Carbon footprint of frozen pangasius fillet: a case study

Carbon footprint has become an important issue in the world trade, and can potentially be incorporated into sustainability and ecolabel certification schemes. As the leading seafood producers, Indonesia should start to reduce the carbon footprint of its seafood products, especially those destined for export, to minimize the impact on the environment and to safeguard its product in the world market. The present study aimed to determine the carbon footprint of frozen pangasius fillets produced at PT. KMM, Purwakarta. The carbon footprint was calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment method with a standard emission factor during 3-month observation covering post-harvest, processing, and distribution. Results showed that the total carbon footprint of frozen pangasius fillets was 1.48 kg CO2eq/kg product. The highest emission was in the processing, freezing, and storage, i.e., about 71% (mainly from electricity, ice, and refrigerant), of which refrigerant contributed 41%. The lowest CO2 emission was in the administration office and lighting (1.4%).