Löfbergs reduces carbon footprint with 100% fossil fuel-free sea transport

Löfbergs Sustainability Manager Kajsa-Lisa Ljudén (left) with Scanlog’s Matilda Jarbin (right) | Photo credit: Löfbergs

Swedish coffee roaster Löfbergs has taken a significant step towards reducing its Scope 3 carbon emissions by switching to 100% fossil-fuel free sea transport. 
 

Karlstad-based Löfbergs is the first coffee roaster to use logistics provider Scanlog’s fossil-free sea transport programme, which reduces sea freight emissions by fuelling ships with liquid biogas.
 

Löfbergs is one of the world’s largest purchasers of organic and Fairtrade-certified coffee and currently freights more than 36,000 tonnes of green coffee by sea annually. The coffee roaster said the move will reduce its Scope 3 CO₂ emissions – covering emissions which are not directly produced by the company or its assets, but by those involved in its value chain – by 1,800 metric tons. 

“It is a milestone on our sustainability journey. This means that we reduce the emissions from sea transport by 100% and that we can offer our customers even more sustainable coffee. Biogas costs more than fossil fuels, but we do not think that we can afford to not use it. We have to reduce the emissions in every part of our value chain,” said Kajsa-Lisa Ljudén, Sustainability Manager, Löfbergs. 

The International Transport Forum estimates that trade-related freight transport currently accounts for approximately 30% of all transport-related CO₂ emissions. 
 

In March 2023, the European Commission unveiled a new EU regulation to reduce greenhouse gases used by the shipping sector by 2% in 2025 and by as much as 80% by 2050. 

“Sea transport has gone under the radar for a long time, which is why it is important that there are companies like Löfbergs that dare to be pioneers and show that it is possible to reduce the emissions here and now. We hope that it can inspire other companies and accelerate a necessary conversion within the transport sector,” said Matilda Jarbin, Head of Sustainability & Communications, Scanlog. 

Stockholm-based Scanlog partnered with Swedish coffee wholesaler Arvid Nordquist in April 2022 to lower the CO₂ emissions of its sea shipments by approximately 75%. The agreement covered 260 containers from Brazil – approximately 30% of Arvid Nordquist’s total coffee imports.