Pico Analytics Fortnightly Newsletter: Industry & Agriculture Edition
Never before has climate change been so apparent to the global population. As heat waves, wildfires, floods, and every imaginable extreme weather event continues to shake the foundations of modern society we are rapidly reaching a breaking point. As Europeans and Americans flock to the beaches and leave the fans and AC running 24/7 in an attempt cool down during the second major heat wave of the year it can be easy to forget the true source of the heat and how issues such as this are a daily battle for many areas of the global South. As climate change clashes with war, limited socio-economic development, pandemics, racial inequality, gender inequality, ineffective/inefficient governments and greenwashing across industry and agriculture it can be difficult to see any possible future for our planet. Whilst scientists, activists and policy makers attempt to innovate and find new sustainable solutions to the climate crisis we appear to be in a collective purgatory waiting to see if we can adapt fast enough to survive or be swallowed up by the often dangerous and potentially fatal impacts of climate change. Though it is important for us to continue holding our governments and ourselves accountable, we also must not forget the immense power held by the industrial and agricultural sectors whose support we must gain and whose hands we must force if we are to have any hope of transitioning to a green economy and meeting net-zero aims.
Energy use across industry and agriculture is a major contributor to the 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases the world emits every year. Here are the important facts about the breakdown of energy use by percentage, which can be used to figure out how much emissions each sector is responsible for.
Energy use in industry: 24.2%
Iron and Steel (7.2%): energy-related emissions from the manufacturing of iron and steel.
Chemical & petrochemical (3.6%): energy-related emissions from the manufacturing of fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, refrigerants, oil and gas extraction, etc.
Food and tobacco (1%): energy-related emissions from the manufacturing of tobacco products and food processing (the conversion of raw agricultural products into their final products, such as the conversion of wheat into bread).
Non-ferrous metals: 0.7%: Non-ferrous metals are metals which contain very little iron: this includes aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, titanium and zinc, and alloys such as brass. The manufacturing of these metals requires energy which results in emissions.
Paper & pulp (0.6%): energy-related emissions from the conversion of wood into paper and pulp.
Machinery (0.5%): energy-related emissions from the production of machinery.
Other industry (10.6%): energy-related emissions from manufacturing in other industries including mining and quarrying, construction, textiles, wood products, and transport equipment (such as car manufacturing).
Direct Industrial Processes: 5.2%
Cement (3%): carbon dioxide is produced as a byproduct of a chemical conversion process used in the production of clinker, a component of cement. In this reaction, limestone (CaCO3) is converted to lime (CaO) and produces CO2 as a byproduct. Cement production also produces emissions from energy inputs – these related emissions are included in ‘Energy Use in Industry’.
Chemicals & petrochemicals (2.2%): greenhouse gases can be produced as a byproduct from chemical processes – for example, CO2 can be emitted during the production of ammonia, which is used for purifying water supplies, cleaning products, and as a refrigerant, and used in the production of many materials, including plastic, fertilizers, pesticides, and textiles. Chemical and petrochemical manufacturing also produces emissions from energy inputs – these related emissions are included in ‘Energy Use in Industry’.
Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use: 18.4%
Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use directly accounts for 18.4% of greenhouse gas emissions. The food system as a whole – including refrigeration, food processing, packaging, and transport – accounts for around one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.
Grassland (0.1%): when grassland becomes degraded, these soils can lose carbon, converting to carbon dioxide in the process. Conversely, when grassland is restored (for example, from cropland), carbon can be sequestered. Emissions here therefore refer to the net balance of these carbon losses and gains from grassland biomass and soils.
Cropland (1.4%): depending on the management practices used on croplands, carbon can be lost or sequestered into soils and biomass. This affects the balance of carbon dioxide emissions: CO2 can be emitted when croplands are degraded; or sequestered when they are restored. The net change in carbon stocks is captured in emissions of carbon dioxide. This does not include grazing lands for livestock.
Deforestation (2.2%): net emissions of carbon dioxide from changes in forestry cover. This means reforestation is counted as ‘negative emissions’ and deforestation as ‘positive emissions’. Net forestry change is therefore the difference between forestry loss and gain. Emissions are based on lost carbon stores from forests and changes in carbon stores in forest soils.
Crop burning (3.5%): the burning of agricultural residues – leftover vegetation from crops such as rice, wheat, sugar cane, and other crops – releases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. Farmers often burn crop residues after harvest to prepare land for the resowing of crops.
