Molson Coors gets stamp of approval for science-based target

Multinational brewer Molson Coors has had its target of halving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its operations by 2025 approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).


The firm, which produces beers such as Coors Light and Carling, confirmed in its latest sustainability report that the aim has been officially recognised as keeping in line with the Paris Agreement’s 2C trajectory. 

Set in 2017 against a 2016 baseline, the 2030 target also includes a goal of cutting emissions within the brewer’s value chain by a fifth and in its malting operations by 10%.

Since setting the aims, Molson Coors has reduced its operational emissions by 15% and value chain emissions by more than 6%, the sustainability report revealed.

The report additionally provides an update on the company’s ambitious 2025 targets across energy efficiency, waste management and water stewardship, which includes a goal of sending zero waste to landfill.

It reveals that Molson Coors diverted 100% of waste from 14 of its breweries and manufacturing plants from landfill last year, reducing the amount of waste it sent to landfill overall by 30% year-on-year.

Water stewardship

As for water, the report notes that the brewer has achieved its 2025 aim of reducing water consumption in its breweries by 22% at two locations so far, namely in Trenton, Ohio, and Fort Worth, Texas. 

The firm has successfully streamlined operations since the acquisition of MillerCoors in October 2016. The latter is recognised as a pioneer for water stewardship. In 2016, MillerCoors used 15 billion fewer gallons of water across its value chain.

It was a supply chain management philosophy built on engagement over enforcement that enabled MillerCoors to reduce its water footprint by 17%, and the firm’s sustainability manager Marco Ugarte told edie that promoting water use best-practice to suppliers had been one of the primary drivers of this saving.

Sarah George

Comments (2)

  1. Richard Phillips says:

    It reveals that Molson Coors diverted 100% of waste from 14 of its breweries and manufacturing plants from landfill last year, reducing the amount of waste it sent to landfill overall by 30% year-on-year"

    So what happened to it???

    Richard Phillips.

  2. Matt Mace says:

    Hi Richard,

    There’s a breakdown of what Molson Coors is doing with its waste in its ESG report: http://www.molsoncoors.com/-/media/molson-coors-corporate/sustainability/esg-report-en.ashx on page 10. The majority is recycled, reused or composted with some used as "waste to energy".

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe