At Jebsen & Jessen, our approach to carbon neutrality comes from our commitment to our people, our communities and our environment. In 2008, we pledged to become carbon neutral and immediately embarked on a journey to start a self-imposed voluntary carbon offsetting programme and pushed for all business units to be ISO 14001 certified. By 2011, we were officially carbon neutral. We remain committed to ongoing improvements in reducing our environmental impact and actively seeking innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
Our Three-Step Approach to Carbon Neutrality
Step 1: Carbon Measurement
We use our in-house developed and integrated gTool to measure our carbon footprint. The calculations follow the Greenhouse Gas Protocol of 2008 by measuring the emissions by all three scopes of impact:
- Scope 1: All fossil fuels used for production sites.
- Scope 2: All purchased electricity.
- Scope 3: All travel related emissions from cars, ferry and air travel.
Step 2: Carbon Reduction
Our priority is to reduce our carbon footprint. We achieve this through energy efficiency initiatives and conversion of high-carbon to low-carbon energy sources. For instance, we switched from coal-based to biomass-based fuel for our Packaging manufacturing plant in Vietnam or installed solar panels in our Packaging manufacturing plant in Malaysia.
Step 3: Carbon Offset
We offset the remaining emissions with carbon credits from high-quality, verified carbon offset projects around the world to achieve a net zero carbon footprint. In 2020, we reinforce our commitment to climate change by becoming a signatory of the Family Business Pledge 2020 to advance sustainability practices of family businesses through taking action on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are committed to reducing our contribution to global warming and maintaining our carbon neutral status. We look forward to doing business with our partners and customers in a sustainable manner.
Our Environmental Initiatives
Environment, Health & Safety (EHS)
The foundation of our sustainability principles can be traced back to the strong commitment we made towards EHS standards, led by Chairman Heinrich Jessen, who recognised the importance of establishing a dedicated EHS programme for the entire Group upon joining the family business. We have successfully attained globally recognised standards such as ISO 14001 for environmental management across the entire Group, and ensure that newly acquired entities align with these standards upon joining our Group.
As part of our EHS policy, we have put into effect several group-wide initiatives promoting the environment. Our aim is to become and environmentally excellent which does business in an environmentally superior manner. We try to find opportunities to prevent any waste or pollutant from being generated in the first place, be efficient and productive with our resources to make our products and offer our services, and procure in the environmentally most responsible way.
Meet a Green Need Programme
The Meet a Need programme, launched by Chairman Heinrich Jessen in 2007, is a Group-wide initiative that combines corporate volunteering with funding for social and environmental projects in the ASEAN region. The programme offers hands-on opportunities for staff to support our local communities.
As part of our Meet a Need programme, one specific pillar is our Meet a Green Need programme, focusing on the environment. We partner with non-profit organisations such as WWF, World Vision, Orbis International, Conservation International, MSF, Nature Society Singapore, and others to get engaged in environmental projects across the region in which we operate.
To date, we have been involved in more than 10 environmental projects in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
