Mark Chapman, founder and CEO at Zero Carbon Forum said: “Wells & Co. is a fantastic operator that has already shown great progress in taking credible climate action. We are excited to work with the team to help implement all the necessary measures from their dedicated climate action plan with nearly 190 energy-saving initiatives that reduce negative impacts and improve business. The Wells & Co. team will also benefit from sharing best practice with other forum members and a robust calendar of events, masterclasses, workshops, action groups and CEO roundtables to measure, plan and reduce their carbon footprint, at pace.” 

Established in 1876 by founder Charles Wells, the fifth-generation business is now led by CEO, Peter Wells. 

Ed Robinson, also a family member, is responsible for heading up the brand’s evolution towards net zero as the organisation’s first ever Sustainability Manager, whilst working towards an MSc in Sustainability at Cranfield University. 

Ed says: “At Wells & Co., we are committed to being a net force for good in the communities and natural environment we inhabit. Operating a sustainable and resilient business is at the heart of everything we do. We want to give the next generation a business that we are proud of, and one they can grow and enjoy for years to come. 

“The Zero Carbon Forum can measure our efforts accurately, benchmark them against the rest of the industry, and advise us on how to improve sustainability across the whole estate. Working with all our managed and tenanted pub partners to complete their carbon footprint is the first step on our journey.” 

Wells & Co. has made substantial changes across its estate to reduce emissions, reviewing and transforming the key areas of waste and energy. Initiatives have included food waste audits and partnerships with Refood, producers of renewable energy from food waste, Too Good to Go, the surplus food marketplace, and its own ‘Beepoint’ project at their Bedford HQ, Brewpoint, to transform land around the brewery into a biodiverse space featuring several beehives. Most recently the grain from Brewpoint has been sent to anaerobic digestion. 

Ed continues: “We are fully invested in decarbonising operations on our course to net zero. Our goal is to understand more about where we are on our net zero journey. We’ve joined Zero Carbon Forum as a like-minded and credible third-party organisation to access industry expertise and insights, a dashboard of data to track our progress, and tools and initiatives to help us get where we need to be faster.”