Feed produces most of aquaculture's carbon emissions – and BioMar wants to change that.
Launching its annual Sustainability Report on 18 April, BioMar announced it has become the first aquafeed company to have its carbon reduction targets independently validated as meeting the 1.5°C trajectory established through the Paris Agreement.
Aiming for 1.5°C is currently the most ambitious designation available through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) process, BioMar noted in its report.
"As around 80% of the carbon emissions of aquaculture farming come from the feed, our customers expect BioMar to take ambitious steps quickly to reduce our emissions," said Vidar Gundersen, Global Sustainability Director of BioMar Group.
In its press statement on the news, BioMar noted that "the next 10-20 years will be decisive for whether we will manage to reverse the trend of global warming".
The SBTi process provides companies with a clearly-defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. More than 4,000 businesses around the world are already working with the initiative to reduce their emissions, aiming to limit global warming to a peak of 1.5°C by 2050.
BioMar's 2022 Sustainability Report outlines the company's ambitious reduction targets validated by the SBTi initiative.
According to the report, in 2022, the average BioMar group feed CF was 2.08 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per tonne of feed produced, down approximately 5.5% from BioMar's 2020 baseline.
This reduction was largely achieved, the report states, through "decarbonising electricity sources at the factory level, implementing low-emission boiler technologies and working with key suppliers to cut raw material emissions."
In its statement launching the report, the Group noted it has collaborated with suppliers in creating improvement programmes to "reduce environmental impacts and increase circular and restorative practices".
"Applied, science-based sustainability is a mantra at BioMar, and data quality is key. We have skilled global and local teams working with cutting-edge tools and methodologies for optimised sustainability solutions. We will all reach our targets sooner by collaborating together through the value chain," said Gundersen.
Last year, the Group undertook a series of environmental and social community projects to mark its 60th year in business.
"We undertook the biggest strategy process in the history of BioMar. An outcome of our new strategy is to go beyond feed and hopefully pave the way for BioMar to become an even better solutions provider," said CEO Carlos Diaz.
"Our new strategy, ABOVE & BEYOND, will guide our actions and initiatives until 2028. It is an ambitious strategy with exciting opportunities, and sustainability is no longer just a part of the strategy – it is the strategy," he concluded.
BioMar is a world leader in high performance diets for more than 45 different fish and shrimp species in more than 80 countries. Founded in 1962 by a group of Danish fish farmers, BioMar's heritage is a long-term commitment to developing the aquaculture industry in a responsible and sustainable way.