Molson Coors Brewing Company today released its 2015 Corporate Responsibility Report, covering the company’s 2014 performance toward its 2020 goals.
The brewer reports meaningful progress in 2014 toward its 2020 targets of zero waste to landfill, 25 percent energy reduction and 15 percent reduction in both carbon and water intensity. Results included:
- Reduced energy use by 3.4 percent, equivalent to the average annual energy consumption of 1,600 households
- Reduced carbon emissions by 2.4 percent, equivalent to 7,700 tons
- Decreased water use by 3.3 percent — nearly 8 percent below the 2011 baseline, saving over 500 million liters of water
- Reduced waste generated per pint of beer produced by 11.5 percent
- Invested over $20 million in new anaerobic digestion wastewater plants and energy centers
“Through Our Beer Print, we are striving to increase our environmental performance, support an engaged workforce, and develop a social purpose for our core brands,” said president and CEO Mark Hunter. “In 2014, Molson Coors was recognized as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the third consecutive year. We’re proud of this recognition, which reflects our longstanding commitment to corporate responsibility and transparent reporting.”
2015 Corporate Responsibility Performance Highlights
Alcohol Responsibility
In 2012, Molson Coors joined 12 other leading beer, wine and spirits companies to strengthen efforts to reduce harmful drinking around the world. In May of this year, the group launched ResponsibleDrinking.org, a website intended to be a helpful health destination for current information on issues related to safe, legal and responsible drinking decisions across the globe.
Environmental Stewardship
- Energy and Carbon: 26 percent of the 2020 targeted energy reductions and 53 percent of the carbon reduction targets have been achieved to date. The $11.2 million investment in a new UK energy center is predicted to improve the site’s carbon emissions by an additional 6.5 percent.
- Waste: Reduced the amount of waste generated per pint of beer produced by 11.5 percent in 2014, and continuing with its Sustainability Strategy, all operations will be landfill-free by 2020. All UK breweries are already zero waste to landfill.
- Water: As part of its commitment to invest in wastewater-to-energy projects, Molson Coors commissioned a new anaerobic digestion wastewater plant in Bulgaria and began construction on two additional plants in Serbia and Montenegro — a total investment of $11.8 million (Molson Coors could also take a cue from MillerCoors, which announced in May that wastewater from its Trenton Brewery in Ohio will now become a feedstock for ProFloc™, a high-quality protein ingredient for use in fish and animal feed, thanks to a partnership with biotech company Nutrinsic).
- Packaging: In 2014, a total of 100,000 tons of packaging waste were avoided. While the shift in packaging mix and consumer trends have given opportunities to exceed targets, Molson Coors has reduced weight savings through light-weighting initiatives and changing the materials for a number of formats.
Employees and Community
In 2014 alone, 930 employees participated in Our Beer Print Month activities and 10,000 individual Our Beer Print Month commitments were made. The company also invested 1.45 percent of pre-tax profits to charity, community and corporate citizenship activities.
Responsible Sourcing
Established in 2012, the Supplier Standards outlines Molson Coors’ expectations of suppliers in the areas of environmental, social and economic sustainability. In 2014, the Supplier Standards were communicated as an ongoing requirement to 100 percent of its global supply base, and 120 suppliers were audited to ensure ethical compliance.
Molson Coors invites feedback on this year’s report and its 2020 targets.