Pablo & Rusty

Date Published: 02/2021

In 2020, Pablo & Rusty's achieved Climate Active carbon neutral certification and has been a Certified B Corporation since 2017. These accreditations reflect the company's commitment to operating responsibly and minimising its environmental and social impact.

As CEO Abdullah Ramay explains, "Our first goal was to make sure that we are not a negative force on our society and environment." Together, these certifications provide independent verification of that commitment for customers and suppliers.

About Pablo & Rusty

Pablo & Rusty's was founded in 2003 by Saxon Wright. He named the business after his two coffee-loving brothers-in-law.

Initially, Wright opened a café on Sydney's North Shore with a small off-site roastery. Today, Pablo & Rusty's supplies numerous cafés, and roasting is its core business. Just two Pablo & Rusty's cafés remain, in the Sydney and Brisbane CBDs. These are "sand pits" for testing coffees, equipment and ideas, says Ramay.

From the beginning, Wright wanted to drive change in the industry. He understood the environmental harm caused by single-use disposables and the landfill impact of non-recyclable, non-compostable products. Wright envisioned a zero-waste model that would apply at every level of the Pablo & Rusty's supply chain.

The broader vision is one of sustainability and stewardship, which the coffee roaster believes is essential for a brighter future for the industry. As such, technology and innovation have taken the coffee roaster across the world and driven the development of environmentally friendly systems and products, such as biodegradable specialty pods.

Verifiable Sustainability

Why not simply pursue sustainability without the accreditations? Why Climate Active and B Corp?

According to Ramay, sustainability claims without certification can often be perceived as marketing. Certification provides independent verification and assurance. This was a key reason for pursuing carbon neutrality through the Australian Government-backed Climate Active program. It gives employees, customers and business partners confidence and builds autshenticity and trust.

Wherever possible, this commitment extends to sourcing suppliers and business partners with similar values. The coffee roaster found that alignment with Pangolin Associates during its Climate Active certification process. Pangolin is Climate Active certified and, like Pablo & Rusty's, a Certified B Corporation. Both organisations are recognised nationally and globally as a force for good through their environmental and social responsibility.

Granular Carbon Footprint for Certification

Pangolin's team measured Pablo & Rusty's organisational carbon footprint, ensuring the data was comprehensive, accurate and met Climate Active requirements. Pangolin assisted with all aspects of the application, including the Public Disclosure Summary detailing the company's emissions reduction strategy.

After calculating the footprint, Pangolin managed the company's carbon offsets and ensured all documentation was ready for third-party verification. This independent audit is a mandatory step in achieving Climate Active certification, confirming an accurate and unbiased assessment of emissions.

Ramay points out that the detailed footprint provides valuable insights, helping Pablo & Rusty's identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Offsetting Emissions on the Path to Net Zero

Offsetting emissions that cannot be eliminated is an important step towards achieving net zero. Pablo & Rusty's chose 3,105 run-of-river hydroelectric power generation carbon credits. The project, the 300 MW Hydropower Project by JHPL, is located in Kuppa, Himachal Pradesh, India. It feeds renewable electricity into the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB), supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources.

As an energy-intensive business, Pablo & Rusty's selected the hydropower project because it aligned with the company's focus on clean, renewable electricity. Find Pablo & Rusty's carbon credit retirement on the Verra Registry.

Pablo & Rusty's Sustainability Actions

At the North Ryde Location

• Installed solar panels and LED lighting with motion sensors at the North Ryde head office and distribution facility.
• Reduced paper consumption through digital technologies and systems.
• Prioritised local suppliers with strong sustainability credentials.

Additional Innovations and Actions

• Introduced biodegradable cups and lids, becoming one of the first coffee roasters to do so.
• Eliminated factory waste by providing coffee husks to local farming initiatives.
• Began developing biodegradable specialty coffee pods.
• Launched Nitro Coffee in a can, a more sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
• Sent coffee grounds to compost.
• Implemented multiple waste streams for improved recycling and resource recovery.
• Supported environmental restoration through a tree-planting program in Western Australia.

Employee Engagement

• Provided sustainability bonuses to encourage the use of public transport.
• Reduced travel-related emissions through flexible work arrangements and digital meetings.

Goals for the Company's Impact 2025 Strategy

Pablo & Rusty's established three key goals to be achieved by 31 December 2025:

• Donate 1% of revenue to environmental initiatives through 1% for the Planet.
• Ensure 100% of packaging is sustainable, either recyclable or compostable.
• Increase its B Corp score to more than 100 points.