Nespresso has launched The Empty Cup campaign to highlight the threat posed by climate change to coffee production with experts predicting that 60% of wild coffee species are endangered and 50% of the land used to grow coffee could be unviable by 2050.

The Empty Cup is brand ambassador, George Clooney’s sixteenth campaign for Nespresso as he urges consumers to ‘think outside the cup’ when it comes to tackling climate change.

“The threat of climate change is real and coffee farmers are on the front line. It’s vital that we empower these communities to build financial and environmental resilience, so that they not only survive but thrive and prosper,” Clooney said.

“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.”

To empower farming communities, Nespresso has implemented regenerative agriculture to not only reduce global agri-food emissions but increase rural resilience against the impacts of climate change, and the AAA Sustainable Quality Program in collaboration with Rainforest Alliance to improve the yield and quality of harvests while protecting the environment and improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities.

Rainforest Alliance CEO, Santiago Gowland said, “Almost one-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.”

Nespresso Australia coffee ambassador, Mitch Monaghan said Australians can also ‘think outside the cup’ to lower the carbon footprint of their daily at-home coffee by doing their research and understanding the journey of their coffee, ensuring it has been sustainably sourced, while choosing an energy-efficient coffee machine.

“Only brew the amount of coffee that will be consumed. A precision consumption system like Nespresso uses only the right amount of coffee needed to make one cup, while the aluminium capsule seals in freshness,” he said.

“Also find out how to recycle your coffee packaging and make it part of your coffee ritual. With Nespresso aluminium coffee capsules, both the aluminium and the coffee grounds can go on to a second life. Nespresso customers can return used capsules to a Nespresso Boutique, drop them off at a participating collection point, post them using a special Australia Post satchel or participate in a bulk recycling collection initiative where workplaces or community locations can become a recycling point.”