BLK & Bold’s Journey to Climate Action

Oct 15, 2025

Partnering with purpose

We are proud to partner with BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages on their climate journey.

Together, we are taking action on one of the coffee industry’s most pressing challenges – climate change – and demonstrating how sustainability leadership is possible for businesses of any size.

BLK & Bold supported by SGS on their sustainability journey. Episode 2 on carbon counting.

Watch the story unfold

Follow BLK & Bold’s journey through our four-part video series and discover how small and medium businesses can start their climate action journey.

Coffee with purpose meets climate responsibility

BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages, the largest independently owned social impact coffee brand in the US, was founded by lifelong friends Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar. Certified as a B Corp and committed to donating 5% of profits to underserved youth, the company has always been driven by purpose. Today, that purpose has expanded, tackling one of the coffee industry’s biggest challenges: climate change.

Brewing change: BLK & Bold’s 4-step path to sustainable impact

From greenhouse gas training to hands-on learning with coffee growers in Peru, BLK & Bold is proving that small businesses can play an active role in climate solutions.

A shared mission for impact
To strengthen their climate action journey, BLK & Bold partnered with us under our IMPACT NOW for sustainability program. Through greenhouse gas (GHG) training, carbon footprint calculations and decarbonization planning, we are helping the team define a science-based path toward emissions reduction.

What makes this partnership unique is its focus on proving that sustainability is not just for large corporations. With the right support, small and medium-sized businesses lead by example.
Learning from the ground up
As part of their journey, Rod Johnson traveled to San Ignacio, Peru, to meet coffee growers firsthand. There, he gained insights into sustainable farming practices, drought-resistant coffee varieties and the realities of climate change for producers. These lessons will shape how BLK & Bold builds sustainability into its sourcing practices from the ground up.
From planning to action
Back in the US, the team has begun applying what they learned. From investigating recycled content in packaging to gathering transport data for freight emissions, every step builds toward their ambition of becoming the highest-scoring certified B Corp coffee company in the world.
IMPACT NOW for sustainability
With guidance from Adam Hammes, VP of Sustainability Assurance at SGS, BLK & Bold is demonstrating how IMPACT NOW for sustainability can turn ambition into measurable action. Training, data and collaboration are empowering this purpose-driven business to plan its decarbonization strategy and inspire others in the coffee sector.