This text is sponsored by 3Degrees.
Freshpet was based with a mission to revolutionize the way in which all pets are fed by making recent, pure meals. Since day one, the corporate has been dedicated to altering the {industry} via optimistic innovation that’s good for pets, pet dad and mom and the planet. So in 2019, when Freshpet reached out to 3Degrees to assist handle its international greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions footprint, we had been wanting to help the corporate in its quest to be essentially the most sustainable pet meals that customers can purchase.
Challenges
When Freshpet approached 3Degrees, the corporate was within the early phases of its local weather motion journey and sought a renewable vitality and decarbonization options accomplice to assist take its sustainability commitments to the following stage. It had a number of ambition and needed to make sure it was making essentially the most significant impression. Whereas the Freshpet crew members knew they had been enthusiastic about making a renewable vitality buy, they had been on the lookout for a accomplice with deep experience who might assist educate them on their choices and information them past that preliminary funding.
How 3Degrees helped
After the Freshpet crew executed its first buy of renewable vitality certificates (RECs), it continued to realize stakeholder help to additional construct out its sustainability program. The corporate got here again to 3Degrees with the will to speed up its local weather commitments, and we crafted a multi-step method to assist Freshpet construct a extra complete local weather motion plan.
This phased method included:
- Full Scope 1 and a pair of greenhouse fuel (GHG) stock: As a first-time stock, there have been three necessary parts to this evaluation. They included serving to Freshpet collect the wanted knowledge in essentially the most environment friendly approach doable, educating related stakeholders on recordkeeping and knowledge administration processes that may streamline future stock efforts, and assembling the info, calculating the emissions and presenting the complete GHG stock to Freshpet.
- Scope 3 emissions display: 3Degrees examined Freshpet’s oblique worth chain greenhouse fuel emissions — these associated to however in a roundabout way managed by the corporate (Scope 3). As a result of the universe of Scope 3 emissions is so giant, we first screened Freshpet’s Scope 3 emissions utilizing an industry-standard open-source device that makes use of buying knowledge to estimate emissions from 15 classes.
- Stakeholder training classes and aggressive benchmarking: Throughout a workshop that 3Degrees hosted for the Freshpet govt crew, we shared the next info:
- The panorama of stakeholders influencing the requirements by which Freshpet’s objectives and actions could also be judged (resembling Environmental Working Group, CDP, Ceres, and so on.);
- Key initiatives launched or used to encourage company motion (together with RE100, Internet Zero, CDP, Science-Based mostly Targets initiative, United Nations Sustainable Growth Objectives);
- A benchmark overview of the objectives and packages underneath approach throughout a choose group of corporations in related sectors and industries.
- Materiality workshop: 3Degrees facilitated a materiality workshop with Freshpet’s govt crew members throughout which they evaluated near-term areas of focus for local weather motion in response to standards resembling stage of emissions, impression on the success of the corporate’s mission and stakeholder expectations. As a gaggle, we mentioned Freshpet’s explicit place as a frontrunner in a brand new market class and the distinctive alternatives it presents to affect change.
- Deeper GHG footprinting evaluation: Along with updating Freshpet’s Scope 1 and a pair of stock for 2020, 3Degrees additionally added extra granularity to the Scope 3 evaluation by digging deeper into the main points of the corporate’s largest classes of emissions.
- Objective setting and implementation plan: 3Degrees helped Freshpet set an formidable, well-planned local weather aim by utilizing the corporate’s stock knowledge and development projections to mannequin reductions obligatory to satisfy three to 4 aim situations. We then translated these reductions into classes of actions that Freshpet might take to attain the objectives and offered directional prices for these actions.
- Introduction to the Process Drive on Local weather-related Monetary Disclosures (TCFD): TCFD is a danger evaluation and mitigation planning device that helps corporations uncover the transitional, bodily and monetary dangers related to local weather change and develop acceptable governance methods to handle these dangers. By an sincere and clear dialogue with Freshpet’s govt management, 3Degrees helped them perceive the “why” and the “what” of the TCFD required disclosures to kick-start the method for ultimately reporting to the requirements.
Outcomes
From the start, Freshpet demonstrated a dedication to digging deep and taking a strategic method because it marched in direction of further sustainability commitments. The crew was curious and wanting to take motion as soon as it had the suitable info.
On account of this section of labor, Freshpet has a greater understanding of the sources of its emissions, which permits the crew to focus sources on high-impact reductions. Freshpet arrived at a carbon impartial aim for its Scope 1 and a pair of footprint, whereas it really works in direction of setting further long-term decarbonization plans.
When the mission wrapped up, Freshpet’s sustainability lead Justin Joyner commented, “Since its founding, Freshpet’s mission to nourish Pets, Folks, and Planet has included a major deal with the surroundings. We had been one of many first pet meals corporations to function a landfill-free manufacturing facility and have been buying wind energy since 2014. As we elevated our efforts to assist struggle local weather change, 3Degrees has been an instrumental accomplice in Freshpet’s sustainability journey. Their multi-disciplined local weather science data has allowed us to measure our carbon footprint and take significant actions that meet calls for of our customers, traders, and crew members.”
