New Nespresso Campaign Highlights the Need to Protect High-quality Coffee From Climate Threat

Nespresso, the pioneer and reference-point of high-quality portioned coffee, marks International Coffee Day by highlighting the threat posed by climate change to global coffee production and shining a spotlight on efforts to protect it.

The new campaign, titled The Empty Cup, features brand ambassador George Clooney holding an empty coffee cup as a symbol of the risk facing many coffee growers around the world, of which over 140,000 work directly with Nespresso. Currently, 60% of wild coffee species are endangered and 50% of the land used to grow coffee today could be unviable by 2050. Fine-grade Arabica is particularly vulnerable to weather shocks.

Securing and protecting the future of high-quality coffee has been central to the Nespresso strategy for the last 20 years. Launched in 2003 in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance, the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program helps to improve the yield and quality of harvests while protecting the environment and improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities.

Empowering farming communities to protect their land against weather shocks while simultaneously combatting the causes of climate change is critical to the future sustainability of high-grade coffee. Nespresso is doing this through regenerative agriculture: an approach that has the potential to not only reduce global agri-food emissions but to increase rural resilience against the impacts of climate change.

The Empty Cup campaign marks the first time that George Clooney, long-term brand ambassador of Nespresso, is pictured holding an empty cup in place of his trademark Nespresso coffee.

George Clooney said: “The threat of climate change is real and coffee farmers are on the front line. It is vital that we empower these communities to build financial and environmental resilience, so that they not only survive but thrive and prosper. This concept is at the heart of the Nespresso approach. But this is about more than coffee. Climate change is not something that a single company or even an entire industry can fix. It requires urgent, bold action on a global scale. The stakes are high.”

Guillaume Le Cunff, Nespresso CEO, said: “The exquisite taste, high quality, and specialty coffee blends that are important to coffee lovers are at risk. We must act to protect coffee and coffee communities against climate change. This has been the basis of the Nespresso approach for 20 years, and now we are going even further. Regenerative agriculture has the potential to make farming part of the solution to the climate crisis. It is an approach which does not just take from the land, but actually heals nature and restores balance. I am proud that Nespresso is pioneering this transition, but we need to do more. We are calling on entities – both private and public – to take action that will make a tangible difference.”

Nespresso is collaborating with the Rainforest Alliance to build a framework for regenerative agriculture in coffee. Santiago Gowland, Rainforest Alliance CEO, said: “Almost a quarter of emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and other land use. We urgently need swifter action to address climate change and changing the way we grow our food must play a big part. The good news is that transitioning to regenerative agriculture can reduce the impact of farming and sustain our global food system for future generations.”

The impact of climate change is felt acutely in Puerto Rico where five years ago, hurricanes devastated coffee production, wiping out 80% of the island’s crop. Thanks to the efforts of a multi-stakeholder programme, including Nespresso, this year’s harvest is projected to return to pre-hurricane levels for the first time.

Nespresso brings a holistic approach to its sustainability efforts. Besides sustainable sourcing, the Nespresso recycling programme ensures a circular model and a sustainable value chain. Nespresso coffees are packaged using responsible and traceable aluminium, which is infinitely recyclable. With circularity in mind, all packaging of boxes at Nespresso utilises recycled and recyclable materials.

Boosting local recycling rates is essential to reducing environmental and climate impact. The various Nespresso recycling initiatives in Malaysia, such as ‘Recycling at Home’ (where used capsules are picked up via courier) and being able to simply drop off used capsules at any Nespresso Boutiques or kiosks, enable customers to recycle their coffee capsules with ease.

Nespresso is committed to making a cup of coffee a force for good by reducing, reusing, and recycling. In 2021, Nespresso collaborated with Red Hong Yi, a renowned local artist, to amplify its recycling message “Doing Is Everything’. The art installation comprised seven mirrored panels showcasing the key message, using over 24,000 pieces of used Nespresso coffee capsules.