Product-specific climate impact assessments
Our process of updating and expanding our product-specific Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) began in 2023. These calculations provide customers with the information they need to carry out their own product-specific carbon footprint calculations. The calculations are now complete for all product categories, and our intention is to expand these calculations to cover every product we produce over the next few years.
The calculation used a Cradle-to-Gate assessment. This means that the calculation takes into account all stages of the product, from the sourcing of raw materials to the outer gate of the Chemigate factory. It’s also possible to calculate the average transport distances per customer.
The LCA calculation provides information on the sources and levels of emissions from our products, increasing our understanding of their climate and environmental impact. This data can be used in our product development, and to meet SBTi emission reduction targets. In addition, we’ll now be able to take the emissions of our products into account when meeting customer requirements.
Our commitment to the SBTi climate initiative
Chemigate participates in the international SBTi climate initative alongside our partner company, Berner. We committed to this project at the outset of 2022, and it aims to combat the effects of climate change. In 2024, the SBTi organisation will verify our climate goals and the actions we’ve undertaken.
We’ve calculated the greenhouse gas emissions of our entire organisation from 2021 onwards. The organisation’s emissions calculation includes both direct emissions from our operations and indirect emissions stemming from the value chain. The calculation helps identify which activities generate emissions and where the greatest reduction potential lies.
We’ve been involved in building a carbon roadmap for the entire business group, and we’ve set emission reduction targets for our own operations (Scope 1 and 2) and our value chain (Scope 3).
Read more about the climate initiative on the SBTi website.
Future energy solutions
All our sites use CO2-free electricity, and we’re continuously developing new energy solutions. A significant energy-savings project was implemented at our Mietoinen plant in 2020 – this heat pump solution reduced annual CO2 emissions at our Mietoinen factory by 48%, or 287 tonnes.
We’re always improving the energy efficiency of our processes. Our dry-modification plant in Lapua enables us to manufacture products with lower energy consumption and less wastewater compared to the wet-modification process. At the Lapua plant, we have explored potential alternatives for substituting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Concrete targets and timetables for the implementation of future energy solutions are now at the decision-making stage.
Our plants will work closely with other companies in the region to achieve new synergies. At the Kaipiainen plant, energy and wastewater solutions are being implemented in co-operation with other companies in the area, and plans are underway to modernise energy solutions and wastewater pre-treatment.
Reducing Scope 3 emissions through stakeholder engagement
Chemigate’s Scope 3 emissions, i.e., indirect emissions from our value chains, are the largest emissions source. This is why it’s also important to try to influence the emission sources of our suppliers and other partners.
Our starch suppliers are one of our most important stakeholders and, through them, the farmers who cultivate the cereals and potatoes for our products. We’ve launched a project with our largest supplier of potato starch that aims to increase yields through good farming practices, while maintaining field conditions. In turn, our barley starch supplier is investigating how to reduce carbon emissions from cultivation by improving field soil conditions. Their goal is to increase organic matter in the soil through various agricultural methods and to sequester carbon dioxide in the soil.
Our chemical suppliers are also committed to our ethical principles, and we also engage in dialogue to reduce climate and environmental impacts throughout the supply chain. We carry out sustainability audits for a portion of our suppliers according to the results of our supplier risk assessments. We are also concerned about carbon emissions from chemicals and are working to increase our use of bio-based raw materials.