We care, because you care.
Producing environmentally friendly products has always been part of our purpose, and the furniture we produce goes beyond this and actually has a positive environmental and social impact as we continue to keep tonnes of plastic out of our landfill and oceans. We are committed to reducing the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHGs) generated by our business operations across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 with our roadmap and reduction plan. In order to achieve, and report on, our Carbon Reduction Plan we have established our carbon emissions, using 2021 as the baseline year.
It is important to note here that although the use of 100% recycled plastic for furniture means we save over 1,000 tCO2e each year we still generate carbon in everything we do. It is not right to just use this to offset our carbon footprint, which would make us carbon positive. Therefore below, you can see our emissions for the past 4 years which are calculated in line with the GHG Protocol and, for UK businesses, DEFRA guidelines. Our reduction targets are aligned with climate science, and are science-based targets.
Our Carbon Footprint
Our business is operated on lean principles and our carbon emissions are already 50% lower than the average manufacturing business of comparable size.
Carbon emissions are measured and calculated following recognised Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocols which DEFRA subscribes to here in the UK. There are a number of Greenhouse Gas emissions that are measured and calculated and are generally referred to as “carbon emissions” or CO2e. These are categorised into three Scopes: 1, 2 and 3.
2021 Emissions
The breakdown for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 are:
2022 Emissions
The breakdown for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 are:
2023 Emissions
The breakdown for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 are:
2024 Emissions
The breakdown for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 are:
Total:
970.23 tCO2e
Percentage Change
Total:
1,236.40 tCO2e
2022 compared to 2021
+ 27.43%
Total:
717.42 tCO2e
2023 compared to 2022
– 41.98%
Total:
614.04 tCO2e
2022 compared to 2021
– 14.41%
Using 2021 as our baseline to start our carbon emission reporting highlights how difficult a journey this might be. You will see our 2022 figures were higher than 2021. As we were still under Covid restrictions in 2021 we were limited in what we could purchase due to supply chain issues. This meant our scope 3 emissions were low in 2021.
As the supply chains opened up in 2022 we could re-stock our raw materials and this increased our scope 3 emissions. Then in 2022 we had the energy crisis hit. We were left with no choice but to move our gas supply from a green energy tariff. This increased our scope 1 emissions.
This shows that external factors, beyond our control can thwart the best laid plans. However, reporting our emissions transparently helps us to focus on areas that we do have control over to continue to reduce our emissions. Proof of this is demonstrated in the 13.2% reduction we achieved in 2023 over 2022.
Scope 1 and 2 emissions include the greenhouse gases that TDP has control over which include our factory operations, and energy that we purchase.
Scope 3 emissions, which arise from our supply chains, are classed as outside our control. This includes materials and goods we purchase, supplier transport costs, etc. For example, the couriers and transport companies we use to deliver our products make their own decisions about what vehicles and fuel they use.
Scope 3 emissions form the bulk of our carbon emissions, which is the case for most businesses. From the outset, we have always chosen our suppliers carefully based on their environmental and social credentials. This is an important part of our ethos and is something we will continue to do, working collaboratively with suppliers so that we can all work to achieve Net Zero, as well as having a positive impact on the environment and society.