Science Based Targets

The science is more conclusive than ever. Our planet will continue to heat up for many decades to come. As the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlights, "global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.

Slow launched our carbon ambition in June 2023: to reach net zero in 2030 with a 90% reduction across our Scope 1, 2, 3 and FLAG emissions against the 2021 baseline. This is consistent with a 1.5°C reduction pathway approved by SBTi. This target aligns with what climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

To put this into perspective, our 2021 baseline is based on the coffee procured from 37 coffee farmers with whom Slow has maintained a close working relationship since 2018. These farmers had a projected yield of 160 tonnes of roast coffee on 120 hectares of land in Laos — equivalent for 52% of Slow's total output.

How can Slow coffee unlock positive value for the planet?

Slow is a carbon sink. Our farms absorb more carbon than the entire coffee production value chain releases (growing, processing, shipping, roasting and distribution). This lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

It is not just about adding lots of trees, but we are planting a lot of ground cover plants like resin trees, ironwood and black rosewood that capture carbon from air and trap it in the ground. We use a range of regenerative techniques and measurements to show the changing carbon content of the soil.

While the average coffee has a carbon footprint of just over 3 kg per kilo of roasted and ground coffee beans, Slow coffee removes approximately 6 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for every kilo of coffee we produce.

Many businesses are setting carbon reduction targets. Those who can go beyond neutral or zero should accelerate their actions to do so. Where possible, these efforts should come with a commitment by business to help others do the same - collaborating with customers, suppliers, communities and competitors to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future.

Slow's purpose of building a better food system compels us to go further, faster. We believe that becoming carbon negative, reducing our emissions in line with a science-based target is the right ambition to have.