Planet

Our Pineapples with Purpose volunteers exist to be that little bit kinder to the planet. They genuinely live and breathe our value of Doing Well, by Doing Good.

How? They focus on six topics: energy, waste, volunteering, nature, net zero and food.

This year, in support of these areas, Pineapples with Purpose has been supporting our pubs in maximising their energy efficiency. They’ve been spreading best practice on waste management. They have also been getting their hands dirty in beach and woodland cleans. And they’ve spread the word about recycling.

Championing biodiversity through our strategic partnership with the Eden Project has also been a big project. After all, where would the planet be without our Pollinator friends? They help us to thrive together.

This section offers planet highlights. Please see our Punch Promise for the full details.

Our road to Net Zero

The UK Government has stated all businesses must reach net zero by 2050. We have set a target to achieve this by the end of 2040.

How? FY24, our total carbon emissions fell by 1.1% year on year. Most of our emissions (87%) sit in Scope 3. We’re focusing on collaborating with suppliers to reduce it.

Full details on our actions and initiatives are in our Punch Promise. We have a long way to go, but we are committed to realising our ambitions.

CUTTING ENERGY USE ACROSS OUR PUBS

We have made a commitment to reduce our energy consumption by 30% in our Management Partnership (MP) pubs and at Head Office by the end of 2028. This action aligns to the Sustainability Development Goal 7 strategic target.

Early initiatives have already cut consumption by 10–15%, with more projects in progress. To aid this, 30-minute smart metering installed in 300+ MP and Laine pubs, enabling year-on-year energy consumption comparisons.

We have also made Technik2 (technology that actively manages the energy use of beer remotes, cellar cooling and bottle fridges) installations in 300+ pubs. This technology has helped reduce energy use by 8–11% per site.

There is also a planned rollout of Technik2 installations to the Leased and Tenanted (L&T) estate with Punch funding the upfront costs. We have also upgraded 400 boilers in the last two years.

Encouraging behavioural change is key

87.5% of Punch pubs in England and Wales already meet EPC C standard, with a target of all reaching it by the end of 2026. Our night-time savings incentive encourages teams to lower consumption to as little as 2 kWh per hour.

EV charging is available at several of our sites, whilst at least 51% of the electricity we procure on behalf of our MPs and our L&T PubSpark Publicans is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs).

Because these practices were drilled into me, it’s become part of my everyday routine

MANAGING WASTE AND RECYCLING

We’ve been working closely with our waste partner, Biffa, to improve how we manage waste across our business.

Our key goals are to recycle at least 60% of our waste and send zero waste to landfill by the end of 2028.

We currently recycle 53%, up from previous years, thanks to more recycling options, training sessions and campaigns. Today, 98% of our waste is diverted away from landfill.

GETTING STUCK INTO COMMUNITY CLEANS

We work with Biffa and Molson Coors on local clean-up projects across the UK.

Together, we’ve collected over 105kg of waste from places like Crantock Beach and Cannock Chase.

More than 150 people have taken part, including teams from our pubs, local communities, Molson Coors, and Biffa.

Working with Biffa has changed how we approach sustainability. It’s brought our teams together through beach and woodland cleans and new recycling projects that support local communities. We’re making a difference.

REDUCING PACKAGING AND CARBON IMPACT

We collaborate with our suppliers to reduce packaging weight and cut carbon impact.

Examples
Appletiser: A shift from 275ml glass bottles to 250ml cans in our MP pubs is expected to save over 6,000kg of CO2 annually.

Oasis Cans: We’ve launched new 330ml can formats as an alternative to J2O’s 275ml glass bottles. The exact CO2 savings can only be estimated due to different suppliers, but we expect a reduction of at least one third.

PROTECTING OUR POLLINATORS

Picturesque pub gardens can boost biodiversity while creating spaces that delight every guest.

The Eden Project, one of our key strategic partners, helps us understand our role in protecting nature. Almost 100 of our pubs are now Pollinator Pubs. Each receives seeds, tools, and guides from Eden to create wildlife-friendly gardens.

At the Three Cottages in Hasland, Eden seeds helped fill the garden with colourful, nectar-rich wildflowers. Just look at their garden awash with colour.