With less than a week to go until COP26, Cranswick Gourmet Bacon, Sherburn, is the latest of Cranswick's manufacturing sites to receive Carbon Neutral certification. Obtaining the internationally recognised PAS 2060 accreditation takes Cranswick one step closer to its goal of reaching Net Zero at group level by 2040.
This milestone reflects the Sherburn team's success in reducing the site's Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions since 2016. Additionally, the site has committed to further drive down emissions through an approved carbon reduction roadmap. All remaining emissions are offset by investments into independently verified projects that compensate for the site's residual carbon impact.
REDUCING CARBON TO DATE
Since 2016, the site team has reduced its emission intensity through several efficiency programmes which enhance the site's environmental performance.
Reduction initiatives since 2016 include:
- Installation of LED lighting across the site to curb energy inefficiency
- Investment into REGO backed electricity tariff to neutralise emissions from Scope 2 electricity consumption
- Upgrade of the air compressor to improve efficiency
- Installation of a heat recovery system to pre-heat boiler water, reducing the amount of natural gas required
- More efficient use of cleaning water, resulting in decreased natural gas consumption
- Retrofit of the central fridge plants with a lower GWP refrigerant, removing R507a
- Introduction of sub-metering to further understand and ultimately reduce energy consumption
These efficiency projects, along with a gradual decarbonisation of grid electricity, have allowed the site to reduce its overall emissions by 87% since 2016 (or 4825.75 t/CO2e).
RELEASING CARBON NEUTRALITY
John Fletcher, Site Director of Cranswick Gourmet Bacon, Sherburn, explained: "Cranswick Gourmet Bacon are proud to have achieved the PAS 2060 Carbon Neutral status. This marks a huge step on the site’s path towards Cranswick’s target of Net Zero by 2040 and shows that high quality products can be made in a sustainable manner. In recent years the team have identified and implemented opportunities to reduce our environmental impact, resulting in a visible difference in our carbon footprint. This however is just the beginning of our efforts in prioritising sustainability and achieving Net Zero production at Sherburn, we have a solid improvement plan in place with many more environmental initiatives that we are eager to implement.”
While the site team is working hard to minimise emissions, they are not yet entirely eliminated. In the interim, the site compensates for remaining emissions through investments into strategic climate-positive projects that remove an equal amount of carbon from the atmosphere. Through the support of a Verra certified conservation and community development project, the site is helping combat climate change while supporting communities abroad. Environmental and social benefits are aligned to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the team has chosen to support the United Kingdom's reforestation campaign through investments into a Woodland Carbon Code registered UK Forestry project. This initiative will contribute to the removal of carbon in the coming years.
The chosen projects are:
1. Doddington North Moor in the UK
This project is part of the Woodland Carbon Code and the most significant planned woodland reforestation initiative 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. In total, the reforestation project will plant 101,988 trees and capture approximately 92,670 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions over 65 years.
2. Portel-Pará REDD Amazon Rainforest Protection Project, Brazil.
This project works to mitigate rainforest deforestation in Brazil, to avert over 22 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions over 40 years. The project manages land as a private conservation reserve with rigorous monitoring and enforcement of standards while also providing support and employment opportunities to the local community. Biodiversity conservation benefits are notable, as the area provides habitat for numerous species, several designated as endangered or vulnerable.
WHAT’S NEXT?
With senior leadership upskilled through CPD-approved climate literacy training, the site team at Cranswick Gourmet Bacon is well prepared to activate their approved plan to further reduce emissions. This fundamental part of the PAS 2060 specification will help realise Cranswick's commitment to be Net Zero by 2040 across all of its operations. The site team's plan includes a range of initiatives, focusing on clean energy, waste reduction and the elimination of inefficiencies. Projects include:
- The replacement of remaining refrigerants
- Heat recovery from ammonia glycol: to heat water for cleaning
- Conversion of office heating from gas boilers to heat pumps
- Exploration of alternatives to natural gas for chargrilling
- On-site training and behaviour change programmes
The team at Cranswick Gourmet Bacon, Sherburn joins Cranswick Country Foods Fresh Poultry, Suffolk, Cranswick Country Foods, Preston, Katsouris Brothers Ltd, Cranswick Country Foods, Watton, Cranswick Country Foods Poultry, Hull, Cranswick Convenience Foods Barnsley, Cranswick Convenience Foods Sutton Fields, 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.