Starbucks China has announced it is embracing the internet of things (IoT) to help manage and, ultimately, reduce carbon emissions.
Implementing IoT tech from energy company Univers will allow the coffee chain to digitally monitor, measure and actively reduce Scope 3 emissions across its supplier network, it said this week.
A key aim of Starbucks China is clearly to reduce its environmental impact, but the new system will also support compliance with evolving climate regulations.
More than 7,500 Starbucks stores are now connected to a new artificial intelligence and IoT platform jointly developed by Univers in association with the coffee chain.
Real-time and remote monitoring of equipment such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting, and water filtration, means Starbucks can now better understand its energy use.
As part of the arrangement, Univers’ and Starbucks plan to develop a ‘Supply Chain Carbon Management Platform’ used to track carbon emissions across core suppliers and products, including milk, beverages, food, and packaging’s. The retailer acknowledged milk is the single largest carbon emitter in its value chain and a major contributor to Scope 3 emissions, so a ‘Sustainable Dairy Digital Management Tool’ has been created to track and improve emissions in this space.
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[image credit: Starbucks]
