Japan Tobacco International commits to net-zero by 2030

A UK Task Force will be set up

JTI UK has committed to reducing its emissions by 80% to become a net-zero business by 2030. To meet this commitment – which is 20 years ahead of the UK Government’s target – JTI UK will invest in a number of technologies, including EVs and renewables.

The UK tobacco manufacturer will transition its fleet to EVs by the start of the next decade, which is expected to save 776 tonnes of CO2e emissions annually. Switching to 100% renewable energy by 2025 will also save the company 675 tonnes of CO2e annually. In addition, JTI UK will aim to reduce energy consumption by 20% by 2030.

The company will also aim to improve waste management and water efficiency. Within the next three years, JTI will divert 100% of its onsite waste from landfill, which will avoid 37.1 tonnes of landfill waste each year. By 2030, the manufacturer will aim to reduce general waste by 20% and increase recycling rates to 75%. While water use is minimal for the firm, it will invest in measures to reduce water usage across its UK sites, including its headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey, and distribution centre in Crewe

JTI UK’s head of responsible business projects Ruth Forbes said: “Our UK Environmental Plan sits alongside JTI’s global commitments and will focus on identifying key actions locally to help us achieve our ambitious 2030 targets. We will be working closely with all our employees, suppliers, and retail & wholesale customers across 2021 and beyond to make this a reality.”

JTI is also aiming to improve company-wide understanding and engagement with the new environmental plan. A UK Task Force will be set up, comprising of other departments, that will help push the strategy forward.

The company will also work with suppliers to improve sustainable sourcing measures. As of next year, all procurement tenders in the UK will have sustainability criteria built in.

A green recovery for manufacturing

Accounting for more than 60% of direct industrial emissions in the UK, manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry that has been striving for decades to improve energy productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The new push towards net-zero in the UK had been largely welcomed by manufacturing firms, but then the hideous impacts of the coronavirus hit.

As part of edie’s brand-new Mission Possible: Green Recovery campaign – which supports sustainability, energy and CSR professionals on our collective mission to drive a green recovery across all major industries in the UK – this latest series of reports will explore why a green recovery is so important for the respective industries being analysed; what a green recovery actually looks like for businesses large and small within those industries; and how sustainability and energy professionals can drive a green recovery from within.

—-CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GREEN RECOVERY MANUFACTURING REPORT—-

Matt Mace