1.
The Situation
Greenhouse gas levels are at the highest they’ve ever been and we need to act now to reduce the pressures we are increasingly putting on our planet.
Everything in the Earth’s system is connected and when something goes wrong there is a domino effect on the entire planet.
2.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
It is now unequivocal that human-caused emissions are responsible for recent warming (IPCC Report, 2021).
The GHG making the largest contribution from human activities is carbon dioxide, released by burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
July 2021 was Earth’s hottest month in recorded history and the last decade was hotter than any other period in the last 125,000 years (NOAA 2021). Not only that, but atmospheric CO₂ is now at a two-million-year high.
These high amounts of CO₂ are causing our planet to warm up faster than ever before.
Climate change is no longer a future problem – it’s happening now.
3.
The Root to Zero Emissions
Root Zero has made a commitment to be carbon neutral, as well as using sustainable farming practices to create healthy soil, increasing local biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
Our potatoes are certified carbon neutral, which means that all unavoidable carbon emissions produced from production all the way through to your food waste bin will be off-set.
4.
The Science Bit
Greenhouse gas emissions are categorised into three groups called Scope 1, 2 and 3. This is a way of categorising the different kinds of carbon emissions a company creates in its own operations, and in its wider value chain.
5.
Carbon Neutral (Off-Setting)
Our ultimate goal is to reduce our carbon emissions to the absolute minimum. Until we reach this goal, we’re investing in carbon offset projects that will neutralize the unavoidable carbon emissions we make today.
Working with our trusted partner Climate Partners, we have carefully selected projects to off-set our GHG emissions.
For every 1,000 tonnes of ROOT ZERO potatoes we sell we offset 586 tonnes of GHG emissions (this is 10% more than our carbon footprint, because we want to do more for the planet than “just our bit”)
Our off-setting projects will support local economies and fund work that is making a real impact, helping to build a healthier, more sustainable planet.
6.
Carbon Reduction (Science Based Targets)
We know carbon emissions are bad for the planet. Being Carbon Neutral is a great start. But it’s only the beginning and we need to do better, which means more than just measuring and offsetting our impact.
NET ZERO
We are committed in law by the UK Government to Net Zero emissions by 2050, but considerable changes need to take place well before then. To hold off some of the worst climate impacts, and avoid irreversible damage to our planet, we must hold temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
This requires halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.