Cadbury Schweppes has announced a plan to cut its net “absolute” carbon emissions. In doing so, it is promoting itself as the first UK food manufacturer to commit to using “absolute” measures in fighting climate change.

By 2020, the confectionery company intends to slash half of its net absolute carbon emissions, with at least 30 percent a result of internal actions.

“We recognize that if we are serious about tackling climate change, we need to be ‘absolutely’ committed,” said Cadbury Schweppes CEO Todd Stitzer in a statement. “This means re-thinking the way we do business, embedding sustainability into every decision we take.”

Cadbury Schweppes also plans a 10 percent reduction in packaging per ton of product in addition to a gradual shift to using up to 60 percent biodegradable packaging.

Commentary: Many people in the U.S. are not familiar with the term “absolute net” when it comes to carbon offsetting (most are more focused simply on purchasing carbon offset credits, as opposed to actual reduction in carbon generation at the source). The Cadbury “absolute net” effort focuses first on minimizing energy use through efficiency improvements, switching to more environmentally energy forms, and then, only as as a last resort, purchasing offsets such as sponsoring the planting of carbon-neutralizing trees, etc.

What we particularly like about Cadbury’s environmental strategy is that they have given the initiative its own brand: “Purple Goes Green.” We have found that “branded” initiatives are easier to understand by employees, generally allow for greater buy-in and acceptance/participation, and also demonstrate greater commitment to the initiative by company leadership as well as the organization as a whole. Kudos to Cadbury!