Reducing environmental and climate impact

Systembolaget pushes for positive environmental and climate impact throughout the entire value chain. It is a task that involves growers, producers, suppliers, industry and certification bodies. Initiatives within climate-smarter packaging, transportation, cultivation and production will contribute to a more sustainable industry worldwide.

Environmental impact

Systembolaget operates in an industry that is completely dependent on functioning ecosystem services such as arable land, a benign and stable climate and access to energy, water and other resources.

At the same time, as an industry we exert an impact on precisely these conditions in a direction that is not sustainable over time.

Shared responsibility

We therefore have a special responsibility to act, steer and drive development in the right direction – towards sustainable cultivation and production where negative environmental impacts are prevented, and where human health, functioning ecosystems and the conservation of finite resources are our ultimate priority.

Target for 2030

Cultivation and production to take place with sustainable use of resources and with minimal emissions to air, land and water.

If improvements are to occur, creating awareness, understanding and insight into one’s own environmental impact among suppliers, producers and growers will be crucial.

What we do: Examples

Mandatory e-training and dialogue at supplier level and producer level

  • Through e-training and meetings, we bring climate and environmental issues to life for our suppliers.
  • The same applies for producers, but we share the work with the suppliers through a train the trainer methodology.
  • A support document is in effect, describing environmental areas (including examples of actions) that are of particular relevance to the beverage industry.
  • Supplementary environmental requirements in the Terms and Conditions for Purchasing has been added.

The Nordic alcohol monopolies engage in various collaborations

Collaboration between alcohol monopolies within the environment area provides efficiency gains, as well as harmonization with suppliers and producers that benefits the industry and increases the overall impact.

Since 2018, the collaboration has focused on various themes based on areas of environmental impact with particularly high relevance to the industry.

  • Packaging of beverages, which has the greatest impact in beverage life cycles
  • Energy/Climate use in cultivation and production
  • Water use in cultivation and production
  • Soil health and biodiversity

Certifications

Organic and other environmental product certifications for sustainable wine are available today. A benchmark study has been conducted to examine more than 30 national and regional certifications worldwide.

Systembolaget’s own operations

By 2030, Systembolaget has a target to be a fossil-free and circular business.

In everything from stores, warehouses, offices and operations, Systembolaget is working to develop circular flows in order to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations.

This involves initiatives such as stopping unnecessary activities, reducing resource and energy use, only using renewable energy, reuse and recycling and material selection.

Climate impact

Major climate changes are an issue that we must help deal with. Working together with our suppliers and other partners, we have considerable opportunities to reduce emissions and help counteract climate change.

Packaging is our largest climate impact

Our largest climate impact is indirect and occurs in connection with the manufacture of packaging. We therefore need to actively work on initiatives to find more sustainable alternatives to the traditional glass bottle.

Our climate targets

Systembolaget set so-called Science Based Targetsin August 2022: 

  • By 2030, the climate impact of Systembolaget’s entire value chain shall be 50% lower compared to 2019. This means reduced emissions from cultivation, production, beverage packaging and transportation of beverages as well as from customer trips to and from our stores (Scope 3).
  • By 2025, Systembolaget will have reduced the climate impact of its own internal business operations by 90% compared with 2019. This means reduced emissions from internal energy consumption and company vehicles (Scopes 1 and 2).
  • By 2045, Systembolaget is aiming for net zero climate impact.

We also have a target for 2023

Our climate impact from packaging will have decreased by 10% compared with 2019.

We are working with others to develop innovative and attractive alternatives to glass bottles.

Glass manufacture is energy-intensive and the more packaging that can be switched to cardboard cartons and plastic (PET) bottles or aluminium cans the better.

Cardboard cartons and plastic bottles and aluminium cans also reduce the climate impact of transportation by virtue of their lower weight and improved logistics.

What we do: Examples

Expanding our range with more climate-smarter packaging

Systembolaget continues to put more requests for tender with climate-smarter packaging. We launch more items in card-board packaging at different price ranges and have introduced wine in aluminium cans.

Strategic collaborations

We currently collaborate with our suppliers (the industry) through the Beverage Industry’s Climate Initiative.

The participants account for almost 84% of the beverage volume in Systembolaget’s Set Range, which stands for approximately 95 % of our sales volume.

The Beverage Industry’s Climate Initiative has collaborated to set four overall goals until 2030:

  • 100% resource-efficient and fossil-free domestic transportation and an increasing proportion of fossil-free transportation abroad.
  • 100% resource efficient and recyclable packaging materials.
  • 100% renewable electricity and energy in business operations and an increasing share across the entire supply chain.
  • A strategy for measurable primary production and cultivation.

What are the results from the Beverage Industry’s Climate Initiative? Climate impact per litre of beverage is low and has decreased from the start in 2018. Investments in fossil-free energy fuels, climate-smarter packaging and more efficient logistics lie behind this.

Systembolaget’s own operations

Cooperating with suppliers and logistics partners, we reduce the total transport volumes through efficient logistics and restocking of goods.

Today, all suppliers must work to ensure that subcontractors are engaged in proactive and systematic environmental work.

We focus on reducing our energy use, for example by continuous installment of LED lighting in stores. We aim at 100 % renewable energy in stores and offices (96 % of stores today have green energy).

Another measure is reducing internal travel and always choosing train over flights when reasonable to do so.