Revised "Asahi Group Environmental Vision 2050"
Aiming to make a positive impact on the earth and to connect the gifts of nature to future generations.
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
(Tokyo, Japan - February 1, 2022) - Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. announces that it has revised the “Asahi Group Environmental Vision 2050” to accelerate its environmental initiatives further and maximize the impact on business and society.In its new environmental vision, Asahi Group has adopted "Planet Positive" as its vision of what it would like the world to be like in 2050, which represents the idea of having a positive impact on the earth, and the Group aims to connect the gifts of nature to future generations.
Furthermore, to increase the certainty of achieving the "Asahi Carbon Zero*" medium to long term target of addressing climate change, the Group has set a new target of reducing CO2 emissions from Scope 1 and 2 by 40% by the year 2025 (compared to 2019 levels) and will accelerate its efforts.
*"Asahi Carbon Zero": A climate change target to achieve "zero" CO2 emissions in Scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2050. By 2030, Asahi Group aims to achieve a 70% reduction in Scope 1 and 2, followed by a 30% reduction in Scope 3 (both compared to 2019).
As a company that has enjoyed the gifts of nature and provided products and services for over 100 years, Asahi Group is concerned that the worsening global environmental issues threaten not only the sustainability of its business but also the survival of the human beings. As Asahi Group would be unable to continue its business without these gifts of nature, the Company aims to achieve Planet Positive, which will reduce the burden on the environment from its business to zero, and maximize value to the global environment through circularity.
This environmental vision defines what Asahi Group would like the world to be like in 2050 in the four pillars of environmental initiatives: Climate Change, Packaging, Agricultural Raw Materials, and Water Resources, and promotes measures for the Group to achieve each of the said goals.
Specifically, Asahi Group carries efforts to minimize the resources used and maximize circularity through the value chain, and generate synergy by creating strategic partnerships with stakeholders, with the aim of realizing what it would like the world to be like in 2050.
Climate Change
Completing an early transition to renewable energy, realizing both the reduction of CO2 emissions across the value chain and preservation of the ecosystem, developing technologies for reduction, absorption, and collection, deploying collected CO2 through its use in alcohol beverages, non-alcohol beverages, and others.
Packaging
Promoting "3R+Innovation," including the target to achieve a 100% conversion to eco-friendly materials (recycled materials, biomass materials, etc.) for PET bottles by 2030; the establishment of a collection scheme for PET bottles and caps; the preservation of marine ecosystems by establishing a closed loop to maximize the use of recycled materials; development of products that do not generate waste, and others.
Agricultural Raw Materials
Utilizing microorganisms and use of recycled by-products, preserving ecosystem through soil improvement, and regional revitalization through support for farmers.
Water Resources
Promoting efforts to reduce a basic unit of water consumption of 3.2 m3/kl or less by 2030 and water recycling through optimizing water usage, and preserving ecosystem by maintaining appropriate water quality and quantity.
In preparing this Environmental Vision, a project team including members from the Asahi Group's regional headquarters in Japan, Europe, Oceania, and Southeast Asia was formed to take into account the perspectives of each region and incorporated the advice of an outside expert, Mr. Takejiro Sueyoshi, a Special Advisor for the Asia-Pacific Region of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative. Additionally, the Company has also collected ideas from Asahi Group employees of diverse affiliations and nationalities under the age of 35, the future generation that will be responsible for 2050, to define what Asahi Group would like the world to be like, to concretize the means to achieve it and to reflect them in its unique strategies and initiatives.
With the aim of integrating sustainability into its management, Asahi Group has been working on group-wide sustainability by building a global promotion structure and setting targets. The Group has adopted "Cheer the Future” to be its corporate statement, and aim to contribute to a sustainable society through its business.
Asahi Group Environmental Initiatives
https://www.asahigroup-holdings.com/en/sustainability/environment/