We want to halve our CO₂ emissions by 2030 The aim is to achieve a reduction of 15% amongst suppliers. 

Overhauling the way we calculate our carbon footprint 

In 2019, we completely overhauled the way we calculate our carbon footprint. We now also include emissions from all our overseas facilities, as well as emissions from all stages in the value chain, both upstream and downstream, such as coffee growing. Our carbon footprint is calculated according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), which defines best-practice reporting standards. 

In 2020, Tchibo emitted 34,773 tonnes of CO₂ at its own sites (Scope 1 & 2), with e.g. its own vehicles or through the purchase of electricity from the power grid. This is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 5,000 German citizens, or nearly 10,000 long-haul flights between Frankfurt and New York. Our roasting facilities account for the largest share of emissions at 65%. Overall, we were able to slightly reduce emissions by 14% compared to our base year 2018. 
 
Based on our revised carbon footprint, in 2020 Tchibo adopted new climate targets for 2030, which will help keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The targets have been reviewed and endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative under the Business Ambition for 1.5°C.

Read about how we plan to achieve this goal

What are we doing to tackle climate change?

  • Transport 

    Our products travel long distances before they arrive in Germany. For these routes, we use the most climate-friendly means of transport, the container ship. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have unfortunately had to switch to air transport in some cases due to delivery problems with our non-food items. However, the use of aeroplanes will be reduced to an absolute minimum as the effects of the pandemic weaken, so that we will once again be using sea transport for all of our non-food items, just as we do for our coffee shipments.

    Instead of trucks, we are also increasingly using rail transport, so the green coffee arrives at the roasting plant in Marki by train. More trains are also now being used to distribute items between our warehouse locations.

    In 2021, after months of planning, we were now also able to switch our main supply routes between Bremen to Neumarkt and Cheb (Czech Republic) from road to rail. A train has already been running between Bremen and Neumarkt for over ten years. Last year we set the course for another train connection, from Bremen to Cheb. Iteratively, two more trains were introduced on the route from north to south. The second train was put on the tracks in summer, followed by a third in December. Thus, since the end of 2021, there have now been 3 trains, each with 48 full containers per week, running from Bremen to the south. The introduction of the two additional trains reduced emissions by 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ in 2021. Calculated over a whole year, we save the use of approx. 7,000 trucks with this train concept.

  • Packaging

    Sustainable logistics includes the environmentally friendly shipment of parcels. That is why the emissions of our parcel service provider DHL have been offset via the GoGreen programme since 2012. This enabled us to offset 8,070 tonnes of CO₂ in 2020.

    Our current shipping boxes and bags are almost exclusively made of recycled material and bear the FSC® Mix or Blue Angel environmental seal. To further reduce resource consumption, we tested reusable shipping bags for the first time in 2020. Many important findings from this test have since been processed to enable the introduction of reusable bags in online retail. Find out more about our more sustainable packaging and the "praxpack" project here.

  • Non Food

    We help our textile manufacturers to increase their energy efficiency with the Carbon Performance Initiative (CPI2) online training tool – to date, 110 suppliers have actively used the tool, with 29 of them attaining the first qualification level ‘Bronze’ in the energy sector.

  • Coffee

    There are a number of things we do to help farmers adapt to climate change, including supporting the initiative for coffee&climate and also our Tchibo Joint Forces!® projects. Our certified sustainable coffees help reduce our carbon footprint.

  • Roasting plants

    A large proportion of Tchibo’s own CO₂ emissions are generated when we roast our coffees. That is why we are constantly looking to reduce our energy consumption in this area – including with the help of the ISO 50001-certified energy management system, which we use in our roasting facilities in Berlin and Hamburg. Software that we brought online at the Berlin plant in 2019 allows us to monitor consumption even more effectively. We have also invested 20 million euros in four energy-efficient roasters at our Hamburg facility. The first of these was put into operation in 2020. This measure will enable us to save over 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.