Adnams backs the Government’s commitment to ending the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.
The East Anglian brewer and pub operator- widely viewed as one of the region's businesses leading the charge on sustainability - said today's announcement of a fresh target to cut emissions to "net zero" by the middle of the century showed "leadership to others to follow suit".
The Government's announcement follows advice from the Committee on Climate Change, which recently called for the new legal target to be brought in as soon as possible and to urgently ramp up action to cut emissions.
Hitting 'net zero' will mean an end to heating of homes with traditional gas boilers, more green electricity, and a switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles, walking and cycling. It could require people to eat less meat and dairy and take fewer flights.
New social norm
Any remaining pollution in 2050 from areas including aviation will need to be "offset" through measures to cut carbon such as planting trees.
Adnams environmental sustainability manager, Ben Orchard, said: "Acting sustainably as a business, as a citizen or as a government is simply now the new social norm. We therefore welcome the news that the Government is taking definitive action to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as it cements this understanding and shows leadership to others to follow suit."
Adnams has led the field in sustainable business practice in numerous areas: its Reydon Distribution Centre near Southwold, which was built in 2006 was the first industrial building in the UK to be built out of sustainable materials. In 2013, the company was the first UK brewery to calculate its carbon footprint and undertake a full life-cycle assessment on its range of bottled beer.
The business has continued to put measures in place to reduce its carbon emissions, alongside reducing water usage in its brewery and distillery through the introduction of state of the art technology last year.
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Immediate action
Of the 'net-zero' target, Mr Orchard added: "We now need immediate action in order to achieve this; something which we will continue to do, furthering our two decades of sustainable operations and carbon emission reductions. We will continue to encourage other businesses to work alongside us by adopting sustainable frameworks to achieve this mutually beneficial law."
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