Written by: Karim Hammam
The Japanese beverage group Suntory announced its first climate transition plan, which aims to reduce emissions across its business and supply chain, in addition to protecting its operations from increasing climate risks. The company noted that it has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2019 and 2025.
Ambitious goals to reduce emissions by 2030 and 2050
The group seeks to achieve a 30% reduction in total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, followed by a 90% reduction by 2050. Packaging materials and raw materials are the main contributors to these emissions, despite the company's success in reducing packaging-related emissions by 38%, and a 12% drop in raw material emissions during the same period.
Focusing on packaging reform
The plan places special emphasis on reforming packaging materials, which includes reducing material usage, increasing the proportion of recycled materials, and redesigning packaging. The company aspires for all core PET bottles to be made either from fully recycled materials or produced without the use of fossil fuels.
Collaboration with suppliers and operational costs
The company has entered into partnerships with suppliers that account for more than half of its Scope 3 emissions, as future progress depends on changing production methods, energy consumption, and material choices across the entire chain. Suntory estimates its climate-related operational expenditure at approximately 185.4 million euros between 2027 and 2030, with packaging operations taking the largest share of this amount on its path to achieving full carbon neutrality across the value chain.
