Metal Packaging Major Crown Now Running All US, Canadian Plants On Renewable Energy

Global meta packaging specialist, Crown Holdings is now operating all 14 of its beverage can plants in the US and Canada on renewable energy. With operations in 47 countries employing over 33,000 people and net sales of $11.7 billion, Crown’s shift will have a considerable positive impact on the carbon footprint of products it supplies for in the food packaging and beverage industry too.

It is the first metal packaging manufacturer to achieve this milestone, which is the result of a 15-year wind power Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Longroad Energy. With the VPPA in effect and all of Crown’s manufacturing facilities in the U.K. already completing a similar transition, 27.5% of the company’s global operations are now using renewable electricity.

Crown Holdings’s objective is to employ 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050 starting from 60% by 2030 and 90% by 2040. This objective is under Crown’s Twentyby30 initiative, a comprehensive sustainability program that addresses climate issues among other areas of urgent global concern. The action also supports Crown’s Twentyby30 goal to decrease Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within its global operations, targeting a 50% combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. As the leading producer of food cans and metal vacuum closures in the world, besides the no. 1 or no.2  in markets where it competes with aerosol cans, suppliers like Crown in the logistics chain will become increasingly important for a faster net zero transition in these key sectors. Keep in mind that many such firms that have a commitment to specific targets by 2035 and 2050 even, usually use these targets to refer to their own, direct output, and without taking into account the carbon footprint of key suppliers like Crown.

To that extent, the push for carbon transition down the line is welcome news for all.

Crown had sent its own targets in 2016, with 2015 as the baseline reference year. To that extent, the firm might feel satisfied that it has achieved its first set of targets. But considering the sheer  speed of changes on the renewable energy front in terms of cost and availability, we believe, like many others, there is a strong case for the firm to aim for more ambitious targets now.