Rice cultivation (1.3%): flooded paddy fields produce methane through a process called ‘anaerobic digestion’. Organic matter in the soil is converted to methane due to the low-oxygen environment of water-logged rice fields. 1.3% seems substantial, but it’s important to put this into context: rice accounts for around one-fifth of the world’s supply of calories, and is a staple crop for billions of people globally.
Agricultural soils (4.1%): Nitrous oxide – a strong greenhouse gas – is produced when synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are applied to soils. This includes emissions from agricultural soils for all agricultural products – including food for direct human consumption, animal feed, biofuels, and other non-food crops (such as tobacco and cotton).
Livestock & manure (5.8%): animals (mainly ruminants, such as cattle and sheep) produce greenhouse gases through a process called ‘enteric fermentation’ – when microbes in their digestive systems break down food, they produce methane as a by-product. This means beef and lamb tend to have a high carbon footprint and eating less is an effective way to reduce the emissions of your diet.
The complex web of production that we collectively rely on to meet our daily needs is responsible for a significant proportion of our total carbon emissions. The cracks are already forming in the system as demand far outstrips supply and the industrial and agricultural sectors continue to use political lobbying to subsidise their businesses and, in some cases, hinder sustainable practices from going into law in an effort to protect their assets. Though we are beginning to see signs of transparency or sustainability, in practice it continues to only be a small percentage of businesses in these sectors who choose to make choices with climate change in mind. From the consumer perspective it is now all about making demands of your supplier. Demanding to know the carbon emissions associated with products, demanding changes in production methods and demanding full transparency in companies to see how they get their funding and how they choose to utilise it. For those who work in finance the decisions will be yet more crucial. That means looking more towards long term investments which are sustainable today and could grow to be lucrative tomorrow. The only way to do this is to understand from the outset the environmental, social and governance issues related to each investment opportunity and act accordingly to produce the best outcome for everyone involved.
This edition hopes to provide a little something for everyone whilst keeping one eye on the industrial and agricultural sectors which contribute most to global emissions. From carbon capture schemes at Port Talbot steelworks to Dutch farmers facing drastic changes to their way of life this edition aims to educate, inform, and promote a more sustainable lifestyle whilst turning your attention to those projects and laws which aim to enforce sustainability at the highest level. We here at Pico Analytics know that it can be disheartening and at times frustrating to read through the various articles and reports concerning climate change, sustainable development and ESG's but it is important to understand exactly what is happening in our world and how our needs and requirements are being met. In our Sustainability Spotlight we will be taking a look at some businesses which help us to meet our sustainable or net-zero goals whilst our Business Insider video highlights some interesting changes in our food supply chain. This newsletter, as usual, will provide a short summary of some of the most notable, informative, and quirky climate stories of the past six months in the hope that it provides inspiration and insight into climate news from around the world. Finally, we want to hear from you, our readers, about any topics that interest you, which we can either produce research papers on or include as stories in future newsletters.
OUR
TOP STORIES
Carmakers in Tug of War Over Limited Lithium Supplies
by Harry Dempsey 7th August 2022
Top US Company Albemarle has sent out a warning to the makers of electric vehicles as the demand for lithium threatens to outstrip supply over the next seven to eight years. As a key component in electric cars the raw material has become an increasingly highly valued commodity with companies and governments fiercely competing to safeguard future supplies.
After a more than eightfold surge in the price of lithium compounds since the start of 2020 the final total has steadied close to a record $70,000 per tonne, thereby defying the recession driven decline seen across numerous other commodities. Meanwhile, Albemarle, the largest publicly traded lithium producer, has managed to lift its earnings forecast three times this year and expects an increase in production and profits for the rest of the year. However, not all are so optimistic over rising lithium prices with Goldman Sachs analysts believing that technological advances will increase supply within a couple of years with direct lithium extraction coming in at the top of that list. Eric Norris, president of Albemarle, disputes these claims as "the ability to execute capital projects is not widely held" whilst chronic delays and mishaps have caused up to a 25% reduction in productivity in a given year. This inefficiency paired with the average 6 to 19 years required to go from initial feasibility studies to full scale production will mean a struggle to meet the quota of 60 lithium mines needed by 2030 to meet the decarbonisation and electric vehicle plans of national governments.
Port Talbot Steelworks Faces Crunch-time
By Jared Evitts & James McCarthy 9th August 2022
Professor John Gibbins, Director of the Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre, has thrown his support behind Tata Steel's plans to use carbon capture and storage to cut its impact on the environment and climate change. The technology alone could cost up to £1bn and would take years to implement, however, it could save jobs in a region with high levels of unemployment due to closure of the majority of local manufacturing industries.
