Lion commits to 100 per cent renewable electricity-powered brewing by 2025

Lion has announced an increase in efforts to become carbon neutral, made public in November, with a goal of 100 per cent renewable energy powering its breweries by 2025 and initiating a “whole brewery” carbon reduction approach throughout the company and its supply chain.

Lion described its reduction approach as “including energy efficiency, biogas utilisation, rooftop solar, renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) through to providing brewers grain to reduce livestock emissions.” According to a release from the company, it has so far reduced its carbon footprint by 28 per cent from a 2015 baseline of 106,000 tonnes of CO2.

Tasman Environmental Markets has provided Lion with a selection of abatement projects for investing in offsets, focussing on “bush regeneration and protect vital habitat and food sources for native wildlife.” After offsets, according to Lion, it had achieved carbon neutral status, and this was a first for a large Australian brewer.

On Wednesday it also announced a 100 per cent renewable energy commitment for its brewing operations by 2025. Lion’s brands include XXX, Boag’s Little Creatures and Tooheys.

“By resetting our emissions to net zero, we’re sending a strong message to our people and our supply chain that we are deepening our collective responsibility to measure, manage and reduce our emissions, and we remain fully committed to doing so, despite the challenges we are facing in our business and across the industry as a result of COVID-19,” said CEO Stuart Irvine in a statement.

“We see offsetting our emissions as a last lever while we continue to look for ways to reduce our overall carbon emissions right across our supply chain over the longer term.”

Picture: www.leadingedgeenergy.com.au