Delico AG: Climate action, well done

Delico AG is a Swiss family-owned company that has been bringing branded products to the Swiss food market since 1981. The company imports food from around 80 suppliers across approximately 20 countries and distributes them through its network in the food industry.

Delico takes a structured approach to climate action, embedding it into its business processes. Since 2020, the company has been preparing its Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) in collaboration with ClimatePartner Switzerland, following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. In addition, Delico pursues validated climate targets as an SME under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Knowing where you stand

Effective climate action starts with a simple question: where do your emissions actually come from?

For Delico, answering that question was the first, and one of the hardest, steps. The company needed to build internal expertise in carbon accounting from the ground up, creating a reliable data foundation that could support realistic reduction targets and a clear decarbonisation strategy.

Turning data into direction

With that foundation in place, Delico worked with ClimatePartner to prepare a CCF and pinpoint the emissions hotspots. Two areas stood out: energy consumption and mobility. ClimatePartner supported the structured data collection, helped assess the emissions hotspots, and guided the definition of science-based reduction targets under the SBTi framework for SMEs:

• 40% reduction in scope 1 emissions by 2030
• Permanent reduction of scope 2 emissions to zero

Putting plans into practice

With clear priorities set, Delico moved from strategy to action. The company began gradually electrifying its vehicle fleet and introduced incentives for employees to use public transport.

On the energy side, external consultants were brought in to identify savings potential in office buildings, leading to targeted efficiency improvements complemented by on-site power generation through a photovoltaic system. Step by step, Delico is lowering its operational footprint.

Going beyond its own four walls

But Delico's commitment doesn't stop at its own emissions. The company also supports two climate projects: forest conservation in Colombia and access to clean drinking water in Uganda. As a ClimatePartner certified company, Delico makes this engagement visible right down to product level, with its chilli sauce "Baergfeuer" carrying the ClimatePartner certified label.

By openly communicating its carbon footprint, reduction measures, and project contributions, Delico keeps its climate commitment transparent and traceable.

A strategy built to last

Today, Delico has a robust overview of its emissions and their key drivers, steering its climate measures on the basis of concrete data and tracking progress against validated SBTi targets. By combining science-based goals, hands-on operational changes, and support for climate projects, the company has made climate action a permanent part of how it does business.

And the journey continues. ClimatePartner remains at Delico's side with annual carbon accounting and target monitoring to the ongoing evolution of its climate strategy.