The economic and financial implications of this carbon capture scheme have provoked criticism from Cardiff University Business School Professor Calvin Jones. Prof Jones believes that carbon capture would not only add significantly to steelmaking costs but are also impractical due to the lack of sites nearby to store the carbon. With newly leased UK carbon storage sites all based in the North Sea "this will require either an entirely new CO2 pipe-distribution network, or a fleet of CO2 carrier ships to take Port Talbot's CO2 to where it can be geologically stored". Professor Jones says that there are sustainable alternatives such as making steel using hydrogen instead of coke, however, this will present its own logistical issues. Tata Steel appears ambitious in its plans to reach net-zero by 2050 and reduce emissions by 30% by 2030, yet it continues to wait and see whether the UK government favours an economy built on renewable energy or hydrogen. "It needs an answer quickly because transferring to an electric powered furnace or building a system to capture and store the carbon it emits would take years". As steel will continue to be critical for the UK's transition to a green economy it will be important to ensure that the government and steelworks are on the same page and are working together to reduce carbon emissions.
BP's 'Greenwashing' Social Media Ads Meet With Disapproval in the Shadow of Rising Fuel Costs
by Thomas Lewton 6th August 2022
As fuel costs soar and families struggle with the choice of heating their homes or putting food on the table BP has made a substantial PR error. Having spent more than £800,000 on social media influence ads in the UK this year, highlighting the company's investment in green energy, consumers are frustrated as companies such as BP have found money to spend on social media advertising whilst their bills continue to rise. The fires of discontent were stoked yet further when it was announced that BP had reached a 14 year high profit of £7bn for the second quarter of this year.
Though the intention of these ads was to soften peoples views on BP in light of their attempts to transition to green energy in the hope that it would give the company greater social license to operate, its message very much backfired. With the off key timing of the ads appearing on our social media feeds just days after Labour proposed a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas they were ramped up yet again in the run up to Rishi Sunaks announcement of the 'energy profits levy' on the 26th of May. However, it's not just the expense of the ads which has put people's noses out of joint. The influence ads sought to promote BP's "transition to net-zero" by "gradually reducing oil and gas production and investing more in “low carbon” and renewable energy sources". Unfortunately, as is all too often the case the greenwashing was evident from the start with BP offering up these so-called green solutions to the UK through investment which continues to be dwarfed by their spending on fossil fuels. Though it must be said that BP's energy transition plans are some of the most ambitious, analysis by Oil Change International in May found that the sector's plans are far from enough to limit global warming to 1.5°. Meanwhile Gregory Trencher, who researches energy policy and sustainability transitions at Kyoto University found the ads to be misleading as the green investment continues to represent only a fraction of the current energy production and investment behaviour, this being reflected in the continued opening of new oil and gas fields. In an effort to halt or slow down similar future ads there is a growing movement trying to have Facebook/Meta take more responsibility for the ads which run on their site and to monitor more carefully any and all environmental ads to ensure that they provide disclaimers about who paid for it. We hope that more can be done to bring an end to greenwashing on social media and that energy companies will reconsider frivolous spending and reinvest profits back into the company both for the green energy transition and to ease the financial burden on their customers.
Australian Government Finally Passes Greenhouse Gas Bill
by Nic Fildes 4th August 2022
One of the good news stories of the week is Australia's turn around on climate policy. A bill has passed in the lower house of parliament which will bind the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030. After years of lagging behind and continuing to subsidise the fossil fuel industry whilst large swathes of the country coped with catastrophic bushfires, large scale drought and intermittent flooding 'a new era' has dawned for Australian climate policy.
After the election of the Albanese Labour government in May whose campaign focused on emissions reductions targets being brought into legislation bringing them into alignment with commitments made by Japan, Canada and South Korea, though still behind the UK, US and EU. These initial steps are good news but certain political movements and representatives will continue to push for further reform. Meanwhile, the Liberal party has pushed back and refused to back the government's climate bill saying that it will produce its own proposals which may include the adoption of nuclear power. For the time being it is unlikely that there will be nationwide support for these proposals, however, it does speak to those who are still involved in Australia's fossil fuel industry who worry for their jobs and the local economies who are reliant on fossil fuel exports.
