C&C Group plc has announced its collaboration with sustainable research company, Footprint Intelligence to create the first ever Drinks Industry Sustainability Index – Trends Report 2020.
The Bulmers maker explained that the report analyses the extent to which the drinks industry is adopting sustainable strategies and practices for packaging, waste, water, emissions, energy, social impact and raw materials.
“When we embarked on this project our objectives were clear: to build an accurate picture of sustainability in the sector and to offer insights that would enable businesses up and down the supply and value chains to make more informed decisions," said Pat Morrissey, operations director, C&C Group plc.
The study found that the Industry currently scores an average of just 4.8 out of 10 for the categories outlined, the group said.
Footprint’s analysis and evaluation highlights that the Drinks Industry score lags considerably behind other sectors in which they also publish the Trends Report – Sustainability Indices.
Key Values
'Consistent with our key values, environmental responsibility and sustainable operating practices have increasingly shaped the way C&C operates', the integrated premium drinks company said.
'All key raw materials for our beer and cider brands are sourced locally,' it added.
The group said that it is committed to an ambitious target of being 100% carbon-neutral by 2025 – a full 25 years ahead of the UK’s carbon neutral target.
Acknowledging that every company can do more to protect the environment for the future, the Sustainability Index helps identify sustainable operating practices which reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.
Morrissey concluded: "I believe this inaugural report represents a solid start towards achieving our ambitious environmental targets, by offering a comprehensive and concise analysis of our current position and setting out a practical roadmap to help guide our industry in tackling the environmental challenges we face.”
The company which manufactures, markets and distributes branded beer, cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks across the UK and Ireland said that it is also on course to remove all single-use plastics from its consumer packaging by 2021.
© 2020 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
