We are excited to announce that the team at Cranswick Convenience Foods Sutton Fields has been awarded Carbon Neutral specification to PAS 2060 standard.
This key milestone reflects the site’s achievement in minimising carbon emissions since 2016, alongside the development of an approved emissions reduction plan to further decrease its carbon footprint. Additionally, the remaining emissions are being offset through strategic investments into verified reforestation and community development projects. To achieve this the senior leadership team has been upskilled with CPD certified training.
REDUCING CARBON TO DATE
Since 2016, the team has worked on several efficiency programmes to increase productivity, replace old equipment and machinery, to ultimately enhance the site’s environmental performance. This has enabled the site to cut emissions by 59% compared to the baseline year of 2017/18. These reduction initiatives include:
· Installing LED lighting across the site to curb energy inefficiency
· Investing into REGO backed renewable electricity tariff to neutralise emissions from electricity consumption
· Upgrading steam boiler and pipework to increase efficiency
· Replacing Refrigerant R404a with ammonia glycol to reduce the emissions and overall effect of refrigerant leakage to close to zero
REALISING CARBON NEUTRALITY
Carl Meade, site director of Cranswick Convenience Foods, Sutton Fields, said: “We’re extremely proud to have achieved Carbon Neutral status at Sutton Fields. Specialising in manufacturing high quality cooked meats and ready-to-heat food, we need high quality climate creds to match. It’s been a brilliant team effort to deliver a substantial reduction in emissions since our 2016 baseline, which we’ve accomplished through sustained focus, systematic approach and site investment. Our achievements in reaching Carbon Neutral status are just the start. My whole team and I are committed to building a future that is stronger than the present. Through our ongoing site actions, positive collaboration, and community engagement we look forward to unlocking further gains, on our road to Net Zero.”
While there is an approved emissions reduction plan in place to decrease carbon emissions as much as possible, the site also compensates for any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount of carbon from the atmosphere, to get to carbon neutrality. By investing in a Verra verified strategically chosen carbon offsetting project, the site is helping to combat climate change and support communities abroad through being aligned to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, the team has chosen to support the United Kingdom’s reforestation campaign by investing in a UK Forestry project. The two chosen projects are:
The two chosen projects are:
1. Portel-Pará REDD amazon rainforest protection and community investment project: (Verra verified, therefore held to the highest carbon offset standards: SDG Goal 1 No Poverty, Goal 2 Zero Hunger, Goal 3 Good Health & Well-being, Goal 5 Gender Equality, Goal 13 Climate Action, Goal 15 Life on Land & Goal 17 Partnerships for the Goals). This project is working to avert unplanned deforestation in rainforests native to Brazil, and will prevent over 22 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions over a 40 year period. This will be achieved by managing the land in the form of a "private conservation reserve", through rigorous monitoring and enforcement, while also providing support and employment opportunities to the local community. The project is in an area holding numerous species of animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, some of which are considered endangered or vulnerable, making it extremely important for biodiversity conservation.
2. Doddington North Moor in the UK – part of the Woodland Carbon Code, and the largest planned woodland reforestation project in England in the last 25 years. The forest will cover an area of around 354 hectares in Northumberland, with 268 hectares of mixed forest to be planted. The productive woodland will be managed to maintain it in the long-term, through removing some trees to let light through the canopy, as well as to provide sustainably sourced wood. The reforestation project will allow 101,988 trees to be planted and capture around 92,670 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions over a 65 year period.
What’s next?
With CPD Net Zero accredited colleagues, the team at Cranswick Convenience Foods Sutton Fields is ready to activate their approved emission reduction path, which is a fundamental part of the PAS 2060 specification and commitment to the Net Zero by 2040 goal. The plan includes:
· Replacing refrigerants with more environmentally alternatives
· Switching old gas fired boilers to higher efficiency sustainable models
· Exploring options for converting office heating from gas boilers to heat pumps
· Switching the LPG used for forklifts on site to biofuel or electric forklifts
· Exploring roof solar panels
· Colleague Engagement Campaign
· Investing in a sub-metering system to capture data at finer levels of detail to enable further emission reductions and efficiency measures
The team at Cranswick Convenience Foods Sutton Fields joins Cranswick Gourmet Sausage Lazenbys, Cranswick Continental Foods Bury, Cranswick Country Foods Ballymena, Cranswick Convenience Foods Milton Keynes, Cranswick Gourmet Pastry in Malton and Cranswick Country Foods at Riverside, who have all achieved carbon neutrality.
September 1, 2021