Specialty coffee roaster Dear Green has achieved one of the highest B Corp scores of any Scottish coffee roaster during its recent recertification.
To pass, companies must score above 80 points on the B Impact Assessment and embed a legal commitment to these values in their business model.
Originally certified in 2020, Dear Green achieved an increase of 33.4 points to score 117.6 in the recent recertification process required of all B Corps every three years. The score puts the roastery in the same bracket as some of the world’s most ethical companies, including Patagonia, Ben and Jerry’s, and Toms.
Lisa Lawson, founder of Dear Green and Glasgow Coffee Festival – the world’s first single-use-cup-free coffee festival – says she started the business in 2011 to elevate industry standards for quality, customer service, ethics, accountability, and transparency.
She adds that although recertifying as a B Corp is a notable milestone, the business is constantly striving to improve.
“We have pledged to be Net Zero by 2030. To make that happen we have invested in an electric vehicle, are planning on installing solar panels and heat pumps, and working hard on anaerobic composting initiatives. We’re proud to recycle over 70 per cent of our waste and are continually seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprint across the supply chain,” says Lawson.
Dear Green’s sustainable sourcing strategy focuses on increasing its investment in organic coffee, which is less harmful to the environment. This ethos is strengthened by the roaster’s long-standing relationship with Daterra Coffee, Brazil’s first and only B Corp-certified coffee farm.
“We need systemic change in the coffee industry and are committed to creating a transparent, sustainable supply chain,” says Lawson.
Since its inception in 2011, Dear Green has participated in community initiatives such as donating every coffee sack, supporting the Bute Forest Community Forest, and committing 2 per cent of its annual turnover to social and climate justice projects.
The company also uses platforms such as the Glasgow Coffee Festival to promote sustainability discussions and raise funds for charity.
Moreover, to ensure accountability, the company has appointed Martha Bytof as its Sustainability Coordinator. Lawson says the climate crisis is urgent and appointing someone to lead on climate responsibility could be the most important hire for every business.
“The World Coffee Research Institute estimates 50 per cent of all coffee-growing land will no longer be viable by the year 2050, so everyone at every point in the supply chain can’t ignore the fact that the existence of coffee depends on fighting climate change. If we don’t act now as an industry, we’ll lose coffee forever,” she says.
For more information visit deargreencoffee.com
