Molson Coors
Project title: Molson Coors Beverage Company: CO2 Reduction Efforts
Subject area: Carbon emissions
Objectives: Molson Coors Beverage Company globally is committed to achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
Key objectives in this journey include:
- 50% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2025 (from a 2016 baseline)
- 20% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2025
- Supporting carbon reduction through technological innovation, energy transition, and sustainable supply chain management
Empowering employees to be part of the change through education and carbon literacy
Project description: Molson Coors is investing in a wide array of initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, spanning brewing operations, renewable energy, technology upgrades, supply chain innovations, and team engagement.
- Brewery-level emission reductions
At Sharp’s Brewery, a new project is underway involving the installation of CO₂ recovery technology that minimises emissions during the brewing process. This technology, anticipated to be operational by July 2025, enables capture and reuse of CO2 from the fermentation process reducing the need to purchase and transport CO2
Meanwhile, our Burton and Tadcaster breweries are now also largely self-sufficient in CO₂, with the site capturing and reusing CO₂ from the brewing process – avoiding daily atmospheric releases.
- Energy efficiency and technological investment
A multi-million-pound continuous improvement programme has been launched to enhance energy efficiency, reduce water use, and enable CO₂ recovery:
Alongside the Burton carbon recapture project, heat recovery systems have been introduced to reduce steam usage across Molson’s brewhouses.
Meanwhile, energy to produce a hectolitre of beverage has dropped by ~23% since 2014. None of our waste is going to landfill in UK.
- Renewable energy milestone
In 2021, Molson Coors became the first major UK brewer to operate fully on renewable electricity, thanks to a Power Purchase Agreement.
Electricity is sourced from Tween Bridge wind farm in Yorkshire and this transition saved 61 million kWh of fossil fuel energy in its first year. It means that we brew close a billion pints of beer and cider a year using renewable electricity.
- Sustainable sourcing and circular practices
CO₂ recovery across sites reduces the need for CO₂ delivery, capturing approximately 47 tonnes per day.
Meanwhile, all the barley used by Molson Coors in the UK is British, with only UK-based maltsters used to reduce transport emissions.
In Burton where its largest brewery and head office are based, spent yeast goes to the local Marmite factory and spent grains go to local farmers for animal feed.
- Carbon literacy and employee engagement
In collaboration with The Carbon Literacy Project, the company launched its first Carbon Literacy Training session in the UK in April 2025.
18 colleagues participated in sessions to better understand carbon impacts and drive actionable change.
Participants have made their personal individual commitments and company commitments and are awaiting to be certified Carbon Literate – contributing to a culture of sustainability.
Outcomes: Continuous progress has placed Molson Coors ahead of schedule on several sustainability fronts, especially in the UK.
This includes:
- Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduced by over 62%, already surpassing the 2025 target.
- Scope 3 emissions reduced by approximately 37%, nearly double the 2025 goal.