What are we doing to tackle climate change?
If global warming continues unabated, coffee will become scarce and many people who grow it will lose their livelihoods.
International research on the state of the climate clearly shows that we must change course now and take decisive action to reduce CO2 emissions. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement sets out the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. We are committed to this climate change target and are taking concrete and ambitious steps to mitigate climate change - because our future and the future of subsequent generations depends on this.
We have been committed to combating climate change since 2006
Over 95% of our CO2 emissions are generated by the production of coffee and other products. To mitigate this holistically, we manufacture our products using minimal energy and we also help our suppliers adopt energy-efficient production methods. We further reduce our CO2 emissions by ensuring that our logistics processes are environmentally friendly and by using renewable energy at all our sites and branches.
We also strongly believe that collaboration is key to effectively tackling climate change. This is why we have been working closely with our suppliers and other partners for many years now to develop solutions. We have signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and the UNFCCC coffee & climate initiative. These organizations enable us to forge global alliances as we work to introduce effective climate change mitigation measures.
Overhauling the way we calculate our carbon footprint
In 2019, we completely overhauled the way we calculate our carbon footprint. We now also include emissions from all our overseas facilities, as well as emissions from all stages in the value chain, both upstream and downstream, such as coffee growing. Our carbon footprint is calculated according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), which defines best-practice reporting standards.
Based on our revised carbon footprint, in 2020 the Board of Directors adopted new science-based climate targets for Tchibo for 2030, which will help keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