The bill itself is already taking effect as a proposal for a new open pit coal mine located just 10km from the Great Barrier Reef was rejected only days after the bill passed making it the first occasion in which an Australian federal environment minister has blocked a new coal mine due to potential damage done to the reef and water supply. We must hope that as the bill moves up to the Senate, Australia's upper house, it will be adopted not only by the government but also by the wider business community. This bill could stimulate the renewable energy industry and transition in Australia and could be just the right stepping stone on their way to reaching net-zero.
Pressure Mounts as UK Farms Struggle in Heatwave
by Justin Rowlatt & Georgina Rannard 11th August 2022
Residents of the UK will often remark on the terrible weather and the non-existent summers. With constant rain and one single day in April where we have all day sunshine leading people into a false sense of security before a thunderstorm ensues, however, this year people are facing something very different. Two heatwaves in quick succession with temperatures averaging somewhere between 28-32° and little rainfall have left natural water sources struggling and lead local governments to introduce hosepipe bans in an effort to slow the rapid depletion of water supplies used in homes and agriculture.
The South of the UK has been hit particularly badly. Farmers are now worried as grass turns yellow and the land becomes bone dry the crops which should have fed their cows are now wiped out. Some are even resorting to feeding their cattle food which was previously reserved for the winter. Experts have warned that if the UK continues to experience these freak weather events then harvests will inevitably reduce in size year on year. This in turn will drive up prices in the supermarkets, in particular the price of meat, at a time when people are already struggling with the high cost of living. The MET office have confirmed that temperatures will cool down but there is still no guarantees it will rain, leaving farmers across the UK looking to the skies in an agonising wait as their crops wither away before their eyes. After an already dry winter many of the crops were already struggling to sustain themselves and farmers across the UK are facing failed harvests and a significant loss of income.
The UK unfortunately is not alone in experiencing extreme weather that is negatively impacting the agricultural sector. Supplies of essential crops are in short supply with many nations choosing to retain their supply as opposed to exporting goods in order to ensure food security for their populations. The war in Ukraine has also played its part, with the world's fourth largest grain exporter out of action, grain shortages have pushed prices up even further. It's a perfect storm and the pressure isn't about to be lifted any time soon, making the loss of the all-important corn crop used to feed farm animals even more devastating. Climate scientists believe that heat waves like the ones currently being experienced in the UK are likely to continue and become more common, a situation which would have been 'almost impossible' without human-induced climate change.
Efforts to Cut Nitrogen Emissions Leaves Dutch Farmers Outraged
by Andy Bounds 3rd August 2022
The Netherlands is an agricultural powerhouse. Home to millions of cows, pigs and chickens, the animals contribute €105bn in annual farm exports, yet they also generate something less desirable… alarming levels of nitrogen emissions from their waste.
As emissions hit their legal limits the Dutch government has had to come up with some drastic solutions to the growing pollution problem. Most significantly it plans to cut livestock numbers to a third by buying out farmers to close down production as part of their effort to halve emissions by 2030. However, the farming community have in no way endorsed these new changes with many outraged by the plans Dutch farmers have "picketed supermarket distribution centres, blockaded roads, airports and train stations, and dumped slurry at the home of the minister in charge of the programme, Christianne van der Wal. Dozens have been arrested". Under government plans there may be areas where up to half of the farms will need to close which has left many feeling as though their backs are against the wall. The protests have attracted international attention with US rightwing groups highlighting the Dutch movement as evidence of a backlash against environmental policies whilst former US president Donald Trump praised the Dutch farmers at a rally for fighting "climate tyranny".
The uproar coming from the Netherlands has uncovered the major issue of high nitrogen emissions needing to be raised to the same degree of importance as the better known topic of carbon emissions. As regulations continue to be tightened it will be all the more important to disseminate information on the subject.
Will UK Supermarkets Soon Carry Eco-labels?
by Pallab Ghosh 11th August 2022
Supermarket shoppers across the UK have grown accustomed to the traffic light system informing consumers on how healthy or unhealthy a product might be. Now shoppers may have a new system through which purchases can be made according to their environmental impact.
UK manufacturers have traditionally listed ingredients by percentage making it a little difficult to get reliable information on environmental impact, however, scientists have been busy at work estimating the composition of thousands of food products and their impacts. Though rising prices are more of an immediate concern, a close second for consumers is how their weekly food shop affects the planet. The new eco-labelling system for consumers could have a significant impact on cutting the food industry's environmental footprint with some manufacturers and caterers already taking on the algorithm to help make their meals more sustainable. This new system will fill a huge gap in the market by providing the tools necessary for manufacturers, caterers and retailers to meet their net zero emissions targets. Though the system does have its limits as ingredients don't tend to show sourcing information such as country of origin or agricultural production methods it is still a step in the right direction towards providing information that could enable informed decision making.
