KFE leads the way by hitting carbon neutral goal

Frying range supplier KFE has achieved its goal of becoming a carbon neutral company through what it describes as “an ambitious program of reducing and offsetting our carbon emissions”. 

KFE is the first supplier in the industry to take the lead on tackling carbon emissions, reducing its impact on the environment and putting it ahead of targets set by the UK government to eliminate its contribution to climate change by 2050.

The company started on its pathway to carbon neutrality in 2021 when it teamed up with ClimatePartner, a leading corporate climate action solution provider, to recognise and calculate its CO2 emissions. This assessed everything from heat and light in the office, paper usage, waste and recycling, staff travel and service and sales team vehicles.

During 2022, KFE worked to reduce these emissions, replacing the sales teams’ diesel vehicles with Teslas and installing office charge points powered by recycled/nuclear energy with zero CO2 emissions.

Flights were reduced as was paper printing, while staff now share lifts and more energy-efficient kitchen equipment has been installed.

The final part of the puzzle was to offset all unavoidable carbon emissions, which KFE has now achieved through internationally recognised carbon offset projects.

Schemes that align with the industry were selected, in particular nature-based solutions such as Ocean Protection – Worldwide, which protects marine life, microorganisms and endangered species by cleaning our oceans of plastic. For every 10kg of plastic collected, KFE can offset one tonne of CO2. This corresponds to approximately 500 plastic bottles. 

KFE can now display the Climate Partner “Carbon Neutral” label, verifying the carbon neutrality of its company. This includes a unique ID-Tracking number to help customers understand how and where carbon emissions have been offset.

Paul Williams, managing director at KFE, has driven the move to become carbon neutral. He says: “Sustainability and energy efficiency have always been a focus at KFE, it’s why our Kiremko frying ranges feature the highest efficiency pans on the market, cutting carbon emissions by up to 50%. 

“But we wanted to do more as a company as we are seeing the negative impacts that climate change is having on our planet more and more.”

Paul stresses that this isn’t a one-off and says he will commit the finances and resources each year to reduce its carbon emissions and offset further.

He adds: “We are also looking at ways that we can now share our knowledge to help our customers reduce their carbon emissions, leading to a greener industry and a better future for generations to come.

“Anyone buying a Kiremko frying range can be certain that they are buying from the most socially responsible, ethical and environmentally aware supplier, which they, in turn, can communicate to their customers.”