” Fighting climate change with long-term investments At the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. What is your view on this milestone? There is still a key question whether the deal, which is not fully agreed, will look to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2°C. The difference may appear to be insignificant, but it’s hugely important and could have significant implications on countries 34 as well as businesses. Negotiations during the COP21, therefore, were to re-visit the idea of 1.5°C. It has albeit gathered some political momentum, but very much is still undecided. Regardless of the target, the question now is how much of a reduction and by what date by state and country. In any event, there is no question that the world’s use of fossil fuels will need to be reduced and that we all have to contribute. What role do businesses have in this question? Businesses have a vital role in the fight against climate change. Many companies are affected by climate change and have already taken actions. Under the COP21, I believe businesses will also provide much of the financing to enable adoption of existing and new technologies. The Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol provided a great incentive for business participation in developed and developing countries alike and generated thousands of emissions reduction projects. Where do you see AAK in regards to this very important issue? AAK has a mature view on these developments and has taken the initiative to continuously explore and invest in new technologies. For example, we have not only invested in the best available technology to lower energy consumption, we have also invested in solutions to reduce emissions. We are furthermore in the process of developing pioneering new technologies to reduce our waste and use this to generate heat to run our facilities. We have received funding to develop new technologies and while some are still in development, others are now installed and fully operational, dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and emissions. AAK is also driving this change with long-term investment plans. Therefore, we are confident that we will be ready and able to deliver when the targets are defined. David Smith President European Supply Chain Energy Energy costs and the link between energy consumption and impact on the climate, motivate continued focus on energy issues. Responsible growth is only possible if energy consumption and costs are kept as low as possible. Due to the industry’s relatively high energy consumption, efforts to increase energy efficiency and, where possible, move toward renewable energy sources are important. The type of energy used at AAK’s production plants varies considerably and very much depends on location. In Montevideo, Uruguay and Villavicencio, Colombia literally all direct energy consumed comes from renewable resources, while in Louisville, Kentucky, for example, all energy comes from fossil fuel. Some production plants have their own power plant and sell energy in the form of steam and electricity externally. The total energy consumption given in this report has been adjusted for this. In 2015, AAK’s production plants had a combined direct energy consumption of 3,690,000 Gj, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to 2014. Direct energy consumption from renewable resources constitutes 30 percent, an improvement of 3 percent.
Hållbarhetsrapport 2015/2016
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