Ten leading beverage companies, including Bacardi, Diageo, Heineken, and The Coca-Cola Company, have joined forces to establish the REfresh Alliance—a collaborative industry initiative to promote renewable energy use across the beverage sector's supply chain. Managed by energy solutions provider Enel X, the alliance aims to address common barriers to renewable adoption, provide educational resources on best practices, and accelerate the industry's shift toward net-zero emissions.
The REfresh Alliance's scope includes aggregating renewable energy demand, connecting participants with green energy providers, and organizing clean energy transactions. With approximately 90% of a beverage company's carbon footprint stemming from Scope 3 emissions in its supply chain, the Alliance's collective approach seeks to provide cost-effective solutions to suppliers who may lack the resources for an independent transition.
“We have long recognized the need for industry collaboration to accelerate the transition across our supply chains,” said Ralf Peters, Chief Procurement Officer of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. “Encouraging our suppliers to transition to renewables is one of the most impactful things we can do to decarbonize their businesses and our own.”
Chief procurement officers from Heineken and Diageo also highlighted the importance of pooled resources to address Scope 3 emissions, with Diageo's Jane Liang calling on other companies to join the Alliance. “The climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time,” Liang noted, emphasizing the Alliance's role in driving collective action across the industry.
Initially, the REfresh Alliance will operate in Europe and North America, with plans to expand globally to support the industry's decarbonization. Through Enel X's support, over 300 suppliers are already engaged with the Alliance, signaling a promising start in the push for renewable energy adoption across the global beverage supply chain.
