‘No sector is untouched by the damaging effects of climate change’ – Origin’s Nicola Tremayne

Leading UK speciality coffee roaster origin sees business as a force for good. Adhering to rigorous sourcing procedures that ensure fair pay to producers, Origin goes the extra mile in its responsibility to the planet and its people. Sustainability Officer Nicola Tremayne Renvp shows us how.

Fuelled by more than just exceptional coffee, Origin is committed to achieving net zero by 2030 – a challenge it will undoubtedly rise to. “We laid out a roadmap in our 2020 Sustainability Report including annual targets and longer-term targets,” Nicola explains.

Warning that “no sector is untouched by the damaging effects of climate change,” she sadly notes that “it is already being felt in many coffee-growing regions globally, affecting crop yields in 2021 particularly.”

Going forward, Origin is taking significant strides to reduce its carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels – from launching new plant-based packaging instead of plastic to installing solar panels on their roastery’s roof and replacing their diesel vehicles with electric and hybrid alternatives.

“This year we will be installing a composter at the Origin Roastery that will turn all our food waste and coffee chaff (which is currently processed out of the country) into fertile compost that can be used by our suppliers, who produce the food we sell in our café.” Optimistically, she adds, “we hope to introduce more projects that focus on the principles of a circular economy, positively impacting various independent businesses we work with.”

To other businesses that may not know where to begin, Nicola recommends “a company-wide audit, to find out exactly how much of each resource the company is using, and where savings and initiative should be focused to have the greatest impact.”

Reducing packaging and waste disposal, changing energy suppliers and introducing a cycle-to-work scheme to bring down commuting emissions are a handful of impactful actions she suggests to businesses on their journey towards sustainability. They’re as good a place as any to start.

This article is part of the serialisation of interviews featured in MaltaCEOs 2022 – an annual high-end publication bringing together some of the country’s most influential business leaders.