February 6, 2024

 

HKScan revises climate emissions calculation and target

 

 

Finnish food producer HKScan has updated the climate emissions calculation, climate target and timeline of its responsibility programme to better align with international climate work guidelines, calculation guidelines and reporting standards.

 

The company's revised climate target is to achieve net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

 

In recent years, legislation, international guidelines and requirements for the entire value chain have increased significantly. HKScan has therefore deepened its climate work measures in line with an international scientifically verifiable and comparable definition.

 

To achieve its net zero goal, greenhouse gas cuts must be complemented by durable carbon removals, either through nature or technological solutions, according to the company.

 

Based on a revised climate calculation, about 1% of HKScan's total emissions are generated by its own operations and 99% by other parts of the food chain. It is therefore essential to take into account emissions from land use and its change as well as the entire food chain, the company stated.

 

HKScan has thus conducted long-term and determined climate work throughout the food chain. Its previous climate target was a carbon-neutral food chain from farms to consumers by 2040.

 

"Our target has now been extended to take into account the impact of land use and its changes, and our work will continue with even greater determination," said Hanna Lehtonen, vice president of corporate responsibility at HKScan Corporation. "With our revised emissions calculation and climate target, we contribute to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and also meet the new requirements for the land use sector. 

 

"HKScan's climate work is guided by a comprehensive set of measures. It consists of dozens of measurable climate emission reduction measures defined by our business units. We are moving towards net zero climate emissions together with our contract farmers and other partners."

 

HKScan is among the first Nordic food companies to have specified near-term targets both for industrial energy usage and for the land sector, the company noted.

 

According to the near-term climate targets that have been approved by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), HKScan commits to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for energy and industrial by 42% by 2030 from a 2022 base year.

 

HKScan also commits to reduce its absolute Scope 3 emissions from specific categories by 42% within the same timeframe. The target also includes land-related emissions from bioenergy feedstocks.

 

In addition, HKScan commits to reduce land-based absolute Scope 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions by 30.3% from a base year 2022. HKScan furthermore commits to no deforestation across its primary deforestation-linked commodities.

 

"The SBTi approval of our targets is significant. The SBTi allows us to verify the relevance and results of our own climate work on an international scale and to better target and lead our own work," Lehtonen said. "Climate work is a long-term process and monitoring results is difficult. International benchmarking is really important and motivates us to keep going when progress is visible and results are tangible. International recognition is especially rewarding in our challenging industry because the criteria are very strict."

- HKScan