CLIMATE GOALS AT BKI
BKI is SBTi validated: We aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 42% by 2030
As the first Danish-owned coffee company, we have had our climate target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This commitment and motivation drives us to reduce our CO₂ emissions by 42% by 2030. But we won’t stop there.
At BKI, acting with care and integrity has always been part of our DNA. Naturally when it comes to coffee — but now more than ever, it’s vital that we also take responsibility for our impact on the world. That’s why we’ve joined the global climate initiative Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which commits us to reducing our CO₂ emissions in line with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.
Our validated goal is to reduce CO₂ emissions by 42% by 2030 compared to our 2021 baseline. This includes our direct emissions (Scope 1) as well as those related to energy and resource consumption (Scope 2).
"We’re proud to have embarked on this journey to make a real difference for the climate — and we are actively working to reach our target," says Anne Møller Lagerberg, Head of Sustainability at BKI foods.
"We have a clear strategy in place and are taking deliberate steps to reduce our CO₂ emissions. From improving energy efficiency in our production, to switching to electric vehicles, and installing solar panels on our buildings — we’re now able to produce up to a third of our electricity ourselves."
Here’s what we’ve already done
- Connected solar panels that now supply approximately 35% of BKI’s electricity consumption at our Aarhus facility, resulting in an annual reduction of around 100 tons of CO₂.
- Ongoing replacement of all company vehicles with electric cars.
- Energy monitoring aimed at improving efficiency — including cooling with outside air and improved heat control in office areas.
- Replacement of conventional lighting fixtures with intelligent LED systems.
- Transition from conventional coffee bag foils to recyclable foils.
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.
BKI’s climate ambitions go beyond our own emissions
Behind the familiar aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee lies a long and complex journey for every single coffee bean. From its cultivation in South America, Africa or Asia, to the harvest and transport of green coffee beans to our roastery in Aarhus — where we roast, refine, and pack the coffee.
“Every step of that journey leaves a carbon footprint,” explains Anne Møller Lagerberg, Head of Sustainability at BKI Foods.
“That’s why we can’t limit our focus to our own premises in Aarhus. If we truly want to make a difference in the bigger climate picture, we have to address our indirect emissions — in other words, our entire value chain and coffee’s journey from farm to cup (Scope 3).”
A greener coffee landscape – Insights from Brazil
The vast majority of coffee’s climate footprint doesn’t come from roasting or handling, but from the cultivation itself. One of the main climate culprits is the use of fertilizers, explains Anne Møller Lagerberg.
“That’s why we’ve now established a baseline for our Scope 3 emissions and are in the process of setting reduction targets. Fortunately, we’re not starting from scratch — we already have positive experiences from our Paraíso partnership in Brazil, where since 2018, we’ve supported local coffee farmers in making their production more sustainable.”
Through training and guidance, the farmers behind our BKI Paraíso Coffee have achieved significant CO₂ reductions in their coffee cultivation within just a few years.
