Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, has joined the RE100 global initiative, which brings together the world’s most influential companies leading the transition to 100% renewable electricity.
The announcement follows soon after Greene King was named the best sustainable pub company at the Publican Awards, as it continues to demonstrate its commitment to reaching its net zero targets.
Last year, Greene King received independent verification from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) over its plan to halve all its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and has publicly committed to reaching net zero by 2040. A key part of that pledge is reducing its scope 2 emissions, which are emissions that are created through the generation of electricity.
Companies joining RE100 must have made a commitment to go 100% renewable. The global initiative is led by Climate Group, in partnership with CDP, and RE100’s mission is to accelerate change towards zero carbon grids at scale, an objective that Greene King is proud to support.
This work means that the electricity used in Greene King’s pubs, breweries, head offices and depots is balanced by electricity generated from renewable sources, and follows other recent announcements, including a new £40m brewery in its home town of Bury St Edmunds, which will significantly improve the sustainability of brewing operations, and the roll out of voltage optimisation in 600 pubs across the UK.
This latest announcement coincides with the United Nation’s World Environment Day on Wednesday 5 June, which highlights the power of businesses, governments and individuals to create a more sustainable world.
Reacting to the news, Greene King’s chief communications and sustainability officer Assad Malic said: “Joining RE100 is another step on our net zero journey, as we move ever closer to our 2030 emissions target. This is an example of where we have made an impact through changing our purchasing decisions. It adds to the sustainability work we are doing in the day-to-day operations across the business to improve our energy efficiency and reduce our scope 1 emissions, as well as working to improve sustainability within our supply chain and so reduce our scope 3 emissions.
“Achieving net zero is a collective effort. Our supply chain team is dedicated to collaborating towards this goal, and partnering with RE100 and other forward-thinking businesses is a positive step. Together, we can reduce our environmental impact and collectively benefit from these efforts.”
Ollie Wilson, Head of RE100, added: “Greene King is showing climate leadership by committing to using 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Together, RE100 members send a powerful message to policymakers that renewables make business sense, and we encourage more companies to join us and drive forward much-needed market change.”
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Notes to editors
Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.
- Greene King pubs is our mainstream pub brand located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country with clear ambition to be “The Nation’s Most Loved Pub Brand”.
- Destination Brands is a portfolio of distinct brands which includes Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill that bring friends and family together, delivering great service, quality and value for money for a range of eating out and drinking occasions.
- Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs.
- Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.
About RE100
RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.
Led by Climate Group, in partnership with CDP, our mission is to drive change towards 100% renewable grids, both through the direct investments of our members, and by working with policymakers to accelerate the transition to a clean economy. The initiative has over 400 members, ranging from household brands to critical infrastructure and heavy industry suppliers. With a total revenue of over US$6.6 trillion, our members represent 1.5% of global electricity consumption, an annual electricity demand higher than that of France.
Contact: Greene King Press Office PressOffice@greeneking.co.uk
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