You love coffee and you love the planet. So you may wonder what your caffeine habit means for climate change.

Coffee isn’t a huge polluter, but it does produce greenhouse gases. A kilogram of roasted coffee can produce 40 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to Dave White, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State University, US. That means a single bag of beans can represent the same emissions as driving a few dozen miles in a petrol-powered car.

We asked the experts about the ground rules for coffee and climate.

Carbon-intensive fruit

The emissions from growing coffee beans are the biggest contributor to your drink’s carbon footprint. This includes the greenhouse gases from land-use changes, like cutting down trees, which store planet-warming carbon, to open up farmland. It also includes fertilisers. Making fertilisers generates a lot of emissions, and they produce even more when they’re applied to fields.

Cutting emissions from coffee at this stage of production has proved difficult. Furthermore, when you’re standing in the grocery store, it’s nearly impossible to know your coffee’s backstory. But researchers say there are shortcuts you can take. Look for coffee certifications, such as those offered by the Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade USA. While the most common certifications don’t focus on carbon emissions, they often promote environmentally responsible practices, such as reducing deforestation.

Smooth sailing

You might assume that shipping coffee across the world is a major source of emissions. But experts say we tend to overestimate the impact of transportation on a product’s carbon footprint, especially for goods like coffee that tend to travel on ships, not planes. So whether your coffee comes from Costa Rica or Brazil, the transportation-related emissions are low compared with what happens on the farm and in your home.

Just brew it

The way you prepare your coffee matters. Experts recommended doing what you can to cut down on the beans and energy that you use.

You should brew only what you plan to drink. Weighing the beans can help with this, and you might get a better cup in the bargain. Also, if you’re using an electric coffee machine, don’t leave it in heating mode any longer than necessary. Turn it off to save energy once you pour your last cup.

Another factor is what you put in your coffee. James Gerber, a senior scientist at Project Drawdown, a nonprofit group that evaluates climate solutions, estimated that the milk in a latte can generate twice as much emissions as the coffee itself.

Experts recommended trying a drink with less dairy — say, a macchiato rather than a cappuccino — or trying a plant-based milk.

Finally, using electricity, like a plug-in kettle or an induction cooktop, is probably better for the planet than gas. And don’t forget: You can compost those grounds.

NYTNS