TONE RIDGE, NY. — HowGood, a sustainability intelligence platform with an ingredient and product database, on Jan. 17 introduced a carbon accounting system designed to streamline ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) reporting and carbon reduction. The company’s Latis platform now provides food companies with a reflection of their corporate footprint across Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 and Scope 2 will be available for free to all platform users.
The system draws on HowGood’s database of 90,000 agricultural emission factors. It allows companies to set an emissions baseline with back-of-pack ingredient lists and standard Scope 1 and Scope 2 inputs, and it measures a company’s land-based emissions to provide brand and product level goals and abatement opportunities. Food companies also may identify where emissions hot spots are occurring in their operations to prioritize, model and track progress.
Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions come from sources owned or controlled by a company, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Scope 2 GHG emissions result from the generation of electricity, heat or steam generated off site but purchased by a company. Scope 3 GHG emissions are from sources not owned or directly controlled by a company but related to the company’s activity such as supply chains, delivery services, outsourced activities and employee travel and commuting.
“Companies across the food industry are under intense pressure to not only report on their total footprint but to be able to demonstrate immediate progress toward reduction for both direct and indirect emissions,” said Nina DePalma, head of product at Stone Ridge-based HowGood. “Historically, corporate carbon accounting has not benefited from the immense granularity and accuracy that product-level carbon footprinting brings to the table, creating silos of data that make it incredibly difficult for companies to demonstrate the impacts of the sustainability initiatives they’re undertaking.
“We are so pleased to now offer our customers a solution that bridges this gap, bringing HowGood’s product-level granularity and deep agricultural expertise to full-scope carbon accounting at the enterprise scale. It is truly what is needed to move the needle on impact reduction."