Happy Earth Day, everyone! We hope that wherever you are, you’re able to get outside today and enjoy our incredible planet. Here at Fifty5 Rivers Cold Brew, we’re not only celebrating the first spring flowers, but also the fact that we’re officially Climate Neutral CertifiedThe reality is that even after facing an unprecedented global pandemic (and everything else 2020 threw at us), climate change is the single biggest threat to humanity - and we have the tools to stop it. The process to become Climate Neutral Certified is a months-long effort to measure, offset, and reduce our carbon footprint. These are actions that all brands - and individuals - can and should take now to “flatten the curve” of carbon emissions.

Sustainability and the environment have been part of our DNA since day one (one of our core values is respect), and today we’re thrilled that we’re able to join 229 other Climate Neutral Certified brands in taking meaningful action for the climate.

Why now?

It’s no secret that 2020 was a challenging year for business. In the face of unexpected obstacles, radical pivots, and new ways of working, we’ve learned that we are able to face big challenges as individuals, a team, and a society. Globally, we emit almost 60 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. These are the carbon emissions that cause climate change.

If we don’t take responsibility for this problem now, then there’s no way we’ll hit the 2050 goals set out by the Paris Climate Agreement. These are make-or-break goals. Reach them, and we avoid the devastating effects of climate change. Miss them, and life on Earth will change for billions of people.

We’re acting now because scientifically-vetted solutions to climate change exist, and they are accessible to brands like ours. Respecting the environment is a core value and it guides us in our business decisions and showcasing by becoming Climate Neutral Certified was an easy decision for us to make.  

How did we get here?

We are connecting the dots by doing our share to eliminate carbon emissions. We partnered with Climate Neutral to measure, offset, and reduce last year's carbon emissions. This process took a significant amount of time and resources by us, but ultimately it’s a reasonable cost compared to the threat of climate change. Bella Todaro, Certification Manager at Climate Neutral, told us that "Our brands dedicated thousands of hours to understanding and addressing their climate impacts through the certification process.” We were among them.

Measure

In 2020, we measured our carbon footprint at 54 tonnes. To arrive at this number, we looked at all of the emissions created from making and delivering our products/services, including our supply chain emissions, employee commuting, business travel, and utility bills.

Offset

We “zeroed-out” these emissions by purchasing 62 carbon credits through a 1% for the Planet pool.  These carbon credits supported a portfolio of projects including landfill methane gas prevention in Brooksville, FL, wind energy production near Minot, North Dakota, and cookstoves in Uganda (these stoves can reduce wood and charcoal burning by 50% and improve indoor air quality by reducing emissions). 

Reduce

Last, but not least, we created Reduction Action Plans to help lower the emissions we produce over the next 12-24 months and beyond.

• Energy consumption within our processing facility.
• We have identified equipment that is not energy efficient, within 2 years we will replace them with energy efficient units.
• We plan to offset our emissions by installing solar panels that will power our main refrigeration unit.
• We plan into install solar panels through a multi-phase capital investment.

We are sharing the details of our process for two reasons:

1. Our customers deserve transparency, and we want to show how we’re working to live up to our claims of climate responsibility.
2. We hope that other brands will see what we did and become inspired to take action. 

What does it mean to be Climate Neutral Certified?

Our products will bear the Climate Neutral Certified label. Climate Neutral is a nonprofit committed to solving climate change by making carbon neutrality simple and accessible. The label is essentially shorthand for the process outlined above. Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral says, “Consumers hold massive power to shape the economy, and their power is exerted through the actions of the brands they support. With our climate label, we’re helping consumers find the brands that are willing to invest immediately in climate solutions.”

The 230 brands certified so far this year all went through the same process to measure, offset, and reduce their emissions, neutralizing about 700,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. These companies offer products and services across a wide range of industries, from apparel to media. Next time you’re considering a new product, keep an eye out for the Climate Neutral Certified label! To learn more about Climate Neutral and other brands committed to climate action, visit climateneutral.org.

To The Future

We’re thrilled to be in good company with this year’s Climate Neutral Certified brands. We believe in Climate Neutral’s mission of taking action now to solve a problem that we understand to be an urgent threat. We’re glad you’re with us for the journey. Let’s work together to stop climate change faster.

James and Lynne Mowery - Co-founders of Fifty5 Rivers Cold Brew