Syngenta invests US$2 billion and sets objectives to tackle climate change

Syngenta announced this Tuesday (22) that it will allocate US$2 billion over the next five years to help farmers prepare and face increasing threats caused by climate change. The investment supports Syngenta's new sustainability objective, which is to deliver at least two disruptive technological advances to the market each year, with the aim of reducing agriculture's contribution to climate change, harnessing its mitigation capacity and helping the system. food to remain within planetary limits.

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of Syngenta, also announced that investment in research and development for sustainable agriculture will be accompanied by an effort to reduce the carbon intensity of the company's operations by at least 50% by 2030, contributing to the objectives of the Syngenta Agreement. Paris on climate change. Syngenta's commitment has been validated and endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). “Agriculture is now at the forefront of global efforts to address climate change,” said Fyrwald. “Syngenta is committed to accelerating our innovation to find better and increasingly safer solutions to address the collective challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss. It's not just a speech, it's concrete actions that will direct Syngenta's focus to help farmers face climate change and reduce the sector's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions around the world.”

The US$2 billion will be allocated to programs with differentiated benefits or disruptive technologies that will allow a significant change in agricultural sustainability levels, such as land use, soil health and integrated pest management. Through a multi-year collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Syngenta is developing strategies to identify and test innovations and technologies that can benefit farmers and contribute to positive environmental outcomes. The collaboration builds on efforts to promote soil health, resource efficiency and habitat protection in important agricultural regions around the world.

Sally Jewell, CEO of The Nature Conservancy said: “Achieving conservation at scale will require bold action from the private sector. With companies' growing recognition of the risks of climate change and the benefits of sustainability, we welcome the opportunity to contribute our science and expertise to help transform business practices. Syngenta’s investment in innovation is an important step towards a future where people and nature thrive.” 

Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Change Mitigation at the World Resources Institute, one of the partners in the Science Based Targets initiative, said: “We congratulate Syngenta on having its climate reduction targets emissions validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Leadership from the agribusiness sector is vital in combating climate change, and by setting these goals, Syngenta is getting on track for the growth of the future.” 

The goals are part of Syngenta's Innovation Acceleration commitment, launched in April this year, to address the growing challenges faced by farmers due to climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Progress towards these goals will be disclosed annually and independently audited. The announcement was largely driven by the conduct of 150 consultation sessions around the world to help company leaders identify priority areas for investment.