Molson Coors seeking to improve energy efficiency 25%, increase water efficiency 20%, reduce carbon use 15% by 2020, according to corporate responsibility report; Carling brand changes packaging to film from cardboard, reduces packaging weight 63% in 2011
Andrew Rogers
DENVER and MONTREAL
,
August 22, 2012
(press release)
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Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP) today announced the issue of its 2012 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, covering the company’s performance in five key areas: Governance and Ethics, Alcohol Responsibility, Environmental Stewardship, Employees and Community and Responsible Sourcing.
“This past year, Molson Coors made considerable progress in improving what we call ‘Our Beer Print,’ our impacts on our communities, people and the environment,” said Peter Swinburn, president and CEO of Molson Coors. “Our long-term success as a business depends upon sustainable water use, efficient energy consumption and responsible sourcing. Equally critical is responsible alcohol promotion and engagement of our people and stakeholders in working with us to improve Our Beer Print.”
2020 Targets
As part of the 2012 CR report, Molson Coors has announced three ambitious 2020 goals, benchmarked to 2011: 1) improve energy efficiency by 25 percent, 2) increase water efficiency by 20 percent and 3) reduce carbon use by 15 percent.
“Our work toward achieving our 2020 targets will drive lower consumption of natural resources, both mitigating our impact and helping us to adapt to climate change,” said Bart Alexander, chief corporate responsibility officer for Molson Coors. “Fresh water and energy are key to our business, and we intend to utilize these resources efficiently and responsibly.”
Corporate Responsibility Performance Highlights
In 2008, Molson Coors set out to reduce energy and water use by 15 percent by the end of 2012. The company is on track to reach this goal. Molson Coors showed a positive trend in its 2011 environmental impact with:
Other highlights included:
Selected for the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, marking the first year that Molson Coors has been listed. Of the 143 companies listed on the 2011/12 North American Index, Molson Coors is one of only six Food and Beverage companies.
Recognized as a leader in transparency and performance by the Carbon Disclosure Project, an accomplishment shared with only nine other S&P 500 companies.
Launched ‘Our Beer Print’ to clearly articulate the company’s CR strategy in a relevant way to employees and key stakeholders. As a result, corporate and environmental responsibility was one of the top three drivers of engagement for employees in 2011, with scores that outperformed the norm for high performing companies.
Recognized as a top workplace in both the U.S. and Canada.
Launched the Molson Canadian Red Leaf Project, embedding CR into the brand’s promise. In 2011, more than 2,000 Canadians and employees volunteered to restore community parks, plants trees and clean up shorelines. Together, they planted 100,000 trees, and helped collect more than 129,000 tons of litter across 2,700 kilometers of shoreline as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
Alcohol Responsibility
In 2011, Molson Coors joined 12 other global companies in implementing Global Actions on Alcohol, a program designed to deliver best practices in promoting self-regulation, drunk-driving prevention and reduction of illicit alcohol to emerging markets. In addition, a pilot program aimed at reducing abusive drinking by younger adult consumers will launch in 2012. Building off these efforts, Molson Coors became the first brewer in Canada to mark products with a stamp promoting alcohol responsibility, as part of a stand for Responsible Choices.
In the U.K., Molson Coors collaborated with responsible drinking programs like The Drinkaware Trust’s annual social marketing campaign Why Let Good Times Go Bad and Community Alcohol Partnerships programs, which bring together police, the Retail Alcohol Standards Group and other local stakeholders to address alcohol demand and purchase by underage drinkers. In addition, more than 95 percent of all Molson Coors brands featured responsible alcohol consumption messaging on their packaging, and the company continued to pledge for smaller serving sizes and increased glassware unit information.
Environmental Stewardship
Water Stewardship and the Water Risk Index
Because water is vital, both for the planet and as an ingredient in beer, Molson Coors continuously works to monitor water use and promote water stewardship. In 2011, the company created a Water Risk Index tool to track water use, costs, supply, regulation and governance at Molson Coors breweries to identify and address inefficiencies. The tool has been piloted in three breweries and will expand to all breweries in 2012.
Molson Coors built on a long history of watershed community engagement and, in 2011, began formal engagement with stakeholders in brewery watersheds. Following the success of the Clear Creek Watershed Foundation (CCWF), of which the company is a founding member, in 2011 Molson Coors engaged stakeholders in Tadcaster, Alton and Toronto watersheds, to help protect the quality and supply of water.
The company is prioritizing watersheds in water-stressed areas with plans to extend the process to all brewery watersheds and then to suppliers. The process looks at the long-range water demand within each watershed and includes engaging suppliers for each brewery through programs such as Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF), a non-profit organization in support of sustainable farming, and the Molson Coors Growers Group in the U.K. In the U.S., MillerCoors is mapping water stress and engaging with growers to drive water efficiency.
Molson Coors continued to support transparency and consistent industry reporting through its sponsorship of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure.
Waste Reduction
Molson Coors’ environmental initiatives extend to waste reduction efforts. The company is on target to achieve zero waste to landfill in the U.K. by the end of 2012, currently diverting 99.2 percent. In Canada, the company is aiming to reduce landfill waste by five percent year-over-year. Already, Molson Coors Canada has diverted 87 percent in 2011 – nearly 48,000 tons. In the U.S., MillerCoors reduced waste to landfill by 55 percent in 2011 and has set a 2015 goal to reduce waste to landfill by 50 percent compared to 2008.
Packaging
A significant focus for 2011, Molson Coors established a Global Packaging Council and a Global Packaging Policy to oversee and share best practices in sustainable brewing, packaging technology and innovation. As a result of the policy, Carling secondary packaging in the U.K. migrated from cardboard to film, reducing packaging weight by 63 percent and carbon emissions by four percent. Additionally, ink coverage was restricted to less than five percent of the overall packaging weight, making the film 100 percent recyclable.
For the complete 2012 Molson Coors Corporate Responsibility report, visit http://www.molsoncoors.com/en/Responsibility/Reports.aspx. Molson Coors invites feedback on this year’s report and its 2020 targets.
Also see MillerCoors’ 2012 Sustainable Development Report: Great Things On Tap!
About Molson Coors Brewing Company
Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world's beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, and Blue Moon across The Americas, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the U.S. through MillerCoors; in the U.K. and Ireland through Molson Coors U.K.; and outside these core markets through Molson Coors International. Molson Coors is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America and is constantly looking for ways to improve its Beer Print. For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company visit the company's website, http://molsoncoors.com.
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