Carbon

When we use energy in our factories either we buy electricity and steam from external power stations or we burn fuels directly within our own power stations on site. The carbon dioxide emissions we report below are a consequence of that internal and external power generation.

We calculate the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted through the use of electricity using the latest internationally recognised factors published by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. We calculate the carbon dioxide emitted from other fuels using the UK government’s latest conversion factors.

In 2011 we emitted or caused to be emitted 3.61 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The increase in carbon dioxide emissions reflects the increase in energy usage referred to above with a significant increase in carbon-intensive coal.

Carbon reduction commitment

The UK’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) is a mandatory government scheme which applies to large, but non energy-intensive, businesses aimed at driving up efficient use of energy. The group has registered for CRC through the UK Environment Agency.

Becoming 100% renewable – Illovo, Zambia

In July, Zambia Sugar, part of Illovo, and the country’s largest sugar producer, started generating its own power from sugar cane residues. The site uses bagasse to produce 40 MW of electricity, of which the factory uses 13 MW, 23 MW is used for irrigation, and the balance is exported to the national grid. Zambia Sugar is still connected to the grid but only to access 2 MW of power needed to stabilise the factory load and for initial power generation.

Reducing food miles – Allied Mills, UK

Allied Mills began supplying Ginsters in Cornwall with specialist flour in 2006. Since then the business has worked closely with Ginsters to identify and implement sustainable improvements throughout the supply chain. Ginsters had been concerned that flour supplied to their operations in Cornwall was being milled in Manchester, generating a significant amount of food miles. In October 2009 Allied Mills partnered with Jordans Ryvita to remodel and use its flour mill in Dorset to supply Ginsters. This project involved a significant level of investment and knowledge transfer between Allied Mills and Jordans Ryvita and we estimate that it will save 165,000 road miles per year, a 55% reduction on the previous journeys.

Government statistics show that transporting freight by rail rather than road reduces harmful emissions by between four and ten times. Allied Mills currently transports around 30,000 tonnes of flour per year using an intermodal rail tanker, saving 464 tonnes of CO₂ per annum.

Allied Mills is also working to improve the fuel efficiency of its fleet through:

driver training – an independent assessor accompanies each company driver on a one-to-one assessment every year, to train them in the latest methods of driving efficiency. This is supported with a Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) examination that aims to recertify all drivers with a gold award for advanced driving;
ensuring all new vehicles are euro 5 standard as a minimum; and
piloting vehicle intelligence systems that offer real-time vehicle performance statistics and driver behaviour information. This allows the pinpointing of areas of low performance, whether equipment or driving technique, which can then be addressed by modification or training.

AB Agri	ACH	Primark
AB Enzymes	Allied Bakeries	Speedibake
AB Mauri	Allied Mills	SPI Pharma
AB Sugar	George Weston Foods	The Silver Spoon Company
AB World Foods	Jordans Ryvita Company	Twinings
ABF Ingredients	Ohly	Westmill Foods
ABF Japan	PGP International
ABITEC Corporation

Carbon

Carbon reduction commitment

ABF COMPANIES

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Carbon

Carbon reduction commitment

In focus

HSE Report Download

CR Report download

ABF COMPANIES

FAQ TOPICS