The story

PepsiCo’s products are consumed over a billion times a day, across 200+ countries. With that scale comes responsibility, and also, opportunity.
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Through its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) strategy, the company set out to transform growth by putting people and planet at the centre of its operations. But to succeed, PepsiCo knew sustainability couldn’t just be a corporate mandate. It had to live in the decisions of all 300,000 employees worldwide.
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That’s where the partnership with AimHi Earth began – co-creating a learning program to engage and upskill PepsiCo’s Champions network, enabling them to spark catalytic change across the organisation.

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The challenge

PepsiCo leaders recognised that facts alone don’t change behaviour. Traditional training wasn’t enough to inspire action at scale.
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PepsiCo needed:

• A way to align employees with different levels of sustainability knowledge
• An approach that could work across time zones, languages and cultures
• Something highly interactive and energising – not another tick-box e-learning module

As Gemma Chapple, who leads Sustainability Strategy & Engagement at PepsiCo EMEA, put it:
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“We were crying out for an injection of energy.”

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The solution

PepsiCo co-created the Champions Program with AimHi Earth – building a global network of internal changemakers – trained to embed pep+ in their daily work.
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Delivered through live, interactive online sessions, the program blends science with storytelling, equipping employees to spot misinformation, challenge stale norms, and spark action across functions.
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The program is highly responsive, and can be rapidly updated – if the world changes today, the training changes tomorrow. In short, every cohort gets material that’s relevant and tailored to PepsiCo’s evolving needs.
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As Archana Jagannathan, Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo EMEA, explained:
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“People have to be educated, engaged, and empowered to drive change, and this is why the Champions Program is so critical.”

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Key results

The Champions Program has already had transformative impact:

• Scaled globally: from a single pilot cohort to 20 European countries, with more regions to come
• Behavioural change: over 90% of participants report making positive changes at work and at home
• Recognition: celebrated internally with PepsiCo’s pep+ Global Sustainability Award (‘Lift & Scale Success’) – highlighting the impact of scaling the program across Europe
• Cultural shift: Champions are now influencing procurement, product innovation, and everyday business decisions

Employees describe it as:

• “The best training I’ve experienced in 22 years at PepsiCo.”
• “Easy to understand and easy to reuse in daily life.”

Mark Allan, Senior Sustainability Director at PepsiCo EMEA, summed it up:
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“If we want to decarbonise our business, people need to be aware of what we’re doing. This [program with AimHi Earth] is a lever to change more, faster.”

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Why it matters

PepsiCo knows that sustainability transformation isn’t just about targets – it’s about people.
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By investing in engaging, interactive education, PepsiCo has created momentum that scales across geographies and functions.
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And this is just the beginning. With each new cohort of Champions, PepsiCo is building a self-sustaining culture of sustainability – one that ripples through its 300,000-strong global workforce.

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Final word

As a recent governor of the Bank of England stated during their tenure, companies that don’t adapt to climate change won’t survive.
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And, of course, adaptation means more than just targets and reporting frameworks. It’s about people. Every choice – from a marketing brief to a supplier contract – carries weight.
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The Champions Program ensures those choices are informed, inspired, and aligned with PepsiCo’s future.
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As one participant put it:
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“If you have the chance to join – take it. It’s a [learning] opportunity you shouldn’t miss.”

This isn’t just training. This is how PepsiCo builds a resilient culture, delivering sustainability at scale, de-risking its future. It’s a model for other enterprises to follow.

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Special thanks to HereNow for bringing this video to life with creativity and care, and for sharing our passion for impactful storytelling.