The natural environment is an important foundation of our business. That is the reason why the entire Suntory Group promotes environmental management. Suntory Group actively engages in activities to pass down a sustainable society to the next generation.
Basic Policy on Group's Environmental Activity
We believe that while providing the bounties of water to the customers, protecting beautiful and clean water, using them appropriately and returning water to the nature is a great responsibility that we as a company that coexists with water.
The circular system consisting from plants and forests that are nurtured by water, rivers, oceans, atmosphere, and the ecosystem made by living things are the basis of all life. Suntory Group realizes that environment of earth itself is our important basis of business.
We will continue striving to build a rich and sustainable society through spreading this policy to the entire Group and preserving and regenerating the natural environment and reducing environmental impact.
Indicating Prioritized Initiatives in the Basic Principles of Suntory Group’s Environmental Policy
Suntory Group sets principles that clearly indicate our prioritized initiatives such as water sustainability, preserving biodiversity, efficient use of resources and challenging for a low-carbon company. With a more global perspective, we have revised the principles for the first time in five years in 2015.
Basic Principles of Suntory Group's Environmental Policy (Established 1997, Revised 2015)
The Suntory Group positions environmental management as the foundation of its business activities, and is committed to passing down a sustainable and vibrant society to future generations from the perspective of our entire value chain.
1. Achieving water sustainability
We treat water, the most important resource for our business, carefully and contribute to the healthy circulation of water in the natural environment.
2. Taking initiative in conserving biodiversity
As a company that relies on the riches of water and agricultural produce, we strive to conserve biodiversity, the source of their blessings, for the future.
3. Promoting the 3Rs in innovative ways for an effective usage of resources
We aim to help bring about a recycling-oriented society, we promote the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) of raw materials and energy resources by continuously refining our technologies.
4. Mobilizing group-wide efforts to become a low-carbon company
We strive to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases throughout all of our workplaces in order to prevent climate change.
5. Communication with the Society
We strive to pass down vibrant global environment for the next generation by active disclosure of information and engagement in activities through interaction with the society.
Environmental Vision toward 2050 and Environmental Targets toward 2030
The Suntory Group established the Environmental Vision toward 2050 and Environmental Targets toward 2030 to provide clear direction to our environmental management. As we engage in greater efforts to address global issues and work toward the realization of a sustainable society, in April 2021 we revised Environmental Targets toward 2030.
Environmental Vision toward 2050
The Suntory Group has formulated the vision below toward 2050 for the purpose of passing down a sustainable global environment to the next generation around the pillars of water sustainability and climate change measures as a company in harmony with people and nature.
1. Water Sustainability
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-Reduce water consumption by half at our plants worldwide*
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-Preserve water resources and the ecosystem to cultivate more water than is used by our plants worldwide
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-Realize sustainable water use at primary raw material farms
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-Share the Sustainable Water Philosophy broadly in communities where we are expanding our primary businesses
2. Climate Change Measures
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-Aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the whole value chain by 2050
Continue to promote energy conservation, proactively implement renewable energy solutions, utilize next-generation infrastructure options and work together with stakeholders across the value chain in order to contribute to realizing a decarbonized society
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*Reduction per unit production based on the business fields in 2015
Environmental Targets toward 2030
We have set the following Environmental Targets toward 2030 to achieve the Environmental Vision toward 2050.
1. Water
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-Reduce water use at our plants by 15% globally by using the latest water conservation technologies*1
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-Conduct water resource cultivation activities in areas with high water stress at more than half of our plants
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-Pursue sustainable water use in cooperation with suppliers for main raw materials with a high water load
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-Expand water enlightenment programs and initiatives to provide safe water to more than 1 million people
2. Greenhouse gas (GHG)
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-Reduce GHG emissions from our direct operations by 50%*2
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-Reduce GHG emissions across our entire value chain by 30%*2
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*1Reduction per unit production based on the business fields in 2015
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*2Based on emissions in 2019.
Accelerating Efforts to Reduce GHG Emissions by 50% by 2030
Suntory group will aim to achieve 100% renewable electricity in the group's 63 directly-owned manufacturing sites and R&D facilities in Japan, the Americas and Europe by 2022*1. In addition, the company will start introducing internal carbon pricing to its group companies this year and plans to invest a total of approximately 100 billion JPY (equivalent to approximately 900 million USD*2) by 2030 to shift to low-carbon alternatives. The company estimates that these actions together will amount to a reduction of approximately 1 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its direct operations compared to a business-as-usual projection for 2030. This will well position the company to meet its target to halve GHG emissions in its direct operations by 2030*3 and ultimately achieve net zero GHG emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
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*1For its alcohol and non-alcohol beverage business
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*2Exchange rate 1 USD = 110 JPY as of June 2021
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*3Total reduction versus 2019 baseline in scopes 1 and 2
SBT Initiative Certification
The Suntory Group has signed the “Business Ambition for 1.5℃”, a campaign led by the Science Based Targets initiative*1 in partnership with the UN Global Compact and the We Mean Business*2 coalition to hold global temperature increases to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels.
The Suntory Group has had its emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from Suntory group’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5℃, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement. Suntory Group’s target for the emissions from its value chain (scope 3) meet the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, meaning they are in line with current best practice.
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*1The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets.
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*2We Mean Business is a global nonprofit coalition working with the world's most influential businesses to take action on climate change. Together they catalyze business leadership to drive policy ambition and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy.
Declaration of Approval of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations
The Suntory Group has declared its approval of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. The TCFD was established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB).
In addition, we conducted scenario analysis for climate change according to the recommendations of the TCFD and learned about the possibility that climate change will have a significant impact on the crops that are ingredients important to the Suntory Group. From here on, we will further advance scenario analysis and expand disclosure of information related to the risks and opportunities that climate change poses to business.
Disclosures Based on Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations