Ölgerðin: A century of craftsmanship, a decade of auditable climate results
How Iceland’s largest beverage producer built a sustainability data foundation that turns operational data into documented, verifiable results.
Over a century of history. A decade of structured sustainability data.
Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson is Iceland’s largest beverage producer, with over a century of history and a portfolio spanning soft drinks, energy drinks, water, spirits, and food products. With revenues of 34.5 billion ISK and 187 employees, the company is one of the most recognisable names in Icelandic daily life.
Sustainability at Ölgerðin is not a communications exercise. The company is a member of the UN Global Compact, a signatory to Festa’s Climate Declaration, and has had its net zero target, carbon neutrality by 2040, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In 2024, it became the highest-scoring manufacturing company in Iceland in the inaugural Sjálfbærniásinn sustainability index, and was upgraded to the A3 tier in Reitun’s ESG assessment.
None of this happened by accident. It happened because Ölgerðin chose to measure everything, and built the data foundation to make those measurements trustworthy.
Data without structure
When Ölgerðin first committed to sustainability in 2013, on its 100th anniversary, setting 100 goals for the future, the intent was clear. But intent isn’t enough without data you can trust.
The problem wasn’t a lack of ambition. It was a lack of structured data.
Operational data lived across invoices, spreadsheets, and disconnected supplier systems, with no common structure. Without a shared format, there was no reliable baseline, no way to track whether actions were working, and no path to external verification. The problem wasn’t a lack of ambition. It was a lack of structured data.
A single operational data foundation
Ölgerðin partnered with Klappir in 2017. The platform standardized how operational data, energy, fuel, waste, water, transport, is defined, structured, and stored across the business. Data flows in automatically from service providers and suppliers, tagged consistently at the transaction level, and held in a governed structure that doesn’t change when methodologies or regulations do.
The result is that the same data driving decisions on the production floor also underlies the annual sustainability statement and the independent assurance from PwC in 2024. Collected once, used everywhere, from engineer dashboards to auditor sign-off.
From raw data to assured results
Standardized data ingestion
Energy, fuel, waste, and water data flows in automatically from service providers and suppliers, tagged consistently at the transaction level.
Governed data structure
A governed data foundation that doesn’t change when methodologies or regulations do, so historical data stays reliable over time.
From operations to assurance
The same data that runs engineer dashboards underlies the 2024 PwC assurance statement. One foundation, every use case.
The results
Documented, verifiable progress
Emissions
Reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions since 2020
Energy
Renewable energy share in 2024 (up from 85% in 2022)
Waste
Packaging & Community
“It’s easy to see how goals are progressing and whether tactics are working. The system is a godsend not only for us who do the environmental reporting but also for our machinists and engineers, who now have a comprehensive overview of the energy intensity of every single machine. This is a very practical tool, and it helps us manage resources in smart, sensible ways.”
The road to 2040
Ölgerðin’s 2040 net zero commitment covers the full value chain, a harder and more meaningful target than operational neutrality alone. The road ahead includes 100% recycled PET in plastic bottles, ISO 14001 certification, expanded supplier assessment across all subsidiaries, and publishing carbon footprint data directly in its online store.
Each of those goals depends on data that can be trusted at every point in the chain. That’s what the platform is built to provide.
Common questions
What teams most often ask about this story.
The platform standardizes data from service providers and suppliers at the transaction level. Energy, fuel, waste, water, and transport data flows in automatically, tagged consistently so it can be compared across time periods and locations. The same data foundation powers both operational dashboards and the annual PwC-assured sustainability statement.
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