UK and Ireland-based drinks company C&C Group has announced that its greenhouse gas reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), in line with a below 2 °C trajectory.
Validation of the Irish manufacturer’s emission reductions follows an assessment process over the last year and recognises C&C’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and commitment to target setting and emissions reporting.
C&C has committed to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 35% by 2030 and Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030. The company has also committed to suppliers and customers that make up 67% of Scope 3 emissions will have science-based targets in place by 2026.
SBTi encourages companies to set science-based targets in the transition to the low-carbon economy. The initiative is a partnership between leading climate agencies, CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments.
SBTi defines and promotes the best practices in science-based target setting, offering resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets. C&C joins over 4,000 organisations worldwide committed to the SBTi.
C&C’s emissions reduction targets form part of the Group’s wider ESG strategy, which includes being a carbon-neutral business by 2050, at the latest.
“Validation of our emissions reduction targets by SBTi is another key step in progressing the Group’s sustainability agenda and we look forward to working towards delivering these targets,” said David Forde, CEO of C&C. “C&C’s commitment to environmental stewardship, delivery of our sustainability objectives and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, are central to the Group’s long-term strategy and role we play in wider society.”
Progress in the food and beverage industry
A report recently revealed that many of the world’s largest food and beverage companies are struggling to keep up with their net zero pledges due to one key area, scope 3 emissions.
The study evaluated the performance of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, including Danone, General Mills, JBS, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Mondelez International, Nestlé and PepsiCo, against their net zero carbon reduction targets. Despite acknowledging challenges with reconciling multiple data points and methodologies, the study claims that the scale of the challenge faced by the industry is clear.
This announcement from C&C represents a welcome step in the right direction in the UK beverage industry.