The Oxford University team who developed the algorithm calculated eco-scores for 57,000 food and drinks across UK supermarkets by assessing "the impact of growing methods, processing and transport, against key environmental measures including greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on nature". As expected, meat and dairy products rate highly on the scale of environmental impact than those with plant-based ingredients scoring. Meat alternatives such as plant-based sausages and burgers have between a fifth and less than a tenth of the environmental impact of meat-based equivalents. Various categories see wide variations according to the various assessments made with small recipe changes making a significant difference on a product's score. As government strategies to reach net-zero emissions focus on the reduction of meat consumption, other aspects of our food systems, such as multi-ingredient foods which can have a similarly negative environmental impact are being left behind and that is what this algorithm aims to change. Though researchers don't see eco-labelling as becoming mandatory anytime in the near future their voluntary adoption could lead to increased competition over the sustainability of food and drink products.
The Environmental, Social and Governance Impacts of Cobalt and Mineral Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Beyond
by Kate Martin 13th July 2022
For centuries cobalt ore was not usually mined for the cobalt content, rather, it was often recovered as a by-product of mining for various other ores such as silver, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese and arsenic. Due to the complex processing required to concentrate and extract the cobalt from these oars this metal has been considered precious throughout history, from being used for jewellery in ancient Persia, to porcelain in Ming dynasty China, humanity has long admired this malleable and at times beautiful substance. However, during the 20th and 21st centuries its uses have expanded to areas such as cancer therapy, radioactive tracers, magnetic alloys and battery materials for electric cars (Gregersen, 2022) making it one of the most in demand metals around the world. Unfortunately, as is so often the case when certain resources come to be considered as valuable, exploitation and destruction is never far behind. Cobalt, which is currently trading at $50,000 a tonne with an expected price floor of $30,000 being put into place by the DRC state for artisanal miners evidences the expected soar in costs to come. The high demand and prices for cobalt paired with its limited availability has supposedly brought numerous opportunities for a country such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to improve the lives of its people by providing jobs and finances to a nation which is continuing to heal from the deep wounds of civil war. Regrettably, the reality of cobalt mining in the DRC does not live up to this utopian vision as the mines destroy the natural habitats of endangered species and play host to some of the most severe human rights issues associated with mining anywhere in the world…
If you missed the release of this paper and want to read more please click the link…
Can Lab-Grown Steak be the Future of Meat?
by Business Insider 17th July 2022
Today it is common knowledge that meat consumption carries with it a high carbon footprint from pasture to plate. It is also no secret that beef in particular has a carbon footprint few dare to think about when tucking into their burger off the BBQ. Yet, a growing movement of vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians have started to put meat eating quite literally under the microscope and with the roaring success of the $5.6bn plant based meat alternatives market scientists are looking to take 'meat' to a whole new level by growing meat in a lab without killing a cow. This Business Insider video heads to Israel to find out more about how 3D printed steak is made and if it really could make a dent in the busted beef industry.
Follow this link to watch the video and find out more…
Pico Analytics Sustainability Spotlight!
by Kate Martin 16th July 2022
This section of our Newsletter is where we here at Pico Analytics shine a spotlight on one of those businesses, initiatives, positive news stories or people that are paving the way for sustainability and a more eco-friendly future. In this edition we wanted to help you replace six of the items in your trolley with more sustainable eco-friendly alternatives.
Wild Deodorant: We are all guilty of throwing away dozens of deodorants. From aerosol cans to roll on bottles our landfills are full of waste all because we want to smell good. Wild deodorant is on a mission to change all this with its reusable deodorant applicator made from aluminium and bamboo pulp refills which are compostable. The refills save 30 grams of plastic going to landfill every time they are used, they contain no parabens or nasty chemicals and are completely vegan meaning you can now smell good and help to save the planet. So far Wild has;
diverted 80 tonnes of throwaway deodorants from landfill,
planted 111,678 trees in 2021,
donated £45k to charity,
switched 50% of their deodorant production to a leading sustainable producer and
launched a case recycling scheme with Terracycle.
