Roasters play a central role in the coffee supply chain and significantly influence the carbon footprint of coffee. On one hand, roasters select green coffee, which accounts for about 60% of emissions in the supply chain. On the other hand, the roasting process itself contributes to around 20% of these emissions.
Why did we measure emissions?
In recent years, we have developed tools to measure emissions along the supply chain. Our goal is to better understand where and why emissions arise in our processes. The CO₂ calculator played a central role in this. Now we can also make this calculator available to other roasters so they can track their emissions as well.
The CO₂ calculator helps validate self-assessments, identify emissions "hotspots," and invest strategically in sustainable measures.
Designed specifically for roasters, the calculator offers a cost-effective way to keep track of emissions without having to engage external agencies or consultants.
Our goals with the calculator
We pursue two main goals with this calculator. First, we want to enable the roasting industry to assess their current emissions with minimal effort. Second, the calculator serves as a foundation for exchanging knowledge and collecting best practices.
We see a great opportunity here for roasters to exchange ideas on topics that are familiar to us all but often difficult to grasp. By making emissions visible with the calculator, we can discuss the results together and specifically explore industry-specific solutions.
Feel free to contact us if you're interested in working with the calculator.
Life Cycle Assessment: Gate-to-Gate
This CO₂ calculator is based on the gate-to-gate approach. This means that only emissions that occur within the roastery or are directly attributable to its activities are considered. In other words, it captures all emissions from the moment green coffee enters the roastery until it leaves as roasted coffee.
Green coffee production is a significant contributor to the overall carbon footprint and must be carefully analyzed. Currently available databases provide inconsistent data on coffee cultivation. To address this problem, we are developing a separate cultivation calculator that offers sample calculations from farms using different cultivation methods (conventional, organic, regenerative, biodynamic).
Each of these calculators is based on a gate-to-gate assessment but can be combined to create a complete life cycle assessment of a specific coffee.
If you plan to include general green coffee data in your calculations, you can use the CarbonCloud database for green coffee and our transport calculator for logistics to your roastery. Be sure to account for roasting loss when calculating green coffee consumption.
- Link to the CarbonCloud database: https://apps.carboncloud.com/climatehub/search?q=coffee&gate=Farm
- Link to our logistics calculator: https://www.kaffeemacher.ch/blog/transport-rechner/
CO₂ Data
Our tool primarily uses datasets from ecoinvent (v3.8, accessed July 2023). Our data has also been verified by Carbotech to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Note: This tool does not replace a Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) assessment and cannot be used as a basis for offsetting with CO₂ certificates. However, it is a cost-effective tool for roasters to assess their emissions themselves and think about them. For complete carbon accounting, you should consult a certified expert.
Our CO₂ calculator on Notion
We have built our CO₂ calculator on Notion and made it available as a customizable template. Your data remains with you and is stored in your own Notion account.
Note: A Notion Plus account is required for automation features. However, this account can be canceled monthly, so costs are only about €10 per month.
You can find Notion's privacy policy here.
Feel free to contact us if you're interested in working with the calculator.
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