Nairobi — East African Breweries PLC (EABL) is set to reduce its carbon emissions by 95 per cent annually as the firm seeks to increase its share of renewable energy in its energy mix.
The firm has invested Sh5.1 billion to establish biomass plants in Kenya and Uganda as the firm seeks to fully transition to clean energy.
The biomass plants will replace heavy fuel oils used at the company's sites in Ruaraka, Kisumu in Kenya and Port Bell in Kampala and will be powered by sustainable raw materials such as macadamia shells, coffee, and rice husks and sugarcane bagasse.
The shift will cut the firm's carbon emissions by 42,000 tonnes per year.
Speaking during the launch of the EABL 2022 Sustainability report, Group Managing Director and CEO, Jane Karuku, noted that addressing climate change was a top priority for the company as EABL seeks to substantially increase its share of renewable energy use in the global energy mix.
"Every other day, another research finding, news story or environmental-related disaster comes with more evidence that our planet is in a crisis. Despite these seemingly insurmountable challenges, EABL is taking the lead in developing solutions," said Karuku.
"The biomass investment demonstrates the strength of our commitment to pioneering 'Grain to Glass Sustainability', which is a key pillar of our Sustainability Strategy, and continues our work to provide sustainable solutions for local supply chains,"
Africa accounts for only 2-3 percent of the world's carbon emissions from energy and industrial resources.
However, East Africa remains highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change: according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, the region is already experiencing warming of 1-1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial times.
Karuku noted that African countries need to act faster and better in their own words and what affects them since the conversation is more on the global scene.
"We are hoping that as African leaders we can work together to deal with this issue and develop strategies that suit us to ensure that the next generation will see our businesses," she said.
EABL targets to become Net Zero in its direct operations by 2030. To this end, its sites run on 96.9 per cent renewable electricity for its operations, above its target of 95 percent.
