Integrated carbon footprint accounting for coffee: A new perspective on low-carbon and sustainable living

Abstract

Coffee is a beverage with a long history and is still widely popular. In China, the coffee industry is experiencing vigorous development and the greenhouse gas emissions of the coffee industry cannot be ignored. This study takes a 300 mL cup of coffee as the functional unit and established the life cycle model, including the carbon emissions of farming, processing, transportation, consumption and treatment stage. The results show that the carbon emissions of a Latte (0.967 kg CO₂e) are higher than those of an Americano (0.878 kg CO₂e). The carbon emissions of milk account for 75.45 % of those of a Latte, while ultrafiltration water is the main contributor to carbon emissions of an Americano (0.298 kg CO₂e, 34.01 %). Secondly, the use of fertilizers during the farming stage accounts for 25.48 % to 28.04 % of the carbon emissions. In addition, solutions were provided for the coffee industry in China to reduce carbon emission.