August 26, 2020

Lion: Towards Zero Carbon

Lion Australia achieved the milestone of Climate Active Carbon Neutral Organisation certification in April 2020 building on a strong history of direct carbon reduction through biogas utilisation, rooftop solar installations and renewable electricity procurement to reduce emissions by 28% from a 2015 baseline.

Achievements

  • Retired 92,901 carbon offsets in 2020 to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Organisation certification.
  • This offset investment took into account a 28% reduction in direct carbon emissions achieved since 2015.

Case Study Type

  • Abatement project delivery
  • Nature based solutions/offsetting
Case Study Image

Problem Being Solved

Since setting a target to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2025 from its 2015 baseline, Lion has established a ‘whole brewery’ carbon reduction approach across its Australian breweries, including energy efficiency initiatives, biogas utilisation, rooftop solar, renewable electricity power purchase agreements (PPAs) through to providing brewers grain to reduce livestock emissions.

In doing so, Lion has achieved a 28 per cent (approximately 30,000 tonnes) reduction in its absolute carbon footprint of approximately 106,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2015. Lion is on track to meet its carbon reduction target by 2025 and has gone one step further by committing to use 100 per cent renewable electricity to brew its beers in the same timeframe.

Despite these significant achievements and commitments, Lion acknowledges that speed is of the essence in stabilising the climate and made the decision to offset its remaining emissions as a last lever and in doing so, became Australia’s first large scale carbon neutral brewer.

Solution

The decision to become a certified carbon neutral organisation was built on robust measurement of our carbon footprint and a strong direct carbon reduction track record driven by technology, innovation, and behavioural initiatives. The final step to becoming carbon neutral was therefore an authentic pathway to further accelerate climate action.

Tasman Environmental Markets, Australia’s largest buyer of carbon offsets has provided Lion with a portfolio of verified projects to offset its remaining organisational carbon footprint. Lion is focussing on carbon abatement projects that deliver bush regeneration and protect vital habitat and food sources for native wildlife.

In the process of achieving a net-zero outcome for the organisation, this solution was also about people engagement, brand loyalty, the opportunity for supply chain collaboration, shared value, and co-benefits. Overall this solution has positioned Lion as a responsible industry leader.

Outcomes

By resetting our organisational emissions to net zero, Lion has sent a strong message to our people and our value chain that we are deepening our collective responsibility to measure, manage and reduce our emissions, and we remain fully committed to doing so, despite the challenges we are facing in our business and across the industry as a result of COVID-19. Combined with Lion’s commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2025 in Australia and New Zealand, Lion is now positioned as sustainability leader and takes pride in setting an example for others in the industry to follow.




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