MartinBauer and all of its companies are seeking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and for the first time in its history, the group calculated its carbon footprint, which has been certified by an independent external body.
 
The commitment includes all greenhouse gas emissions from more than 30 sites worldwide and within its global supply chains. The network is striving to prevent emissions where possible, to continuously reduce them, and to compensate only for those which cannot be avoided, according to MartinBauer.
 
The group calculated its carbon emissions in accordance with the international standards of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) protocol. The calculation includes the seven major greenhouse gases defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and identified in the Kyoto Protocol. The nature network’s corporate carbon footprint not only includes the emissions that the group is directly responsible for (Scopes 1 and 2 of the GHG Protocol) but also the emissions of upstream supply chains (Scope 3). This way, the nature network is being completely transparent about all its business activities that have a significant impact on the climate.
 
The Carbon Footprint
 
Today, the network of companies has a carbon footprint of 346,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents, around the same as the annual CO₂ emissions of a small European town with 31,500 inhabitants. About 70% of these emissions came from upstream business processes covered in Scope 3 – processes that the company only has a limited direct impact on. 55% of emissions come from the company’s acquisition of plant raw materials, flavorings, and ingredients, 21% of emissions come from heating for extract production, and 12% of emissions come from electricity consumption for production facilities and company premises.
 
“The growing presence of MartinBauer in the United States means that we must go beyond isolated virtuous initiatives aimed at conserving resources and reducing energy consumption,” said Ennio Ranaboldo, CEO of MartinBauer in North America. “Our impact and our commitment span from the farmlands of Oregon and Northern California to the way we view positive change in our manufacturing and product development practices. This is a fantastic ride that we’ll be sharing with employees, farmers, clients, and vendors alike.”
 
The certification of this process was awarded by TÜV Rheinland, which found that MartinBauer’s data provided was plausible and complete, as well as in adherence to the GHG Protocol.
 
“Although this was its first carbon footprint calculation, the nature network’s data collection was exemplary – particularly for its upstream supply chains,” Norbert Heidelmann, department manager for Sustainability and Carbon Services at TÜV Rheinland, said. “Creating transparency in supply chains is especially important, but it is also very challenging for companies because of the vast amounts of data involved and the difficulties in acquiring them. Working out the CO2 emissions involved in the acquisition of plant raw materials, as the nature network has done, helps other companies in the sector that are serious about collecting data on the CO2 emissions in their own supply chains and about reducing those emissions.”
 
Where to Take Action
 
According to MartinBauer, the most effective way to reduce its CO₂ emissions is conserving energy and making greater use of renewable resources. In supply chains, the greatest potential to save energy in the network’s global supply chains is the drying of plant materials, particularly when it isn’t possible to use the heat of the sun.
 
The company will also consider options involving climate-friendly field management and cultivation methods, such as crop rotation systems, digging plant remains into the soil, optimized fertilizer use, and the planting of hedges and shade trees.
 
Close cooperation with supply chain partners will be fundamental, MartinBauer said. Raw material partners will play a direct role in the data gathering process to track the area of land they cultivate, or their use of diesel and fertilizer, for example. MartinBauer is also helping its supply chain partners make their processes more climate-friendly by providing its expertise.