CLIMATE GOALS AT BKI
BKI is SBTi validated: We aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030
BKI foods is now validated by the global climate initiative Science Based Targets initiative. This commits BKI to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions over the next seven years.
BKI Foods has just set an ambitious climate goal to reduce our company's total CO2 emissions by a whopping 42% by 2030. Dorthe Maagaard, Head of Sustainability & Compliance at BKI Foods, explains that this is a significant commitment and a goal that BKI has now entered into in collaboration with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
SBTi is a global climate initiative, and by signing up, companies worldwide commit to align their climate goals with the latest research. This means that each company, by 2030, must reduce its CO2 emissions to a level where they actively contribute to goal of the Paris Agreement: to limit the global temperature increase to below 1.5°C.
For BKI foods, this validated SBTi goal has been set as a 42% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Planned Improvements in BKI foods 2023
- Installation of solar panels with the expectation of covering approximately 35% of BKI's electricity consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by about 100 tons.
- Ongoing replacement of all company cars with electric cars by 2025.
- Energy monitoring for the purpose of energy improvements, including cooling with outside air and enhancing temperature control in offices.
- Replacement of traditional fixtures with intelligent lighting fixtures.
Transition of coffee foils to recyclable materials.
About SBTi
- The Science Based Targets initiative is a global climate organization that commits companies to set ambitious climate goals based on scientific research.
- The goal is for companies to reduce their CO2 emissions to a level that enables the achievement of the Paris Agreement's target: to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5°C.
- To contribution to this, BKI foods has established a validated SBTi target of a necessary 42% reduction in CO2 emissions.
- BKI foods is the first Danish-owned coffee supplier to be validated by SBTi.
A united climate battle
Most recently, the Scandinavian retail chain Coop has announced that their biggest suppliers must join SBTi by 2025. Dorthe Maagaard welcomes this announcement as part of a united climate battle.
– At present, there are only about 100 Danish companies who have validated their goals with SBTi, of which we are the only Danish-owned coffee supplier. Several of our customers are already demanding SBTi membership, so naturally we are pleased to be one of the front-runners to support the mutual task of protecting the climate and the opportunities of future generations.
Therefore, it's also about getting off to a good start, she says, and BKI foods has already initiated several initiatives to reach their goals. Most recently, BKI has invested in setting up 3,500 square meters of solar panels on their production buildings in Aarhus, Denmark.
– Our new solar panel will be able to produce about one-third of all our electricity in the future and save the climate from approximately 100 tons of CO2 annually. It's a step in the right direction, but to reach our goal, we need to become even better at roasting our coffee efficiently, and we must seize every opportunity to act more responsibly in our everyday life, says Maagaard.
Coffee in a life cycle perspective
The agreement made with SBTi not only requires a company to look inward. Instead, companies also need to consider their products and services in a life cycle perspective, explains Dorthe Maagaard. This means that more than ever before, BKI must look at coffee in terms of the journey from bean to cup.
– For a coffee company like us, we must make even higher demands to our suppliers and actively contribute to a more sustainable coffee production. We must think responsibly in our choices and consumption of materials, resources, and transportation, and we must help consumers reduce their carbon footprint at home.
When asked if Maagaard is optimistic about the task, the answer is a clear yes. Such thinking is not new at BKI she explains.
– Since 2011, we have already halved our CO2 emissions once, and we have become accustomed to thinking in terms of innovation and renewal. For example, we have developed the first coffee bag made of recyclable plastic in Denmark, and the launch of our BKI Paraíso Coffee is the result of a comprehensive CSR project to help Brazilian coffee farmers conduct a more responsible coffee production.
In the fact box above, you can see the planned initiatives for energy and environmental improvements in BKI 2023.
