Recently published results from the Environment Agency in the Climate Change Agreement biennial progress report show that the dairy sector has achieved an 18.05% energy efficiency improvement since 2008.

With this improvement, the sector has already exceeded the 2020 Climate Change Agreement and Dairy Roadmap targets of 13.6% and 15% respectively.

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These results are complemented by those of the 2017 Dairy UK Environmental Benchmarking Report, which details substantial environmental improvements within the UK dairy sector, including a 23% increase in water efficiency and a 30% increase in the amount of waste recovered or recycled since 2008. The Dairy UK Environmental Benchmarking Survey is a valuable resource to achieve these aims, and allows dairy processors to track their performance and identify areas for improvement.

The main findings of the 2017 Dairy UK Environmental Benchmarking Report are;

• 18% increase in primary energy efficiency (kWh/tonne);
• 23% increase in water efficiency (m³/tonne);
• 17.5% increase in raw effluent efficiency (m³/tonne);
• 56% decrease in COD per m³ raw effluent;
• A 30% shift in the destination of waste away from landfill and towards recovery or recycling.

Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK commented on the results, saying: “These are incredibly positive results which demonstrate the effective steps taken by the UK dairy industry to reduce its environmental footprint and meet the targets of The Dairy Roadmap.”

“Through The Dairy Roadmap the UK dairy sector has demonstrated its commitment to environmental sustainability, whilst ensuring the continued prosperity of the industry, and also the continued provision of safe, nutritious and sustainable produce for years to come.”