U.K. brewers map out path to zero emissions as COP26 looms

Brewers in the U.K. were among those signing onto a roadmap to curb carbon emissions ahead of COP26, the U.N. climate conference, which kicks off Sunday in Glasgow.

The Hospitality Roadmap to Net Zero was presented by a coalition of the U.K.’s largest hospitality entities, including breweries like Adnams and Brewdog, as well as Nando’s, Burger King and more. It was unveiled at Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery in Glasgow, by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Zero Carbon Forum and Carbon Architecture.

The forum has this week published the roadmap, which will require businesses to reach net-zero for their Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (power-related) emissions by 2030, and net-zero for their Scope 3 (indirect) emissions by 2040. Scope 3 emissions notably account for 60% of the sector’s overall carbon footprint.

The roadmap supports businesses to prioritise decarbonisation over offsetting. It states that, by 2040, participating businesses should reduce operational (Scope 1 and 2) emissions by 90%. The reduction should be 57-78% for Scope 3 emissions by this time, with the reduction level likely to depend on each business’s context; breweries have different setups than, for example, quick-service restaurants. These targets are aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C trajectory, according to roadmap development supporter Carbon Intelligence.  …

Speaking at an event in London to launch the roadmap, the Zero Carbon Forum’s sustainability lead Kristen Filice said member businesses will all achieve net-zero at different speeds, but will likely deliver decarbonisation more rapidly through collaboration than they would have alone. She outlined four key opportunities from collaboration: speeding up decarbonisation, data-sharing, engaging stakeholders, accelerating innovation.

Via Edie.net