In August 2026, Oatly was once named the world’s first climate solutions company in the food and beverage category. The brand is now illustrating “ultimate climate solution” on its oat milk cartons. The company’s packaging initiative, launched this month in Sweden before a planned international expansion, is a reference to the 89 Percent Project, a global journalistic coalition led by Covering Climate Now (CCNow) that entails reporting on studies that show 80-89% of people want to see more political action to fight the climate crisis.
Oatly’s cartons now carry a message to “engage politicians” and “create awareness among citizens” that they aren’t alone, according to the firm’s senior sustainability director, Caroline Reid.
“With a summer fuelled by wildfires and drought, continued climate migration, soaring food prices, food insecurity and linear, fossil-fuel-driven supply chains being disrupted, we need governments to look up, listen to science and act,” she said in a LinkedIn post. “In fact, 89% of us want that.”
The 89% statistic comes from a 2024 poll of 130,000 participants from 125 countries, which asked whether they’d contribute 1% of their personal income to the climate fight and whether they want their governments to take stronger action. While 89% was the global average agreement for the latter, the number varies across countries. In Germany, the largest national market for oat milk, 86% of citizens want to see their political leaders step up their climate action, down from 86% in India and 74% in the US, and up from 98% in Chile and Bolivia.
Here’s the problem: most people don’t realise they’re the overwhelming majority, so they tend to stay silent on environmental issues. This was illustrated in a 2025 survey of over 143,000 people across 140 countries and territories, which found that 40% of respondents felt personally “very threatened” by climate change, but only 31% thought others felt the same. That gap widens in high-income countries (a hotbed for oat milk), where nearly half (49%) of people identify the climate crisis as a serious threat, and just 20% believe their compatriots agree with them.
Among Oatly’s top markets, 51% of Americans call climate change a personal threat and crucially, only 10% think others agree with them. And in the EU, 52% fall into the former camp and 24% into the latter. Reid praised CCNow’s “mission to improve climate coverage in media worldwide and unlock the power of the 89% of people”, calling it “the ultimate climate solution”. In response, CCNow said what gives the 89% message that designation is that it makes many other climate fixes, from rooftop solar panels to policies like ending fossil fuel subsidies, more achievable.
The 89% stat is illustrated on the side of Oatly’s cartons with clever formatting. The text displayed on the carton is divided into two blocks. The first is 11 words long and reads, “Politicians, these eleven words represent people not interested in climate action.” The second has 89 words to reflect the share of the population clamouring for better climate policies. “A lot of voters could swing your way if you do just that: take action,” the message tells politicians.
The message is then further followed by the brand’s signature humor underpinning their identity. “Not that we think you’re interested in getting votes for whatever reason, no, of course not,” the packaging states, adding: “We’re just saying that your genuine care for this planet can finally be used for great political wins.”
Reid also stated that, “As a citizen, you are not alone – you are the majority,” she urged readers. “So use your voice, use your vote. Solutions exist; governments can enable and support the transition.”
The action is the brand’s latest example of displaying its sustainability leadership. Its certification as a climate solutions company clearly reflects that 90% of its revenue comes from products that help to reduce emissions compared to market alternatives. A recent market analysis also shows that its barista oat milk is 58-71% more planet-friendly compared to chilled cow’s milk in several European countries.
“We want to see more organisations from across the full spectrum of the food industry coming together to work out what an effective climate labelling system should look like,” says Reid. “The science is unequivocal – emissions from the food system must come down, and these reductions can’t happen without consumer behaviour change.”
10 September 2026
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