EVANSVILLE - Berry Global Group has committed to achieving net-zero emissions across its global operations and value chain by 2050. The company said it aims to reduce its total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions over 90% and neutralize its remaining residual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Meeting these goals will help ensure Berry is aligned with a 1.5 °C warming scenario and supports the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to well-below 2 °C, the company said.
“Reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 is critical to avoiding the most catastrophic environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change,” said Tom Salmon, CEO and chairman of the Board at Berry Global. “As a global plastic packaging leader, we have a responsibility to protect the environment by minimizing the impact of our products, operations, and value chain as well as our business by limiting the exposure of our operations and supply chain to climate risk.”
Achieving net-zero GHG emissions will require a range of solutions across Berry’s broad geographic footprint and diverse portfolio of converting and decorating technologies. Emissions reduction strategies primarily fall under three categories:
- Circular plastics: drive circularity and reduce GHG emissions by moving away from virgin, fossil fuel-based plastic and using lighter weight, less carbon-intensive, circular materials, including recycled plastics and bio-based plastics made from renewable resources, like used cooking oil
- Value-chain engagement: because most of the company’s value-chain emissions come from purchased goods and services, work with customers to develop lower-carbon solutions and suppliers to provide lower-carbon materials and services
- Cleaner energy: increase investment in renewable energy to decrease use of fossil fuels, minimize the environmental impact of energy sources vital to manufacturing, continually improve energy efficiency to reduce overall energy dependence, and take steps to electrify processes within operations that consume gas and fuel
Compared to a 2019 baseline, Berry’s climate targets – validated by the Science Based Targets initiative – aim to reduce operational Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 25% and absolute supply-chain Scope 3 GHG emissions 25% by 2025.
To date, the company has reduced Scope 3 GHG emissions from its supply chain by 9% and Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by an impressive 21%, expecting to achieve its science-based target of a 25% reduction from 2019 prior to its 2025 goal.
