Carbon test

Land use change (LUC) refers to emissions related to deforestation. LUC emissions of cocoa are typically the highest contributor to the climate impact of a chocolate recipe. Following the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, there are different ways to calculate LUC, referred to as statistical LUC (sLUC, based on trade statistics and national forest extent, available from different databases) and direct LUC (dLUC, based on polygon mapping data and satellite imagery). Typically, companies with limited or no traceability to farm level apply sLUC approaches, whereas dLUC is used for fully traceable cases. The two approaches often lead to very different results and should not be compared against each other. When using this calculator, it is thus important to apply the LUC approach that is consistent with your organization’s overall footprinting methodology. For more information please refer to the GHG Protocol: https://ghgprotocol.org/land-sector-and-removals-guidance

The default setting of this calculator is Barry Callebaut's specific dLUC. We consider this method the most accurate and responsible way to consider our specific cocoa farming supply chain and its carbon footprint. Nevertheless, customers currently reporting under a sLUC approach should not switch to dLUC reporting without a recalculation of their base year (e.g. for SBTi) plus potentially other reference years. Please get in touch with Barry Callebaut for assistance in such cases. For its own reporting, Barry Callebaut has been consistently calculating its dLUC since 2019 and continues to regularly update its dLUC calculations with the most recent polygon data and satellite images.