Suntory has published its first climate transition plan, setting out how the Japanese drinks group intends to reduce emissions across its operations and supply chain while managing rising climate risks.
The company says it cut greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2019 and 2025. It now aims for a 30% reduction in absolute Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions by 2030 against that 2019 baseline, followed by a 90% cut by 2050.
The 2030 target is measured in absolute terms rather than as an intensity ratio, so it applies to the group's total Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.
Packaging and raw materials dominate the footprint
Packaging and raw materials are identified as the main contributors to the group's footprint. Suntory says packaging-related emissions fell 38% between 2019 and 2025, while emissions from raw materials declined 12% over the same period.
Not all parts of the value chain moved in the same direction. Emissions associated with co-manufactured finished products increased 26%, according to the plan. That rise highlights the group's dependence on suppliers and contract manufacturing partners to meet its absolute reduction targets.
Packaging reform at the centre
The plan places particular emphasis on packaging reform. Measures include reducing material use, increasing recycled content and redesigning containers. Suntory says it wants all primary polyethylene terephthalate packaging to be made either from 100% recycled material or produced without fossil fuels.
The packaging specification is framed as a target for primary PET packaging, with reduced material use and container redesign as supporting measures. Those commitments sit alongside a broader goal of net-zero emissions across the value chain by 2050, according to the company's sustainability material.
The plan does not treat packaging as a standalone issue; it links material choices to the group's overall value-chain footprint and to its reliance on external suppliers.
Suppliers and spending
The company has engaged suppliers representing more than half of its Scope 3 emissions. Further progress is expected to depend on changes to production methods, energy consumption and material choices across the supply chain.
Suntory estimates it will spend €185.4m, or £156m, on climate-related operating costs between 2027 and 2030. Packaging accounts for the bulk of that sum. The estimate covers operating costs rather than capital investment.
The disclosed figures show mixed progress. Packaging emissions have fallen sharply and raw-material emissions are lower, but the increase in emissions from co-manufactured finished products offsets part of those gains and makes supplier performance central to the 2030 target.
The plan therefore combines absolute emissions targets, packaging redesign and supplier engagement. Its delivery will depend on whether those measures can reduce total value-chain emissions even as contracted manufacturing remains part of the group's production model.