FULLY CHARGED: GREENE KING'S ELECTRIC SHIFT
10/09/2025
Greene King, one of the UK’s largest and best-known pub operators and brewers, is on a mission to cut its carbon footprint without losing the warmth and welcome that has been its hallmark for over two centuries. From electrifying kitchens to installing solar panels and rolling out electric vehicle charging, the company is making sustainability part of the everyday pub experience.
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DECARBONISE THE ENTIRE ESTATE
by electrifying kitchens and generating renewable power on-site.
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REDUCE COSTS
by using voltage optimisation equipment to lower energy use.
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INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE
to support sustainable travel for teams and customers.
WHO IS GREENE KING?
Greene King is one of Britain’s leading pub retailers and brewers, with a network of over 2,700 pubs, restaurants, and hotels across England, Wales, and Scotland. Their ales are brewed at the Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Founded in 1799 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, today the business employs more than 39,000 people and is known for serving quality food and drink in inviting, community-focused settings.
THE CHALLENGE
With an estate of thousands of sites, each with its own character and operational needs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions at scale is no small task. Greene King set a goal of decarbonising their entire estate, so they needed to find ways to switch from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy sources while keeping kitchens cooking, cellars chilled, and guests happy. At the same time, the company wanted to reassess how it used energy in its properties and reduce costs by improving energy efficiency and investing in the infrastructure needed to support more sustainable travel for both its teams and its customers.
THE OBJECTIVES
As a founding member of the Zero Carbon Forum, Greene King joined 21 other hospitality operators to co-create the Hospitality Roadmap, in which they agreed to two targets: to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040.
To get there, the plan includes electrifying a significant proportion of its kitchens, installing voltage optimisation technology to boost efficiency, generating renewable power on-site, and growing the number of electric vehicle journeys and charging points across its estate.
The aim is to make greener choices feel like a natural part of the everyday pub visit.
THE SOLUTION
Step by step, Greene King is putting its plans into action. Almost a third of its managed pubs now have fully electric kitchens, with 473 sites making the switch from gas to cleaner electricity.
Voltage optimisation equipment is helping reduce energy use overall without affecting the customer experience.
At its Middleton distribution centre in Greater Manchester, 8,000 square metres of solar panels are generating clean electricity to support operations.
Electric vehicles are becoming a bigger part of business travel too, with 23% of mileage claims in 2024 coming from EVs, compared with 12% the year before.
And with EV charging now available at around 20% of managed pubs, and plans for 1,900 bays across 400 locations by the end of 2025, Greene King is making it easier for customers and teams to recharge in more ways than one.
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THE ROLE OF ZERO CARBON FORUM
As a founding member of the Zero Carbon Forum, Greene King has been actively involved since day one. Their property team plays a key role in the Forum’s Low Carbon Technologies Action Group, helping to shape and share best practice on the practical steps to decarbonise pubs.
The company has made use of the Forum’s corporate carbon calculator to better understand its entire footprint across all its tenants, and track progress.
Support from the Forum has also helped Greene King put in place a clear governance structure that aligns with the Forum’s Climate Action Plan Governance and Strategy initiatives, ensuring sustainability is embedded at every level of the business.
Greene King’s commitment to sharing its journey with others has been evident too: at a recent Annual Members’ Meeting, they presented their decarbonisation plans, offering insight and inspiration to peers across the hospitality sector.
The Zero Carbon Forum has been a powerful, convening force for the hospitality industry, bringing together many peers in open and honest conversations on the actions that we can all take in the hospitality industry to contribute to tackling climate change. It’s always an informative and motivating experience to hear what others are doing and the approaches they’re taking, as well as participating in the discussions to shape collaborative actions to some of the holistic challenges we all face./)
James Hubbard
Environmental Sustainability Lead, Greene King
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IN NUMBERS
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473
By August 2025, 473 electric kitchens have been converted
8,000m2
8,000m2 of solar panels installed at Middleton Centre
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23%
In 2024, 23% of business mileage was done with electric vehicles vs 12% in 2023
20%
Nearly 20% of managed pubs have installed electric vehicle charging points
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1,900
By the end of 2025, Greene King have a target of 1,900 EV charging points across 400 locations
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Net Zero
Greene King have set a net zero target for 2040, and a 50% reduction target by 2030
IMPACT
These changes are already helping Greene King move faster towards its climate goals while reducing operational energy use and costs. By investing in electrification, renewable energy, and sustainable travel, the company is not only building a more resilient business but also reinforcing its brand reputation as guests and employees alike can see, and feel, the positive steps being taken.
WHAT'S NEXT
Greene King will continue to track and share its progress against its emissions targets, with a focus supplier sustainability, property decarbonisation, energy efficiency in the leased and tenanted estate and the evolution of the bottle reuse initiative.
The company is exploring new ways to work with partners and suppliers to drive innovation, cut waste, and ensure the great British pub remains a sustainable, welcoming place for generations to come.
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WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY
Be part of the solutions changing the face of your industry.
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