Georganics: In the UK alone, each year 30 million toothpaste tubes end up in landfill. They will remain there for over 500 years before being fully biodegraded. Georganics produces toothpastes, toothpowder, toothsoap, dental floss, toothbrushes, mouthwash tablets, chewing gum and dental supplements. So why does Georganics have the perfect solution to making oral health sustainable?
They run a ZTL 'Zero to Landfill' scheme where they ask customers to collect and send back their toothbrushes to be repurposed with Terracycle.
Georganics make natural and toxic free toothpastes and mouthwash.
All their packaging is sustainable and completely recyclable.
Their products are made in the UK, are fluoride free and made from organic ingredients.
Faith in Nature: Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, laundry liquid, soap, body lotion and hair masks, they all contribute to our carbon emissions and growing landfill sites. As packaging from these products spreads across the planet and contributes to ocean garbage patches it has never been more important to change our consumption habits when it comes to bathroom products. Faith in Nature has been turning the tide by;
providing bulk 5 litre refill bottles which hold the equivalent of 12.5 smaller bottles and 20 litre bottles which hold the equivalent of 50 smaller ones thereby using substantially less plastic.
Their shampoo and conditioner bars have zero plastic footprint and zero sulphates.
The small trace of palm oil used in their products is entirely traceable and RSPO approved.
Many of their ingredients are organic and for those ingredients which cannot be sourced organically the company will find the best quality sustainable alternatives.
All products are made in the UK and the company is planning to move manufacturing to a new site where green practices will be baked right into the foundations.
Every time someone shops directly with Faith in Nature the company plants a tree.
All products are sustainable, cruelty free, recycled, recyclable, natural, vegan, biodegradable and ethical.
OceanSaver: Cleaning products are some of the most polluting and damaging chemicals that enter our water system. Though some may make at home cleaning supplies with lemon, vinegar or baking soda many still look to well known cleaning products readily available in our supermarkets. Unfortunately, many of these products are harmful and produce huge amounts of plastic waste. Homecare generates more than 29 million plastic containers each year and OceanSaver plans to put a stop to this. So how will they do it?
By providing refillable bottles for cleaning products.
Making plant-based, non-toxic Eco Drops which transform in water creating a safe and powerful product to clean your home spotlessly.
Their products are vegan having never been tested on animals and are 100% biodegradable.
Typical cleaning brands sell you 90% water, but by simply providing a concentrated cleaning Eco Drop where you add the water OceanSaver doesn't have to transport water meaning that by sending just one truck of OceanSaver to a supermarket you save the equivalent of 12 trucks of the leading competitor brand.
The Coconut Collab: With so many vegan dairy alternatives on the market it is not only important to look at the ingredients of a product but also its ethics and sustainability. The Coconut Collab have taken traditional products such as yoghurt, custard, cream, créme fresh, chocolate desserts, kids smoothie pouches and ice cream and made them ethical and completely vegan. You might be asking why are they so special when there are so many companies similar to this who make similar products? Well…
Since 2015 The Coconut Collab have supported Pur Projet in planting over 20,000 trees in Pejarakan, Bali.
Their reforestation projects use agroforestry which integrates different trees in the perimeter of fields, intercropped or at a landscape level which in turn delivers a mix of various ecosystem services for farmers who work with the company.
The Coconut Collab have also started a new project with Pur Project, planting mangroves. To help fund the project they have released a limited edition Kind Bag, made of 100% upcycled plastic bottles and with all profits going towards mangrove planting with Pur Projet. With every bag purchased, five mangroves will be planted.
All suppliers are assessed through SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit), ensuring compliance with their standards of labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics.
They only buy non GMO ingredients from approved suppliers who have GMO Free Certificates. In addition, most of the products have been non GMO Project verified, audited & certified.
There is no palm oil in any of their yoghurts and desserts.
No monkeys or animals are used in their supply chain.
Candy Kittens: We all love something sweet on occasion, whether it be a long car journey or a movie night with the kids, the shocking amount of wrappers that make their way into our bins at the end is shameful. Not to mention the sweets and candy themselves that contain palm oil, gelatin and questionable ingredients from unknown origins. So how is Candy Kittens changing the face of the sweet industry?
They are a vegan brand who avoid ingredients that are harmful to the planet like animal gelatin and palm oil.
As of 2021 the business and range of sweet pouches became carbon neutral by measuring emissions and offsetting them through certified projects such as working with indigenous Peruvians on reforestation projects.
The material used for the sweet pouches is recyclable at local supermarket carrier bag collection points.
