Sustainability at Roastar Pt. 4: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Let’s start with a quick refresher on greenhouse gases and why they’re such a big deal. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating what is called greenhouse effect and warming our planet. While some level of greenhouse gases is necessary for keeping our planet habitable, human activity—like burning fossil fuels, industrial processes, and deforestation—has cranked up the levels of these gases, causing global temperatures to rise at an alarming rate.

This isn’t just a problem for polar bears or faraway glaciers. The effects of global warming are being felt across the globe—melting ice caps, rising sea levels, changes to ecosystems that affect everything from agriculture to wildlife, and as we’ve all seen lately, more frequent and intense natural disasters.

In 2015, the world took a huge step forward with the Paris Agreement, where countries committed to keep global warming to well below 2°C with an ambitious push to limit warming to 1.5°C. That might sound like a tiny number, but it's a massive deal. If global warming is left unchecked, the consequences will be disastrous—think coastal cities disappearing, crops failing, and unpredictable weather patterns.

To avoid these catastrophic impacts, GHG emissions must be halved by 2030 and brought down to net zero by 2050. You might be wondering what these huge, international goals have to do with Roastar—and that’s a good question! It’s not just governments and individuals who need to act. The private sector, including companies like Roastar, plays a massive role in this effort. We know that we can’t limit our efforts to just using sustainable materials, so that’s why reducing GHG emissions became a core pillar of our sustainability strategy.

In 2022, we teamed up with sustainability consulting firm, to help us conduct a materiality assessment. We gathered data on our energy usage, material consumption and discovered that energy usage was the biggest area where we could make a meaningful impact. So, we got to work.

To reduce our emissions, one of our first steps was to join the Green Masters Program through the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC). The Green Masters Program helps businesses like ours measure and manage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, including GHG emissions. They use the GHG Protocol, which is the gold standard for corporate accounting of greenhouse gases.

Here’s how the GHG Protocol breaks down emissions into three categories (or scopes):

Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, like the fuels we purchase to run our equipment and vehicles.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the electricity we purchase and use.

Scope 3: Indirect emissions that occur in our value chain, like those from our suppliers, transportation, waste disposal, and even employee travel.

We’re currently in the process of gathering baseline data for all three scopes. This means tracking things like energy consumption and waste management. With that data, we can set science-based targets and align our efforts to reduce emissions with global climate initiatives like the Paris Agreement.

The Green Masters Program consists of four tiers on the path toward sustainability: Adapting, Advancing, Maturing and Green Masters. While we’re just starting out, our sustainability initiatives have already allowed us to reach the second tier, Advancing. By continuing our sustainability efforts, we hope to ultimately achieve Green Masters.

Now, we won’t sugarcoat it—reducing GHG emissions is tough, and we’ve faced our fair share of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles has been collecting consistent, accurate data. It’s one thing to say we’re going to reduce emissions, but it’s another thing entirely to figure out exactly where those emissions are coming from and how to measure them effectively.

By gathering information on everything from energy use to waste disposal, we’re building a clear picture of our current impact. But it’s not just about collecting the data—it’s about making it meaningful and actionable. We’ve been working hard to make sure the data we gather tells a story that everyone at Roastar can understand, because when people understand the “why” behind the data, they’re more motivated to take action.

Reducing GHG emissions is no small feat, but we’re up for the challenge. We’re proud to be part of the Green Masters Program and to have such an incredible community of partners and supporters helping us on our sustainability journey. Together, we’re working to make a positive impact—not just on the environment, but on the people and communities we serve.

At Roastar, we believe that every small action contributes to a larger positive impact on the planet. Whether it’s reducing energy consumption, making smarter packaging choices, or partnering with like-minded companies, we’re committed to making the world a better, greener place.