In 2021, during a review of our sustainability commitments, we ran the numbers on our Scope 3 emissions from ocean freight. The figure was sobering: roughly 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. We made a public commitment: carbon-neutral shipping by 2025. We hit it in 2024.
What We Did Not Do
We did not simply buy offsets and call it done. Carbon offsets are a legitimate tool, but using them as the primary strategy is a way of paying for the problem to exist rather than solving it. We wanted actual emission reductions first, offsets second.
Consolidation and Route Optimisation
Our single biggest lever was container consolidation. By building better forecasting tools and working more closely with importers on order timing, we moved to roughly 85% FCL by 2023. That alone reduced our freight emissions by an estimated 28%.
Carrier Selection
Not all container shipping lines have the same emissions intensity. We worked with our freight forwarder to switch two major lanes to carriers operating newer, more fuel-efficient vessels. Estimated reduction: 11%.
Verified Offsetting for the Remainder
We used Gold Standard-verified offsets for the residual emissions — specifically a community-based reforestation project in Sri Lanka's Knuckles Conservation Forest. The communities benefiting are the same communities our farmers live alongside.
What Comes Next
In 2025 we are installing a 160 kW rooftop solar array projected to cover 70% of our processing energy needs. Our 2030 target is net-zero across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Request our full sustainability report.