase. In fact, 72% of consumers consider this when buying products. And sustainable brands are growing 5.6x times faster than their counterparts. 

The future of carbon accounting faces three main challenges:  

• The data inaccuracies, as a result of the hidden calculation processes. This is problematic because it leads to a lack of transparency. If you’re choosing a carbon platform, make sure they know how to calculate emissions and have a product built by experts.  

• Most carbon accounting isn’t built for longevity. There’s a huge lack of systems to achieve reductions. More often than not, the carbon emission companies will use average emission factors to calculate emissions, meaning that you can’t measure the benefit of your reductions. Our product is built with long-term goals and reductions in mind. 

• Increasing regulation. This means that auditing and trust are more important than ever. Whether it’s the UK’s Green Code Claims or wider sustainability reporting, making claims without the data and audit to back it up is very much of the past.  

Zevero is expanding into the APAC, Japan and US regions following your success in Europe. What are the unique challenges and opportunities you foresee in these new markets?  

Asia alone produces 51% of global emissions. So, for us, the main opportunity is the impact that we’ll be able to achieve with this business development. We can measure and reduce more carbon globally than if we were only operating across the UK and EU. 

Business sustainability isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long-term global challenge that requires ongoing commitment and support. Addressing this issue means implementing sustainable practices, continuously evolving, and collaborating across industries and borders. 

You work with a range of clients from challenger brands like Gipsy Hill and Moth to global firms like Wieden+Kennedy. How do these collaborations help Zevero achieve its mission?  

We believe that every company should have a climate and sustainability programme.  

Popular, global, and beloved brands like these are paving the way for a new business standard across the board. They are demonstrating that sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have.  

These companies are leading by example, showing that it is possible to achieve economic success while also prioritising the planet and social responsibility.  

When our customers succeed, so does the planet and us as a company, so without them we couldn’t get anywhere near our mission.  

How do you see increasing regulations impacting the food and beverage industry’s approach to sustainability and carbon reduction?  

We live in an era where businesses are increasingly under close scrutiny for their practices, and sustainability has become not a nice to have, but a must-have. Especially consumer-facing ones. Their approach to sustainability will directly impact their commercial success.  

Something that we’re already seeing is the fact that companies are getting called out for their behaviour. This has huge financial and reputational impacts - from shares being affected, to employee retention issues and customer acquisition challenges.  

The fact that the regulations aren’t going anywhere will also mean that businesses that are taking their sustainability and carbon reduction seriously, will have a competitive advantage when it comes to being credible and appealing to consumers.  

What advice would you give to start-ups in the food and beverage industry looking to make a significant impact on sustainability and carbon reduction?  

Everyone’s experience is subjective. For me, what worked well was finding out what impact means to me and what I believe in, starting small and recognising that the sustainability journey isn’t an overnight success story. You have to be able to put in the work, and the ability to do this comes from knowing your why.  

What’s next for Zevero?

There's a lot to be excited about! 

Firstly, our expansion into new global markets. The main upcoming project that we’re absolutely thrilled about is continuing to build a world-class sustainability platform. This platform will not only focus on carbon footprints but also incorporate life cycle assessment capabilities, which will be a significant value-add for food and drinks brands. 

Ultimately, what’s driving us is our journey to make emissions data accessible and actionable for every company. 

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