CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 2009
By the end of the year we expect to achieve an absolute reduction in energy compared to 1997 despite increases in production.
We have reduced our carbon emissions by
23.8%
per tonne of product since 1997
Policies and Actions
Energy
Our manufacturing plants are the most energy intensive part of our business and every site management team includes energy efficiency improvement targets in their personal objectives. This helps our teams understand that we all have a role to play in making our operations more efficient.
Across the business, we are committed to a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2012 on 1990 levels (per tonne of product), with an aspirational target of a 30% reduction by 2020. This year we have:
- Completed ISO14001 certification of our Huddersfield site and maintained certification across all our other plants.
- Achieved a 30.2% reduction in energy used in manufacturing and a 23.8% reduction in carbon emissions per tonne of product produced since 1997. In absolute terms, this means we now produce over 45% more product each year using only 1.4% more energy, compared to 1997. By the end of the year we expect to achieve an absolute reduction in energy compared to 1997 despite increases in production.
- Evaluated renewable energy options, including wind, solar and combined heat and power (CHP). In particular, we completed feasibility studies on wind turbine options at our major sites. Unfortunately, our sites are situated close to housing and other large buildings, which means that wind power options are not currently viable. We also undertook a detailed study on CHP plants. Although CHP plants have some potential benefits we have not yet found a solution that makes commercial sense. We will continue to review this as new technologies become available.
Water
Water is the largest ingredient in our drinks and central to our manufacturing process. We use water carefully, and our long-term target is to reduce water use in manufacturing by 20% by 2020 compared to 2007 levels. This is an absolute target. In the past year, we have continued to build on existing progress and have:
- Reduced our overall water-to-product ratio by 17.7% since 2002. This ratio is calculated by dividing total water usage by litres of products produced.
- Reduced our effluent-to-consumption ratio by 16.3% in the past year, and by 33% since 2002.
Leeds water savings
We discovered that one of our pasteurising lines in Leeds was contributing to significant energy and water loss. Once the problem had been diagnosed, we developed a project to improve its efficiency.
A series of planned mechanical modifications has meant that we now save eight million litres of water per year, and with a second stage of improvements to optimise the temperature system, will be saving 25 million litres per year.