Success story

How GrowUp Farms Drives Data-Led Sustainability

UK-based vertical farming company transforms carbon management system with Altruistiq, using emissions insights to drive packaging innovation and strategic growth.

The Challenge

Managing emissions in Excel became overwhelming as the business grew. Manual processes could lead to errors and unreliable data, difficult to share or use.

The Solution

Altruistiq provided a platform for structured carbon accounting, expert support, and tools that turn emissions data into clear insights for decision-making.

The Results

GrowUp Farms identified hotspots in packaging and capital goods, re-certified for B Corp, and turned emission insights into practical actions.

The Challenge

GrowUp Farms revolutionises food production through large-scale vertical farming across the UK. Their purpose is to change the world by growing better. Their Excel-based carbon accounting couldn't scale with their ambitions:

Growing Complexity

As the business expanded, managing emissions data across capital goods, operations, and supply chain in Excel became overwhelming.

Risk of Calculation Errors

Due to manual processes, calculation mistakes could easily go unnoticed, undermining the entire carbon inventory.

Unusable Data

The team lacked confidence in their calculations, making it impossible to share or use the data to identify and support reduction opportunities.

The Solution

GrowUp Farms evaluated carbon accounting platforms to find a solution that could scale with their growing business. Altruistiq’s unique capabilities are:

#1. Easy Calculations

The platform provides a structured methodology that guides users through every required data category and calculation. This systematic approach ensures nothing gets missed.

#2. Expert Advisory

The 'Ask your Advisor' feature connects you with AQ sustainability experts. When GrowUp Farms faced complex questions about fertiliser emissions in their closed-loop water system and how wastewater treatment impacts their footprint, Altruistiq's experts provided technical guidance that would typically require expensive consultancy fees.

#3. Data Analytics

The Explore Data module transforms raw emissions data into actionable insights. Teams can now query their data to identify top emission sources, create visual reports, and share findings.

"Having a platform built by people who understand the GHG Protocol is a massive benefit. Being able to confidently stand next to the numbers coming out of the AQ platform is invaluable."

Elliot Baird
Impact Analyst, GrowUp Farms

"Having a platform built by people who understand the GHG Protocol is a massive benefit. Being able to confidently stand next to the numbers coming out of the AQ platform is invaluable."

Elliot Baird
Impact Analyst, GrowUp Farms

The Results

Plastic Packaging Innovation

Altruistiq's hotspot analysis confirmed plastic packaging as a major emissions source. GrowUp Farms now uses film made from 70% recycled cooking oil and, with positive numbers coming from Altruistiq, can now plan to expand this across all products. The data gives them clear justification for further investment in sustainable packaging: not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because the numbers prove it's necessary.

“Thanks to Altruistiq, we can hold up these numbers and say, there's science behind this. This is a hotspot for us and we need to deal with it.”

Strategic Decision-Making


Emissions data showed steel as another big hotspot during expansion planning. Now the team considers refurbished steel from other warehouses instead of buying new. Every growth phase uses emissions insights to make better choices.

B Corp Certification

Altruistiq's GHG Protocol-compliant inventory helped secure GrowUp Farms’ B Corp recertification. The platform provided the comprehensive carbon accounting required by B Corp standards, something that would have been way harder with the old spreadsheet system. GrowUp Farms is now also better positioned to meet the strengthened carbon requirements of the new B Corp standards.

Three Key Benefits of Using AQ
  • Expert Advisory Support: Direct access to sustainability experts who guide you from platform usage to complex technical questions. This consultancy-level support is always available through the 'Ask your Advisor' feature.
  • Powerful Data Exploration: The platform enables teams to join datasets together and create custom visualisations. This capability represents a massive leap forward in how emissions data can be analysed and presented.
  • Time & Resource Savings: No need to manage hundreds of spreadsheets. Altruistiq’s integrated platform saves significant time and reduces the operational headaches of maintaining multiple file systems.