[Corporate Lab] Catching Fake Eco-Friendly Companies Too: "We Measure the Environmental Impact of Your Products"

Helping Companies with Life Cycle Assessment: Denmark's Maalbar
Measuring the Environmental Impact of Products
Furniture, Home Appliances, and Automobiles Included in Assessment

Editor's NoteSouth Korea ranks second in the world for corporate research and development (R&D) spending (2022) and fourth for patent applications in the United States (2020). However, the annual average growth rate of corporate productivity dropped significantly from 6.1% between 2001 and 2010 to 0.5% between 2011 and 2020. This is because productivity growth among "innovative companies," which are active in innovation, has slowed. Without change, companies will be ignored by the market. To help the industry revive its innovation DNA, we look at cases of innovation pioneered by renowned global companies. The driving force to boost Korea’s stagnant economic growth rate will be innovative companies.

"Don't be afraid of greenwashing. We measure the environmental impact of your products."

In Northern Europe, where consumers place great importance on whether products are eco-friendly, a startup that measures and provides objective data on the environmental impact of products is gaining attention. Jakob Aen, co-founder and CEO of Maalbar, a Danish company that helps businesses conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), said in an interview at the Copenhagen headquarters on the 16th of last month, "If you can measure (the carbon emissions of a product), you can control it."

Jakob Aen and Anders Koefoed, who founded Maalbar in 2020, had worked together for over a decade at a Danish furniture company. Back then, the two often clashed over how to evaluate the environmental impact of furniture. Aen wanted to highlight how eco-friendly the products were to stimulate customer demand, while Koefoed, who was responsible for measuring environmental impact, would deliver reports filled with difficult, acronym-heavy terminology. Through this process, they realized that consumers needed an objective measurement method and data to easily identify whether a product was eco-friendly, and decided to establish a startup specializing in this field.

Jakob Aen Malbar, co-founder and CEO of Maalbar, is taking a commemorative photo after completing an interview in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 16th of last month. Photo by Hyunju Lee

Maalbar is the first company in Denmark to measure and assess the environmental impact of products and provide consulting to businesses based on this data. LCA is a method that quantitatively analyzes and evaluates the environmental impact of products and services throughout their entire life cycle, including manufacturing, distribution, and disposal. In 2023, the European Union mandated that LCAs be accessible via QR codes, chips, and other means on products, which has expanded the market. Today, most Danish furniture brands receive consulting from Maalbar.

Maalbar calculates the carbon emissions generated throughout the entire process, from raw materials to distribution, to analyze the environmental impact of products. For example, in the case of a chair, they input the type and quantity of wood, the logging location, total weight, and shipping method, and conduct a comprehensive review to derive the carbon emissions as a numerical value. Maalbar goes further by running "what if" simulations. They research and propose to companies how changing the logging location or packaging materials could make the product more eco-friendly. CEO Aen said, "When we first started, there were only about 500 LCA reports issued by companies across Scandinavia, but after we launched our business, that number surged to 15 million," adding, "We make it easy for companies to measure the environmental impact of their products and help them manufacture in more eco-friendly ways, thereby contributing to a better future."

Exterior view of Molba's office located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The desks of Molba employees who work from home two days a week during the five-day workweek are empty. Photo by Hyunju Lee

Maalbar also helps prevent greenwashing by companies. Many businesses promote their products as eco-friendly after changing materials, but in reality, these changes often do not help protect the environment. Maalbar provides objective data to demonstrate this. CEO Aen explained, "We have accumulated a lot of data, which allows for accurate analysis," and added, "If a company cannot change the raw materials of a product, there are still various ways to reduce carbon emissions during packaging or shipping processes."

Initially, Maalbar's carbon emission measurements were limited to furniture, but now the range of products that can be analyzed has expanded to include home appliances, automobiles, and more. CEO Aen confidently stated, "We can measure all products except food."

Maalbar also educates students and general consumers about the impact of products on climate change and the environment, as well as how to guard against greenwashing. CEO Aen said, "It is our duty to share the diverse knowledge our company possesses," adding, "We are committed not only to helping companies reduce their negative environmental impact, but also to educating consumers so they can understand these issues and make better decisions."

Five years ago, Maalbar was founded by just two co-founders, but now the company has grown to 18 employees. The staff is diverse, including members from Germany, Spain, Italy, India, and Portugal. The company also plans to gradually expand its global business. CEO Aen said, "At first, it was difficult to make the industry understand what Maalbar does, but now it’s different," adding, "Many companies now want to work closely with Maalbar to create eco-friendly products."