ENERGY EFFICIENCY


Jay O’Nein is Chief Sustainability Officer at Bühler Group


Visualising REDUCTION JOURNEY


YOUR ENERGY


Kennedy’s Confection spoke with Jay O’Nein, Chief Sustainability Officer at Bühler Group, to get his advice on how they might streamline their sustainability and energy efficiency journeys.


Q


What do you think are the biggest challenges and barriers to adoption of sustainable solutions, such as energy saving solutions?


Sustainability is about balancing three elements – the needs of the economy, nature, and humanity. In practice, these dimensions are deeply interconnected. A confectionery manufacturer who reduces waste is simultaneously cutting costs, lowering emissions, and operating more responsibly. When asked about barriers, the conversation


most often lands on the environmental side. That is where the real complexity lies. The


70 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • APRIL 2026


biggest barrier we encounter is not technology – it is culture and leadership. Confectionery manufacturers often operate on tight margins and long capital cycles. When sustainability is framed primarily as a compliance obligation or a cost, it naturally struggles to compete for capital and attention. The shift happens when leadership sees it differently. That said, it is worth being clear: sustainability is a jagged frontier. Not every initiative will simultaneously reduce cost and footprint. The skill is to identify the areas where these two things reinforce each other and build momentum from there. A second barrier is visibility. Many


manufacturers simply don’t have a clear picture of where energy, water, or waste is lost across their operations. Without that baseline – which process, which line, which step – it is very difficult to build a compelling business case or even know where to start. This is where our Environmental Impact Services come in. They help customers quantify Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and turn that data into a concrete investment plan. Transparency is often the most important first step, and it can reveal how much opportunity was hiding in plain sight. Having this visibility also helps answer


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