Going for 1.5˚C

In 2021, we continued to make steady progress towards our targets and have so far achieved a 40% relative reduction in CO₂ emissions at our breweries (Scope 1 and 2) since 2015.

Reducing our carbon emissions is a critical focus within our wider Together Towards ZERO and Beyond (TTZAB) programme. Since 2015 we have been investing to eliminate coal from all our breweries by 2022, to eliminate carbon emissions at our breweries by 2030 (Scope 1 and2), and to achieve a 30% reduction in our overall beer-in-hand (value chain) carbon footprint by 2030. Building on the progress made so far, we will additionally invest in achieving net zero emissions across the entire value chain by 2040 – from growing barley in the field to recycling bottles and cans.

Back in 2017, Carlsberg was one of the first ten companies – and the first brewer – in the world to have its carbon targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which is aligned with the 1.5°C goal within the Paris Agreement. The SBTi sets out emission reduction guidance for companies to adhere to, based on climate science, in order to mitigate global temperature increases to 1.5°C. We are happy to see that the movement has since grown to more than 1660 companies with science-based targets from different industries and regions of the world and expect our new net zero targets to also be approved within the next two years.

Currently, 87% of our beer-in-hand footprint comes not from our own breweries but from other areas in the value chain, spread across thousands of partners and suppliers. Hence, to achieve our heightened carbon ambitions, we will have to leverage strong long-term partnerships with others across the value chain.

We have invited our suppliers to join the SBTi, and we are happy to see an increasing number of suppliers making commitments, setting carbon reduction targets, and getting these approved by the SBTi. For instance, 41% of our beer-in-hand emissions is associated with packaging, and now more than 65% of packaging-related emissions come from suppliers with approved SBTi targets. These suppliers include Ball Corporation, BA Glass, CANPACK Group, Crown Holdings, DS Smith, O-I Glass, Petainer, Verallia, Vidrala, and WestRock Company. As a result of this, roughly 28% of our value chain carbon footprint comes from companies that are aligned with the best available climate science.