The Biggest Players in Coffee Pledge to Slash 1.5 Gigatonnes of CO2 by 2050
A global coalition of over 150 major coffee producers, traders, roasters and retailers have collectively pledged to slash their CO2 emissions by “at least” 1.5 gigatonnes by mid-century, unveiling a plan to ramp up investment in smallholder farms and tropical forest restoration.
The Sustainable Coffee Challenge — which was launched by Conservation International and Starbucks five years ago and counts Walmart, McDonalds, Nescafe, Nespresso and Aldi South Group among its members — approved a major sustainability program last month that commits members to collectively protecting 1.2 million acres of forest over the next five years, a push it claimed would secure 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The consortium, which counts more than 150 companies and nonprofits across 35 counties, also pledged to channel investment to smallholder farmers that would allow them optimize production on existing farms, a move it said would help meet soaring demand for coffee without dramatically expanding the sector’s agricultural footprint and use of natural resources.
Photo courtesy of Etty Fidele.
Source: GreenBiz (link opens in a new window)
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