Fuelling Curiosity, Fuelling Change:
Škoda Auto’s Fair Coffee
Curiosity Fuel Coffee - Sustainable Innovation in Every Cup
At Škoda Auto, we care about quality and understanding the context of what we do and the origin of what we consume. The road towards sustainability is complex, involving various initiatives and innovative ideas from our dedicated teams. These ideas often arise during casual conversations with colleagues, moments of unexpected inspiration, or reflective breaks over a coffee.
Introducing Curiosity Fuel
Starting from 1 October 2023, we’re rolling out a new coffee called Curiosity Fuel across the company. This special blend is grown, roasted, and packaged in a way that is friendly to both nature and farmers. Specially created for Škoda Auto, Curiosity Fuel is designed to inspire our staff with fresh ideas and further our sustainability objectives as outlined in our Strategy 2030.
Ethical Sourcing and Community Support
In partnership with leading agricultural experts, family-owned farms in India and Tanzania are carefully selected to supply Curiosity Fuel coffee beans. These farms are committed to preserving nature and local communities. After a successful pilot programme, we aligned this initiative with the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainability criteria to ensure we consistently pay these farmers a fair price, support environmental conservation, and protect regional biodiversity. Additionally, we’re exploring projects that support communities, including an initiative to improve the educational facilities at a local school in India.
Locally Roasted in the Czech Republic
From the farms, the coffee is shipped directly to Mladá Boleslav, where we roast it in collaboration with Jablum, a Czech family-owned roastery based in Bezděčín. Since 2007, Jablum has been building a fair and sustainable coffee trade in the Czech Republic. After roasting, the coffee makes a short trip to Škoda Auto, where Curiosity Fuel has been available since 1 October 2023.
Promoting Fairness Across All Levels
Over time, the entire company will transition to Curiosity Fuel. This way, everyone – from assembly line workers to company executives – will be able to share the same inspiration with every cup. This commitment to equity and responsibility among all employees is a cornerstone of Škoda’s sustainability vision under our Strategy 2030.
Coffee for the Circular Economy
The story of the Curiosity Fuel does not end with enjoying a morning cup. In our pursuit of sustainable innovation, we’re collaborating with Bader to repurpose coffee cherry husks to tan the leather for the seats of our Kodiaq
and Octavia. We’re also working on a way to use the husks from our own Curiosity Fuel coffee in this process so that our coffee can truly become a part of our everyday quest for more sustainable production at Škoda Auto.
Coffee for the Circular Economy
The story of the Curiosity Fuel does not end with enjoying a morning cup. In our pursuit of sustainable innovation, we’re collaborating with Bader to repurpose coffee cherry husks to tan the leather for the seats of our Kodiaq and Octavia. We’re also working on a way to use the husks from our own Curiosity Fuel coffee in this process so that our coffee can truly become a part of our everyday quest for more sustainable production at Škoda Auto.
From Beans to Sustainable Action
Enjoying a cup of Curiosity Fuel won’t necessarily be a world-changing experience. But by savouring the coffee, especially in a reusable cup, and properly disposing of coffee-related waste, our staff are contributing to a better future. At Škoda Auto, we believe many small actions can lead to substantial change, and choosing Curiosity Fuel is one step towards a more sustainable future for everyone.