Mondelēz International Inc. announced this week the launch of Sustainable Futures, an impact investing platform to incubate, finance and support self-sustaining ventures that address key challenges in the world, including climate change.
According to the company’s press release, the new platform gives Mondelēz International the opportunity to pursue and nurture innovative projects, together with like-minded investors, that align with its sustainability strategy and help deliver on its commitments.
“We don’t have all the answers, but we do know that alone, we can never achieve significant progress in the fight against systemic issues like climate change,” said Dirk Van de Put, Mondelēz chief executive and chairman. “Sustainable Futures is our first foray into impact investing and gives us the opportunity to work with others in supporting environmental and social projects that can help drive meaningful, long-term change.”
Sustainable Futures seeks to co-invest in projects addressing climate change, as well as making seed investments into social ventures that aim to improve livelihoods and build healthy communities. Through the platform, Mondelēz International intends to invest in projects that protect forests, reduce carbon emissions or increase resilience in landscapes from which it sources raw materials.
The first social ventures will initially include support for an NGO in India that will set up a sustainable, women-owned social enterprise to up-cycle multilayered plastic packaging into board for multiple uses, and a venture with INMED Aquaponics Social Enterprise in South Africa, supporting agro-entrepreneurs in climate-smart food production.
