Our double effort for the environment

Ten years ago, the Corporate Group and its subsidiaries BIOGROS, NATURATA and OIKOPOLIS Services started the project to determine the CO₂ emissions of the entire company and to convert them into CO₂ equivalents in order to compensate them afterwards. The basis for these compensation payments is the calculation of the total energy consumption in all buildings as well as the vehicle fleet of BIOGROS and the journeys of all employees using a system developed years ago with experts. The emissions that cannot be prevented are compensated by monetary compensation payments by supporting organisations that are committed to organic farming.

The conscious use of energy is paying off, as the OIKOPOLIS Group was able to reduce its emissions once again compared to last year, despite an increase in business activity. On the one hand, the Group has increasingly switched facilities from gas to electricity. Since all of our companies are using only green electricity, this positively affects the CO₂ equivalent result. On the other hand, our wholesaler BIOGROS has realised significant savings by optimising its route planning. This achievement was also recognised with the Lean&Green 2Stars Award last year.

Ten years ago, the price per tonne in international CO₂ trading was around 5€. In the last 3 years, awareness of the looming climate crisis has grown rapidly. Somewhat belatedly, political decisions have led to a multiplication of the monetised value. In view of the rising pressure on civil society and companies to drastically reduce their emissions in order to still be able to achieve the Paris climate target, the compensation price per tonne for CO₂ emissions is also rising. While it currently stagnates at €25, it is expected to more than double in the next few years. In Sweden, the CO₂ price is currently set at €115 per tonne - according to several studies, an even higher price would be appropriate in regards to preventing the climate crisis.

Actually, it would be a fairer price for the environment. However, considering the fact that the OIKOPOLIS Group produces twice as much green electricity through its participation in the wind farm Hëpperdanger Wandenergie sàrl (in relation to its share) as the entire Group produces in emissions, the company has been operating in a climate-neutral way for a long time. We plan on emphasise this internal compensation more in the future, because it broadens the view of our cooperative collaboration in the value chain.

Nevertheless, we are making compensation payments for our energy consumption one last time, which amounted to 1,576 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2020. With a price of €25 per tonne, this amounts to €39,400. As in previous years, the compensation money is paid to institutions that promote organic farming. The well-established associations Vereenengung fir Bio-Landwirtschaft Lëtzebuerg, IBLA and the Section for Agriculture at the Swiss Goetheanum in Dornach will each receive €13,133 from the subsidiary companies NATURATA, BIOGROS and OIKOPOLIS Services to support a demonstrably nitrogen-fixing and environmentally friendly farming method.

Of course, we want to continue to support the above-mentioned organisations in the future - there are definitely other ways to evaluate and honour their achievements.