News Release

Suntory Group Targets 100% Renewable Electricity in all its Factories and R&D Facilities in Japan, the Americas and Europe by 2022*1

The company also plans to invest approximately 100 billion JPY (equivalent to approximately 900 million USD*2) to achieve its target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030*3

Suntory Kita-Alps Shinano-no-Mori Water Plant in Nagano, Japan

• Download

TOKYO (July 1st, 2021) — Suntory Holdings, a global leader in the beverage industry, today announced that it will aim to achieve 100% renewable electricity in the group’s 63 directly-owned manufacturing sites and R&D facilities in Japan, the Americas and Europe by 2022*1. In addition, the company will start introducing internal carbon pricing to its group companies this year and plans to invest a total of approximately 100 billion JPY (equivalent to approximately 900 million USD^*2) by 2030 to shift to low-carbon alternatives. The company estimates that these actions together will amount to a reduction of approximately 1 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its direct operations compared to a business-as-usual projection for 2030. This will well position the company to meet its target to halve GHG emissions in its direct operations by 2030^*3 and ultimately achieve net zero GHG emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.

“As a company with a mission ‘to create harmony with people and nature,’ we are committed to doing everything possible to decarbonize our business,” says Tak Niinami, CEO of Suntory Holdings. “We will further accelerate our work by taking immediate actions in places where we can shift to 100 percent renewable electricity, which is a critical step in achieving our climate goals.”

As of 2020, a total of approximately 30% of electricity used in the company’s manufacturing sites and R&D facilities in Japan, the Americas and Europe is sourced from renewable sources. In the European business, almost all electricity in the company’s directly owned facilities is sourced from renewable sources, with the company’s soft drinks business, Suntory Beverage and Food Europe, already meeting 100%. By 2022, the company will aim to achieve 100% renewable electricity in these respective markets through various procurement methods*1. Some of Suntory Group’s manufacturing sites have achieved or are set to achieve carbon neutrality, including through utilization of renewable electricity. Some recent and upcoming developments include:
・All four soft drinks plants in France, namely La Courneuve, Meyzieu, Donnery and Chateauneuf de Gadagne, have already achieved carbon neutrality
・The Suntory Kita-Alps Shinano-no-Mori Water Plant in Nagano, Japan began operating in May 2021 as the company’s first carbon neutral plant in Japan
・The Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery, set to open later this year in Clermont, Kentucky in the US, will be the company’s first distillery powered by renewable electricity

The Suntory Group will continue its efforts to promote sustainable management and contribute to tackling social issues on a global level.

*1 For its alcohol and non-alcohol beverage business
*2 Exchange rate 1 USD = 110 JPY as of June 2021
*3 Total reduction versus 2019 baseline in scopes 1 and 2

About Suntory Holdings
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Holdings offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products from premium spirits, beer and wine to brewed teas, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds in Japan and the Asian market with our Premium Malt's beer and also owns the exceptional Japanese wine Tomi and the world famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.4 billion in 2020. Suntory is driven by Yatte Minahare - the spirit of bold ambition - and our 40,044 employees worldwide draw upon our unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a company that delivers blessings of water and nature to our customers, Suntory is committed to its mission to create harmony with people and nature. Always aspiring to grow for good, Suntory is devoted to giving back to society through protecting water resources, nurturing its communities and fostering the arts.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

• 

  Suntory Kita-Alps Shinano-no-Mori Water Plant in Nagano, Japan