From their humble beginnings as a Vermont coffee shop, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has evolved into Keurig Green Mountain, a $2.6 billion business listed among the 100 most reputable companies in the U.S.
In line with its core values, the company works to design, source and manufacture products that benefit the communities it touches while minimizing its environmental impact.
How does investing in carbon offsets help the company achieve its goals?
Solving the problem of corporate carbon emissions
Among other sustainable practices, Keurig Green Mountain implemented effective energy efficiency and carbon management plans to reduce onsite greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2003, however, the sustainability team faced a dilemma: the company’s growth had increased their carbon footprint.
Keurig Green Mountain recognized that despite their emissions reduction efforts, part of the carbon footprint would remain. They needed to find a way to reduce these emissions, so they looked to socially responsible carbon offsets to provide the solution.
Supporting local economic development
The Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine is a 750kW wind turbine built in 2003 on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota.
As the first tribally owned, large scale wind turbine in the US, tribal officials see this as the start of an economic development initiative that will bring a vital industry to the reservation.
Keurig Green Mountain helped fund the Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine by purchasing HelpBuild certified carbon offsets. The turbine helps:
- Cut 46,226 metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution
- Produce enough clean electricity each year to supply about 200 homes
- Bolster the local economy by providing income to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Helping rebuild a devastated community
To achieve its goal to mitigate 100% of unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions, Keurig Green Mountain has helped build more than 11 projects with NativeEnergy since 2003, including the 12.5MW Greensburg Wind Farm.
After a tornado destroyed 95% of the town of Greensburg, Kansas, in 2007, the residents committed to rebuild their community as ‘the greenest town in America’.
The wind energy project was developed with critical upfront financing from NativeEnergy, funded collectively by clients including Keurig Green Mountain.
The energy generated by the wind farm displaces 488,200 metric tons of carbon pollution that otherwise would enter the atmosphere.
It generates enough energy to power 4,000 homes – more than enough for every home, business and municipal facility in Greensburg – and creates significant economic and environmental benefits for local people as the community continues to rebuild.
Keurig Green Mountain subsequently decided to play a bigger role in the Greensburg Wind Farm and agreed to a multi-year contract for over 50% of the offsets from the project, which enables them to build a known price for carbon into their budgets.
This also allows the company to fulfill the pledge they made to mitigate their effect on climate change, and achieves a greater goal for Keurig Green Mountain by supporting local communities.
Socially progressive offsets enables Keurig Green Mountain’s social agency
NativeEnergy’s HelpBuild certified carbon offsets enable organizations to provide finance to carbon reduction projects that would otherwise not happen.
Investors such as Keurig Green Mountain are able to reduce their corporate greenhouse gas emissions and directly help build community-based projects that create a better world.
To achieve your corporate carbon reduction goals and boost your CSR performance, read about Helpbuild projects here or contact us for more information.