CO2 Neutral at our Danish Headquarter

There are several methods to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. We work with Danish company Klimate to source and analyse carbon removal projects from all over the world to find the best solutions. With Klimate’s help, we combine different suppliers and projects in portfolios. Combining different technologies, suppliers, and projects mitigates the risks of “placing all eggs in one basket.” Instead, we diversify the investment and reduce the risk, while simultaneously supporting a diverse set of technologies and projects. 

Getting CO2 neutral takes effort across the entire company and we have set a clear plan to reach this goal.
First, we measured our emissions to benchmark our efforts against competitors and define areas for further improvement. Second, we work to reduce our emissions. As a responsible company, we reduce where possible and have set a clear path toward further reductions. However, it is not possible to reduce to zero, which is where we need to go to stay within the goals of the Paris Agreement. As a third step, we remove our unavoidable emissions. Removing CO₂ is not an excuse to maintain current levels of emissions, but an effort to bring our company as close to zero as possible. 

We currently remove 132 tonnes of carbon using three different nature-based and hybrid solutions. We see 70 per cent of carbon removal using nature-based solutions that generally offer more co-benefits. However, the hybrid methods that deliver the remaining 30 per cent, are considered faster and more permanent, so attract much of our investment. We expect the cost of hybrid technology to decrease and, while we aim to maintain a similar split in our investments, the investment will shift towards more long-term removal of CO₂.

 

 

 

FORESTRY 70%


 

ENHANCED WEATHERING 20%


 

BLUE CARBON 10%

FORESTRY 70%

Trees are the earth’s natural carbon removal machines. Trees sequester CO2 using photosynthesis and store it in every part of the tree. A single tree can capture up to a ton of CO2 in its lifetime.

  • Restores biodiversity
  • Creates local jobs and economic opportunities

 

Forestry includes reforestation and afforestation projects. Reforestation refers to the replanting of previous forest areas that have been lost due to e.g. deforestation, while afforestation refers to the replanting of non-forest areas. The area is planted with trees - native or other non-invasive species - to increase the speed of forest growth. In agroforestry systems, trees are planted alongside crops such as coffee or banana. The trees store carbon in biomass above and below ground, which they sequester through photosynthesis. The CO₂ stays out of the atmosphere as long as the tree is alive.   

Co-benefits

Forests act as the home to approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity. This biodiversity is the web of life and without it, our collective health and livelihoods are at risk. Additionally, forests purify the air we breathe, prevent catastrophic natural disasters by stabilizing soils, and ensure a clean and reliable supply of water, while simultaneously preventing flooding. Around the globe, societies have also placed huge aesthetic, recreational, and spiritual value on forests. Not to mention the upwards of 60 million jobs worldwide associated with forest management.

ENHANCED WEATHERING 20%

Enhanced weathering is a nature-based carbon removal solution that enhances CO2 absorption by the ocean. When applying olivine-containing rock onto coastlines, it dissolves in seawater, which increases ocean’s CO2 uptake.

  • High permanence 
  • High additionality

 

Weathering refers to the breakdown and dissolution of rocks and minerals on Earth’s surface. In the process, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and is incorporated into carbonates. Enhanced weathering involves artificially speeding up this process by adding pulverised silicate rocks to different ecosystems: (1) Dispersed onto agroecosystems, react with carbonic acid (CO2 dissolved in rain water) to form carbonates. (2) Directly spread on beaches or on the sea surface, where wave action drives it into the oceans. There, the rock particles react with hydrogen ions, altering the ocean’s chemistry and enabling it to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. (3) Due to their beautiful appearance silicate rocks can also be used in landscaping.  

Co-benefits

The utilization of silicate rocks in enhanced weathering (EW) leads to several positive impacts. When used in farming, the supply of these minerals back into soils improves crop health and provides protection against pests and diseases. This results in a reduction in the usage of fertilizers and pesticides, and hence, it reduces food production cost and contributes to food security. EW also counteracts one of our greatest environmental problems: ocean acidification. Moreover, EW provides the carbonates necessary for the survival and proliferation of shellfish, corals, and some plankton specie.

BLUE CARBON 10%

Ocean Blue Carbon is a method that taps into the carbon sequestration potential of ocean biomass. CO2 is permanently removed from the atmosphere by transporting seaweed to the middle of the ocean and sinking the carbon-rich biomass to its depths.

  • High additionality
  • High permanence

 

The general processes involved in ocean blue carbon are outlined below:
1 - CO2 is trapped by seaweed growing in surface waters and is then converted to carbon-rich biomass in a process called photosynthesis.
2 - The floatation devices, upon which the seaweed forests grow, move with the currents out into the ocean. 
3 - Once the seaweed growth hits a critical mass the flotation device breaks down and the biomass sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor. 

Co-benefits

One of the greatest environmental problems we face is coastal eutrophication. This occurs when too much nitrogen and phosphorus run off the land and into the ocean, e.g., from agricultural activities. These nutrients cause algal blooms which deplete oxygen and prevent sunlight from penetrating the water surface, which in turn results in ocean ‘dead zones’. Ocean blue carbon methods counteract this as seaweeds regulate nutrient levels when they take up nitrogen and phosphorus to grow. Research shows that seaweed production also reduces ocean acidity, improves biodiversity, and helps protect our coasts from storm surges and erosion.