An ambitious and challenging mindset is at the very the core of our Kvik DNA and nowhere is this more evident than in the sustainability goals we have set for ourselves. In early 2021 we reached a big milestone when our production at our factory in Denmark became CO2 positive. And that means that looking ahead, we are raising the bar and we have set new ambitious goals of becoming CO2 positive throughout our entire supply chain in 2025.
Read on to find out what all this means.
What does the GHG Protocol really mean for both us and you?
Scope 1
This includes all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the activities that are under our control - including fuel combustion on site, fleet vehicles and air-conditioning. Our on-site heat recovery plant helped us achieve this scope.
Scope 2
This is all the indirect greenhouse gas emissions from our consumption of the electricity, heat or steam that we purchase. We're fortunate that here in Denmark it's possible to purchase certified clean energy and that we are able to cover our own heating needs with our own heat recovery plant.
Scope 3
This one is going to require a lot of cooperation with our suppliers, as it includes all other indirect emissions, such as the extraction and production of purchased materials and fuels and transport-related activities in vehicles that we don't own and operate ourselves.
Being carbon neutral means that whatever CO2 you release into the atmosphere, you take an equal amount out. Being carbon positive means that whatever CO2 you release, you take out an equal amount, plus even more. In this way, you achieve an environmental benefit by removing more carbon from the atmosphere than you produce.
Here, we explain how we achieved carbon positive at our HQ and production in Denmark.
We use the standard Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, a comprehensive, global standardised framework. The GHG Protocol categorises direct and indirect emissions into three broad scopes.
Scope 1 and 2 are what a company has full control over - their own facilities, production and transport. Scope 3 includes their suppliers. Our own production was, from early 2021, CO2 neutral, with the exception of a diesel-powered emergency sprinkler system that has to function for safety reasons in case we lose electrical power. We have chosen to compensate for this last item of safety equipment and go the extra mile by removing an additional 10% CO2. According to the world’s only independent standard for carbon neutrality, ISO 14021, this makes our own production CO2 positive. And it also means that we're one step closer to our goal of becoming CO2 positive on all three scopes in 2025.
Over the past few years, we made some bold choices and set in motion various initiatives that have helped us significantly decrease our CO2 emissions. We shifted to green energy, we changed all our HQ lighting to LED, which uses much less energy. And perhaps most importantly, we installed a heating plant at our factory which makes our heating self-sufficient. It uses the wooden waste from our production to heat our facility and that means we send less of that waste to recycling, cutting down on transport as well. And it all adds up to significantly less CO2 emissions.
In order to compensate for that last diesel generator that we need to keep for safety reasons, we're collaborating with the innovative Swedish biochar company Ecoera. Ecoera removes CO2 from the atmosphere and transforms it to a soil-enriching fertiliser that acts as a carbon sink for agricultural production. In addition to compensating for the sprinkler system, we remove an additional 10% CO2 and that's how our production became CO2 positive.
This gives us a great foundation from which to work further towards Scope 3. We're already cooperating with our suppliers, as our work is not done and we will keep pushing towards further improvements.
Where are we headed on emissions?
Like any big, ambitious goal, it's a journey. We've taken some big steps already - converting to 100% renewable energy, changing all our lighting to LED, which consumes less and installing a self-sufficient heating plant that uses the waste from our production to heat our offices and factory. These were big, bold steps, but it's a journey and we're in it for the long haul. By the end of 2025, we expect to have converted all company cars to electric. We are also working closely with our suppliers to ensure that they too are CO2 positive.
