CASE STUDY PUKKA HERBS
Developing a roadmap for Net Zero tea
3Keel supported B-Corp herbal tea company, Pukka Herbs, to develop a clear roadmap towards their ambitious Net Zero target.
ukka has been measuring the carbon footprint of its business activities since 2017. In 2018, Pukka set an approved 1.5 degree-aligned Science-Based Target (SBT) and declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in 2019. Since then, the sustainability team at Pukka have been working hard to reach their Net Zero commitment by 2030.
As part of this journey, Pukka has reduced operational emissions by switching to renewable tariffs and using biogas in its warehouse, engaged with its ingredient and packaging suppliers, and launched the Pukka Climate Champions network – an internal team to pursue emissions reduction activities across the business. For more information, take a read of their most recent Impact Report!
In May 2022, 3Keel began working with Pukka to help them identify and prioritise further opportunities for reducing the company’s carbon footprint and develop a roadmap to reach Net Zero by 2030.
3Keel modelled the emissions reduction potential of a variety of initiatives that Pukka could implement to drive emission reductions. These actions spanned Pukka’s entire value chain – from the production of herbal ingredients by smallholder farmers to the transportation of ingredients and products, the packaging used to keep tea fresh, consumer travel to shops and the final disposal of tea bags.
It didn’t take long to realise that reaching Net Zero by 2030 was dependent on wider changes – to agriculture, logistics and manufacturing – that are beyond Pukka and its parent company ekaterra’s control. We outlined what would need to happen for Net Zero to be reached so soon and developed an ambitious roadmap to provide clarity on the activities and reductions needed to hit net zero by 2030. Wider stakeholder and industry engagement is at the heart of this and it’s clear that Pukka cannot achieve Net Zero without working with others to transform the industries upon which they, and others are reliant.
Over the course of the project, we convened internal workshops with Pukka teams to discuss the feasibility of options and to ensure senior-level buy-in.. Collaboratively, we selected initiatives that would provide the greatest benefits without compromising Pukka’s brand – and shaped them into a cohesive roadmap.
“The guidance 3Keel has provided has substantially shaped our direction of travel on climate action,” said Eleanor Jeffrey, Pukka’s Sustainability Manager. “Their advice and recommendations have been invaluable in helping us design a clear pathway to net zero”
We have thoroughly enjoyed working with a fellow B-Corp, and we are looking forward to providing ongoing support to the Pukka team as they move towards their Net Zero target.