FLAG emissions along the supply chain
Customer: Gubor Schokoladen GmbH
Category: Food and Beverage Processing
Date: December 2024
Gubor Schokoladen GmbH is one of the leading suppliers of chocolate and confectionery products in Europe. It was formed in 2019 through the merger of Rübezahl Schokoladen GmbH with Hans Riegelein & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG. The company specializes in chocolate (hollow) figures, bars, dragées, chocolate puffed rice, ice cream confectionery and numerous seasonal items such as Christmas and Easter confectionery.
Headquartered in Dettingen unter Teck, Baden-Württemberg, the group operates several production facilities in Germany and Europe and employs around 1,700 people. Its international distribution network serves retail chains, specialist retailers and online platforms in Europe and worldwide.
The company strives to expand its leading position in seasonal chocolate products, focuses on innovation, quality and sustainability and is involved in initiatives for fair trade and sustainable cocoa cultivation.
As part of its sustainability strategy, the Group is working with the DFGE – Institute for Energy, Ecology and Economy – to record its corporate carbon footprint (CCF) for the financial years 2022 and 2023. A particular focus here is on FLAG (Forest, Land, and Agriculture) emissions, which arise from the use of agricultural raw materials.
Josef Bausch
Central factory management – Gubor Schokoladen GmbH
“We decided to work with DFGE because their expertise enables us to precisely record and transparently present our entire corporate carbon footprint, including the specific share of FLAG emissions. This is particularly important for a company in the chocolate industry, as agricultural products form a central part of our value chain. With the support of DFGE, we can carry out well-founded analyses and make sustainable decisions for the future.”
Challenges
FLAG emissions: The key to sustainable chocolate production
Gubor Schokoladen GmbH faces complex challenges when collecting data for its Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF), particularly in the area of FLAG (Forest, Land, and Agriculture) emissions calculations. A key difficulty is the detailed recording of the origin and agricultural methods of the raw materials purchased. This data is essential, as factors such as changes in land use and the use of fertilizers can vary considerably from region to region and have a major impact on the emissions balance.
Land Use Change (LUC) emissions, which play a key role in cocoa production, are a particularly critical issue. Cocoa cultivation is often associated with the conversion of forest land into agricultural land, which releases significant amounts of CO₂. These LUC emissions significantly increase the company’s corporate carbon footprint and make it more difficult to achieve climate targets.
The precise integration of this complex data into the CCF calculations requires a great deal of effort and specialized expertise. To overcome these challenges, the Group is working closely with DFGE to develop structured approaches for data collection. Well-founded documentation enables the company to plan targeted measures to reduce emissions along the supply chain. At the same time, Gubor Schokoladen GmbH faces the challenging task of aligning its climate strategy with international sustainability standards such as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Solution
Complexity in FLAG-specific data collection
Together with DFGE, Gubor Schokoladen GmbH has developed concrete solutions to overcome the challenges of data collection for the FLAG emissions calculations. A key measure was the provision of clear guidelines by DFGE that systematically help to identify and close data gaps. This enabled comprehensive documentation of not only basic commodity information, but also specific data that is essential for calculating FLAG emissions.
A particular focus was on the precise recording of land use change (LUC) emissions. Detailed analyses of the raw material sources made it possible to precisely quantify the conversion of land for agricultural purposes and its climatic impact. Collaboration with suppliers and external partners was crucial in balancing out the heterogeneity of data from different countries of origin and creating a consistent database.
Thanks to these measures, Gubor Schokoladen GmbH is able to carry out a reliable and complete accounting of FLAG emissions and develop targeted measures to reduce its climate impact along the supply chain.
Result
Corporate carbon footprint calculations as a decision-making aid for aligning the sustainability strategy
Thanks to DFGE’s support in collecting data for the corporate carbon footprint and FLAG emissions for the years 2022 and 2023, Gubor Schokoladen GmbH gained valuable insights into the impact of agricultural processes on the supply chain and the ecological footprint. The data on land use changes resulting from cocoa cultivation was particularly revealing, as these account for a significant proportion of the company’s emissions.
The findings enable the Group to identify emission-intensive raw materials and suppliers and to take targeted measures such as selecting sustainable products or cultivation regions with lower land use changes. This not only reduces the corporate carbon footprint, but also strengthens the competitive position in an increasingly sustainability-oriented market.
In addition, the data provides a solid basis for communication with stakeholders and the transparent presentation of sustainability measures. The results make it clear that closer cooperation with suppliers is essential in order to obtain detailed information about raw materials, increase transparency in the supply chain and achieve sustainability goals more efficiently.
Josef Bausch
Central factory management – Gubor Schokoladen GmbH
“The collaboration with DFGE represents a significant step forward for us in terms of recording our corporate carbon footprint more precisely and comprehensively. The first-time calculation of FLAG emissions was particularly revealing, giving us a deeper insight into the environmental impact of our sourcing of agricultural and forestry products within our supply chain. With DFGE’s support, we are now able to analyze our emissions in more detail and develop targeted measures to achieve our environmental goals even more efficiently.”
