4C Services has announced the launch of the new 4C Carbon Footprint Add-On which promotes climate friendly coffee cultivation and supply chains.
The Add-On allows system users to calculate their carbon footprint, to identify emission reduction options and to use carbon offsetting for remaining emissions.
4C says the consumer demand for sustainably sourced coffee as well as transparent and reliable information about its carbon footprint is growing steadily.
The coffee industry has already reacted to this, and several brand owners and roasters are implementing respective policies.
With the newly developed 4C Carbon Footprint Add-On, the latest voluntary addition to the core 4C code of conduct certification, 4C says its responds to these developments.
It offers companies and their supply chains a tailored solution to understand the current impact of their operations on the climate and proposes solutions on how to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as communicate these efforts with their consumers.
The company says measuring, quantifying, and assessing GHG emissions is necessary to identify the impact of coffee production on the climate and provides the basis for identifying targeted reduction measures.
Decreasing the carbon footprint of coffee cultivation and processing and implementing carbon compensation mechanisms for unavoidable emissions, are key for achieving climate neutrality in coffee production in the long term.
The Add-On is aligned with the guide from the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) and the Paris Agreement target to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius.
The participating 4C system users can implement the methodology of this Add-On in four levels, making it possible to apply the 4C Carbon Footprint Add-On gradually and in different arrangements of the coffee value chain.
For more information visit www.4c-services.org