Norwegian marine ingredient supplier Epax achieved major reductions to its carbon emissions, which fell by 13.3% between 2021 and 2022, and by 9% at the end of 2023.
 
These reductions are in line with the company’s longer-term sustainability goals targeted for 2030, which are based on best practices outlined by the Science Based Targets Initiative to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
 
The cuts largely stemmed from drastic reductions in fossil fuel use, enabled by the installation of an electric boiler. In 2023, more than 95% of the energy used by Epax came from clean hydroelectric power, up from 17% in 2020. Epax intends to source 100% of its power from hydroelectric by the end of this year.
 
These milestones are highlighted in the company’s second annual Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) report, which details the company’s progress toward 2030 targets.
 
The company also noted other sustainability achievements in the report, including a 65% decrease in the amount of potable water used for cooling, with an 80% reduction relative to 2021 targeted by 2025. This was made possible thanks to the installation of a new plant that enabled Epax to use seawater for cooling.
 
The company reached 97% circularity for the use of marine biomaterials, which is significant compared to the global average of just 7.2% circularity. The company increased overall production yields and transformed materials that would have previously been treated as waste into valuable products in the food chain. Epax plans to achieve 98% bio-circularity by the end of the year.
 
The company limits its fishing to stocks certified by Friend of the Sea to ensure full traceability and sustainability of its raw materials, and plans to rely more on locally-sourced crude fish oil this year.
 
“Epax has an unwavering commitment to sustainability, and to having a positive influence on the world we live in. We’re extremely proud of our achievements over the last 12 months, particularly the fact that we now cover 95% of our energy needs with clean hydro power,” said Bjørn Refsum, CEO. “This has helped us to reduce our CO2 emissions and will be a key factor in further reducing our carbon footprint. We still have a lot of work to do, but this report marks some important milestones on our journey towards sustainability, and we hope it will inspire other manufacturers to join us.”