unsaveSave
The trees that would compensate for the emissions from Swedish hamburgers have led to hunger in Uganda.
Now Max is appointing an independent investigation of the entire project.
– We have started the procurement of an audit firm and hope to finish it as soon as possible, says the fast food chain’s head of sustainability Kaj Török.
The Ugandan government will also now review the tree planting.
ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.
Show more
chevron-down
This weekend Aftonbladet revealed how the fast food chain Max tree planting in Uganda – which would help both save the climate and fight poverty – has led to hunger.
On Tuesday, Max made a decision to hire an independent auditing firm, which will review the project. The hamburger chain will also travel to Uganda themselves.
– We take the information from Aftonbladet very seriously. If the information is correct, then it goes completely against what we want to achieve, says Max Burger’s CEO Richard Bergfors in A statement.
The local organization Ecotrust and Max’s long-standing Swedish partner Zeromission, which sells the carbon credits, will also now be scrutinized. No new agreement will be signed until the review is complete and Max has received guarantees that the project will be managed according to agreement, according to the fast food chain.
For eight days, Aftonbladet sought Max for an interview, something the chain denied. On Tuesday, however, sustainability manager Kaj Török agreed to answer questions by email.
expand-left
fullscreen Max appoints independent investigation after Aftonbladet’s disclosure. Photo: Niclas Hammarström / Niclas Hammarström
Partners are also reviewed
– We have started the procurement of an audit firm and hope to finish it as soon as possible. We will consult with the auditors on how the work should be done in the best way to ensure as accurate and complete a report as possible, says Török.
When do you expect to be able to present the finished report?
– We hope that the review will be completed within two or three months.
You also state that you will review your Zeromission. How will this be done?
– It is in our common interest to get to the bottom of this. We are in ongoing conversations with ZeroMission and we are convinced that they want to cooperate on the review.
“Other picture”
You now state that it was known that the project had challenges. What have these challenges been, have you known them yourself and if so, what have you done to meet them?
– We have taken part in project reports, third-party reviews and research. The information we have received is that the project takes complaints seriously and that improvements are being made. Aftonbladet’s report shows a different picture and that is why we are now initiating an independent external audit to get as complete a picture as possible, says Kaj Török.
We have now been looking for you for an interview for a week. What is the reason why you do not want to meet or be heard on the phone?
– These are complex questions and facts that need to be followed up, which is why we have preferred to respond by email.
The government must review
The Ugandan government will also now review the project. The country’s climate commissioner Margaret Athieno Mwebesa writes in an email to Aftonbladet:
– As responsible for climate issues, I will raise the issue. I am really sorry to hear this and I will also raise this with my permanent secretary.
The commissioner also states that the Ugandan government plans to regulate the trade in carbon credits, with the aim of protecting poor farmers from “unfair trade”.