Asahi Group's 19 Kansai and Kanto Region Plants Switch Purchased Electric Power to Renewable Energy
Around 40% of electric power purchased for all domesticbases to be renewable energy
Accelerates CO2 emissions reductions toward “Asahi Carbon Zero”
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
(Tokyo, Japan - March 31, 2021) - Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. announces that its 19 domestic Asahi Group plants*1 in the Kanto and Kansai regions are switching their purchased electric power to renewable energy from April 1, 2021. With this, approximately 40% (128GWh) of the electricity purchased for all domestic Asahi Group production bases will be made renewable, with CO2 emissions reductions of 60,000 tons per year. The Asahi Group is accelerating initiatives toward achieving “RE100”*2 and “Asahi Carbon Zero,”*3 and aims to make the purchased electric power for all domestic plants renewable by 2025. The Group also expects to adopt renewable energy for 65 out of its 72 domestic and overseas production bases (90%) by 2025.
The renewable energy for fiscal year 2021 is being purchased via Japan’s first private-sector electric power exchange, the Digital Grid Platform (DGP)*4 which is operated by DIGITAL GRID Corporation. DGP uses artificial intelligence to predict and adjust electric power supply and demand, and efficiently procures electric power combining various power sources including solar power generation and biomass power generation in accordance with Asahi Group’s demand. The purchased electric power comes with the environmental value (non-fossil certificates*5 with tracking, etc.) generated by renewable energy power plants, etc.
The Asahi Group sets forth “Contribute to a sustainable society through our business” as one of the principles of the Asahi Group Philosophy. Moreover, Asahi Group Environmental Vision 2050 sets the middle- to long-term CO2 emissions reduction target “Asahi Carbon Zero” as a response to climate change, and aims at zero CO2 emissions by the year 2050.
Toward achieving “Asahi Carbon Zero,” the entire Asahi Group is working to actively utilize renewable energy at domestic and overseas production bases and promote energy conservation by revising manufacturing processes and improving distribution efficiencies, etc. The Group is also working to develop a power-generation system with fuel cells using biomethane gas derived from wastewater, conducting a demonstration test introducing CO2 separation and recovery testing equipment, and positively advancing research and development.
In addition to becoming the first company in the Japanese beverage industry to participate in RE100 in October 2020, the “Asahi Carbon Zero” target received approval as a 1.5℃ target from the SBT (Science Based Targets) initiative.*6
As a company which conducts business while utilizing the “blessings of nature,” the Asahi Group aims at handing down the “blessings of nature” to the next generation by actively promoting efforts to address various environmental issues.
- Asahi Breweries, Ltd.: Ibaraki, Kanagawa and Suita breweries; Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Ltd.: Tochigi, Kashiwa, and Nishinomiya plants; Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Ltd.: Gunma, Fujisan, Fuji Yoshida, Akashi, and Rokko plants; Asahi Group Foods, Ltd.: Ibaraki, Tochigi Sakura, Tochigi Koganei, and Osaka plants; Asahi Beer Malt, Ltd.: Koganei and Yasu plants; Sainte Neige Wine Co., Ltd.; Asahi Biocycle Co., Ltd.: Gunma plant.
- RE100 is an international initiative aimed at making 100% of the electric power used in business activities sourced from renewable energy by the year 2050.
- “Asahi Carbon Zero” is the Asahi Group’s medium- to long-term target for reducing CO2 emissions. It aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions in Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 by 2050. While the 2030 target was to achieve 30% reductions in CO2 emissions in Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 (compared to the 2015 level), the target was raised in February 2021 to achieve 50% reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 (compared to the 2019 level).
- The Digital Grid Platform (DGP) operated by DIGITAL GRID Corporation is Japan’s first private-sector electric power trading market. There are many issues with using renewable energy in electric power systems including the difficulty of adjusting the supply and demand for renewable energy even through the demand for renewable energy sources is rising. DGP is an “electric power exchange” which links various power sources in addition to such renewable electric power sources with electric power demand, and electric power generation companies with companies which have power demand.
- These are certificates of the value of being derived from non-fossil power sources for electricity generated from solar power and other non-fossil power sources, and include tracking information on the power source type, the locations of the power plants, etc.
- The Science Based Targets initiative is a joint initiative established by CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to resolve problems from the increase in greenhouse gases. The initiative encourages companies to set reduction targets consistent with scientific knowledge toward the goal of limiting the average global temperature increase from climate change to 1.5℃ compared with the level prior to the Industrial Revolution.
DIGITAL GRID Corporation, which provided the electric power procurement platform this time, also received 1.5℃ target approval in March 2021.