MORE CONSCIOUS CHOICES WITH CLIMATE FOOTPRINTS
Our commitment
We want to spread awareness of the environmental impact of food by communicating our carbon footprints on packs.
Measuring climate impact
What is a carbon footprint?
A product’s carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere throughout its life cycle, showing the product’s contribution to climate change from field to shelf.1 A carbon footprint is expressed in units of mass of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq), or in other words as if only CO2 was emitted into the atmosphere, thanks to the conversion framework set by the International Panel for Climate Change.
At Wasa, we take a full look at our CO2 emissions involved with making crispbread, from the cultivation of raw materials to packaging our products to delivering them and anywhere in between.
In this way, we have the most accurate data for measuring a product’s footprint and carrying out our commitment of compensating 100% for emissions.
1. This contribution to climate change is also known as the Global Warming Potential (GWP).
Why show co₂ footprints on packs?
We have been calculating our footprint since 2010 in order to understand how we can do better. But the climate is changing, and we all need to lower our CO₂ footprints.
By adding the carbon footprint labels to our packs, we hope to start conversations on taking care of nature and encourage other brands to follow.
Our goal is to inspire crispbread lovers to make more conscious choices and to give a better understanding of their carbon footprints.
What is a high or low carbon footprint?
It can be hard to know what amount is high or low, especially when there are different methods for calculating carbon footprints. We hope that in the future it will be easier to compare measurements as science fine-tunes the calculation methodology.
For now, we can help paint a clearer picture by giving examples of different products and their CO₂ footprints based on the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) process, which is explained further below.
Always remember that when comparing CO₂ footprints, it’s important to check which method was used to measure the emissions and which stages of the product category life cycle are included.
How to read the label
The carbon footprint reported on our packaging refers to 1 kg of product and considers the products’ entire life cycle, starting from the cultivation of raw materials until the delivery of the final product to the retailer. It also includes the packaging production and end of life.
1.The calculations are based on 2021 data, but they are updated annually.
How are carbon footprints evaluated?
LCA Methodology
The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is regulated by the ISO standards 14040 and 14044, that define the structure and lead to the correct application.
WHAT IS AN EPD?
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the life-cycle assessment (LCA) results of products in a credible way.1
Having an EPD for a product does not imply that the declared product is environmentally superior to alternatives — it is simply a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact
1. An EPD is created and registered in the framework of a programme, based on ISO 14025.
The EPD gives the information about the environmental impacts of the product, since it is created following specific product category rules (PCR) that are common for the same category of products.
Environmental Product Declaration
EPD Process Certification
Since we develop EPDs for a high number of products, the only way to manage it in an easy, simple and reliable manner is to use an EPD Process System.
For this reason, during 2010, an EPD Process System was developed that has been verified and certified every year by a third party since 2011.
HOW DO THE CERTIFICATIONS WORK?
Organisations work hard to collect data on how they perform activities, especially highlighting climate impact factors, to publish and update EPDs continuously.
Having an EPD Process System certification assures that every data used and computed is verified in multiple steps by third parties.
EPD results let consumers compare similar products that follow the same rules for the values calculated
Q&a about co₂ footprints
Why is it important to measure carbon footprints?
Calculating carbon footprints makes it easier to understand a product’s contribution to climate change and identify the steps for limiting its impact on the environment.
Why should a company use certifications to measure climate footprints?
Since certifications are regulated, there is a consistent structure and evaluation that allows for the correct application of reporting methodologies. Therefore accurate comparisons between companies and their products can be made.
The certifications we use, LCAs and EPDs, are examples. LCAs are regulated by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 whereas EPDs are created and registered in the framework of programmes based on ISO 14025, such as the International EPD® System chosen by Wasa. EPDs registered in the International EPD System are publicly available and free to download through the EPD Library, accessible via this link.
Are products that have EPDs more sustainable?
Just because a product has an EPD does not mean that the product is inherently more sustainable than others. The certification is simply a way to be transparent on a product’s climate impact throughout its life cycle so that the data can be used to determine how sustainable a product is.
Are there other methods for measuring CO₂ footprints?
Yes, there are other approaches that organisations can use in order to measure the climate impact of a product. That is why it is important to check which method has been chosen before making comparisons between products.
For example, the RISE Food Climate Database in Sweden evaluates a product’s carbon footprint "from cradle to leaving the industry/food producer". This means that the analysis for the climate impact of a product begins with the recipes and continues through the production process, but excludes packaging. As a result, the RISE carbon footprint of crispbread is not comparable to the measurement evaluated within the EPD framework. Information on the RISE database can be found here.
Documents
Delikatess EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Havre EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Wasa 100 EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Frukost EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Sesame & sea salt EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Sandwich Cheese & Chives EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Surderg Flerkorn EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Husman EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
Delicate Crisp Rosemary & Sea Salt EPD
Take a look at the EPDs published for the following Wasa products.
