A forest seen from above

An overview of our emissions reduction progress and plans.

June 18, 2025

AAK’s climate journey

Our promise of Making Better Happen™ includes taking care of the planet. A fundamental part of that is mitigating climate change.

At AAK, our climate impact is twofold: we are working to reduce the environmental impact of our own operations, and we're dedicated to helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals by co-developing plant-based solutions.

In 2023, our climate targets were approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), meaning both that our targets are in line with Paris Agreement climate goals – and that we have a feasible path toward reaching them.

Here’s where we are on our climate journey, the goals we are aiming for, and our action plan for getting there.

 

Understanding AAK's Climate Footprint

AAK's 2024 emissions

To reduce our impact we first need to understand it, which requires comprehensively tracking and reporting on our greenhouse gas emissions.

We calculate our emissions following a methodology based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol). We report our emissions annually in our sustainability report, grouping them into the three scopes defined by the GHG Protocol.

In 2024, AAK's emissions were:

Scope 1 - 227,285 tons CO2e.
These are the direct emissions from our own facilities, like the fuel we use in our production plants.

Scope 2 (market-based) - 67,366 tons CO2e.
These are indirect emissions from utility purchases, mainly from the electricity, steam, heating, and cooling we buy to power our sites.

Scope 3 (within SBTi absolute reduction target boundary) - 4,176,697 tons CO2e.
These are all the other indirect emissions across our value chain, which occur either before our raw materials reach us (like during farming) or after our products leave us. This is the largest category for AAK and includes:

  • Scope 3 FLAG (in target boundary): 2,477,188 tons CO2e.
    "FLAG" stands for Forest, Land, and Agriculture. These emissions are linked to how land is used and managed in farming – things like changes in forest land or fertilizer use.
  • Scope 3 Non-FLAG (in target boundary): 1,699,779 tons CO2e.
    These are other Scope 3 emissions, often related to industrial processes, like those used to process raw materials at our suppliers' mills or in transportation.

 

AAK's Climate Targets Are Science-Based

Our emissions reduction targets are science-based, developed in line with what is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In 2023, our targets were formally approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a global organization that validates corporate climate goals.

AAK's SBTi-approved commitments: 

Target Area

SBTi Commitment

Scope 1 & 2 Emissions

Reduce absolute emissions by 50% by 2030 (from 2019)

Scope 3 Non-FLAG Emissions

Reduce absolute emissions by 46.2% by 2030 (from 2019)

Scope 3 FLAG Emissions

Reduce absolute emissions by 33.3% by 2030 (from 2019)

Supplier Engagement

10.3% of suppliers (by emissions) to have SBTs by 2027

Deforestation

No deforestation across primary commodities by 2025

We are making progress toward our SBTi targets. Vitally, we are on track to meet our Scope 3 FLAG target, having already achieved a 28.4% reduction by the end of 2024. We’ve also accomplished a 17.9% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

However, progress on our Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions (currently at a 7.4% reduction) needs to accelerate to meet our 2030 ambition. This is a key focus area for us.

 

AAK's Climate Strategy

Our climate strategy is built on four pillars:

  • Better solutions, helping our customers replace animal-based and fossil ingredients in their products with plant-based options that have a lower carbon footprint.
  • Reducing the carbon footprint of our own operations.
  • Mitigating the climate impact of our supply chain.
  • Investing in emerging technologies for climate-friendly ingredient-solutions

Here's how we're putting our climate strategy into practice:

Reducing Our Own Footprint (Scope 1 & 2)

We are reducing our operational emissions by rolling out energy efficiency projects, such as the one at our Zaandijk facility which reduced natural gas use by 5.6%.

In addition, we're working towards sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

One key initiative in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction is our new bio-boilers in Aarhus:

 

An image of AAK's bio boilers

Emissions Reduction Case: Bio Boilers in Aarhus, Denmark
 

In 2024 we installed bio-boilers at our Aarhus, Denmark site. When fully running, they're expected to cut GHG​ emissions by about 50,000 metric tons each year. That’s roughly a 15% reduction compared to our total 2023 Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

These boilers run on biomass, including by-products from our shea processing, turning waste into energy. While testing led to a temporary increase in our Scope 2 electricity purchases in 2024, these boilers are a major step forward in reducing our direct Scope 1 emissions long-term.

Tackling Value Chain Emissions (Scope 3)

This is our biggest challenge, and it’s where collaboration is essential, as it involves reducing emissions from sources we don't own.We’re working toward Scope 3 reductions in several ways, including:

  • Sustainable sourcing: We're increasing our use of certified sustainable materials, like RSPO-certified palm oil. In 2024, 39% of our palm was RSPO-certified, up from 26% in 2019. This is a key driver in reducing our FLAG emissions.
  • Fighting deforestation:. At the end of 2024, we have reached 91% verified deforestation free (VDF) palm, and 21% verified deforestation- and conversion-free (VDCF) soy.
  • Supplier engagement: We're encouraging our suppliers to set their own science-based climate targets. By 2027, we aim for suppliers representing 10.3% of our emissions (from purchased goods and services, and transportation and distribution) to have their own science-based targets. We’re making progress, and are currently at 9.2% towards this goal. We're also working closely with suppliers on specific challenges, like promoting methane capture technology use in methane-intensive parts of our value chain.
  • Innovation: AAK incentivizes regenerative agriculture in our value chain, while using technology to better collect and analyze data, leading to more targeted actions. For example, our ImpAAKtful rapeseed program uses the Improvin’ platform to track and help reduce emissions at the farm level.

Helping Our Customers

We believe plant-based solutions are a key part of a sustainable future. We work closely with our customers to co-develop ingredients that not only taste great but also help them reduce their environmental impact.

For example: our "Butter, But Better" solutions can lower CO2​ emissions by up to 65% compared to traditional dairy butter.

 

AAK's Climate Roadmap

Our roapmap shows what we've accomplished on our climate journey so far, where we are now, and where we're heading:

AAK's climate roadmap

 

A Continuous Commitment

We know that achieving our climate goals won't happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and continuous commitment.

While we are proud of the progress we've made, we also recognize the challenges ahead and the areas where we need to push harder.

Collaboration will be key. By working closely with our suppliers, customers, partners, and our own dedicated teams across the globe, we can continue to drive positive change.

 
 
 
 
Learn more about AAK’s climate work, and our overall sustainability strategy, in AAK’s 2024 Sustainability Report.