Sustainability Status Check: Where We Are Today
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The start of a new decade has served as an important milestone in our ongoing sustainability journey. Leading up to and through the end of 2020, we took critical steps to advance our efforts and make a positive impact, including reaching past goals and setting new objectives that aim even higher. Looking ahead to 2030, we are committed to taking a leading position within our industry and to elevating the priorities of our stakeholders, from our investors and partners to our employees and their communities.
Join us as we reflect on what has led us here and where we plan to go next:
2020 Goals: Completed
In 2016, we took our first formal step in fighting climate change by establishing two energy- and emissions-related goals, both set against a 2015 baseline and paired with a December 31, 2020 deadline
- Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 10% per billion standard units of production, including Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
- Decrease energy consumption by 5% per billion standard units of production.
By the end of 2019—one year in advance of our target time frame, we surpassed both goals, demonstrating our commitment to identifying and implementing the right solutions to streamline operations.
Road to Renewable: Commenced
After pledging to the RE100 in 2019, we have made efforts to implement alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power where possible in our facilities around the world. Before the end of last year, the start of a 15-year wind power Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) generating more than 440,000 MWhs of electricity made us the first metal packaging manufacturer to activate renewable power for 100% of its U.S. and Canadian beverage can plants. With this transition and various solar panel installations within our global locations, we reached 33% renewable electricity within 2020—exceeding our goal of 30% by the end of the year.
Emissions Strategy: Approved
With climate as a pressing global issue, setting the right GHG emissions reduction targets is critical to our action plan. In 2020, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved our targets and confirmed they are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement. Our objectives include decreasing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 (using a 2019 baseline), as well as decreasing absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 16% over the same target period.
Twentyby30 Program: Established
Knowing our journey has only just began, we launched a comprehensive sustainability program last year that will guide us through the next decade. The Twentyby30 program, which outlines 20 measurable goals to be achieved by or before 2030, accelerates our efforts in all three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) and aims to contribute to collective industry goals and advancement.
Designed around five pillars of action, Twentyby30 prioritizes high-priority areas through which we can help move the needle:
- Climate Action
- Resource Efficiency
- Optimum Circularity
- Working Together
- Never Compromise
Each pillar, aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN and built on our foundation of governance and ethics, will drive targeted initiatives around energy, water, waste, material use efficiency, recycling, employee health and safety, Diversity & Inclusion, responsible and ethical sourcing, food contact, chemical safety and more. From lowering greenhouse gas emissions in our operations to advancing the Circular Economy, these objectives will help us accelerate our efforts and create real industry change.
Learn more about our Twentyby30 program and our global sustainability progress here: https://www.crowncork.com/sustainability