One of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries, Glenturret has announced plans to phase out the use of peat in its whisky production, with a target to complete this transition as early as 2025.
“We have a duty of care to ensure our use of water is as efficient and responsible as possible.”
Ruth Piggin, SWA
“The impact of the climate crisis is already being felt in Scotland’s water supply chain, and while distilleries manage this well, we understand that we have a duty of care to ensure our use of water is as efficient and responsible as possible. We’re committed to working closely with stakeholders including SEPA, government bodies and other relevant parties, to further improve the industry’s water stewardship.”
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, Head of Water and Planning at SEPA, said: “Scotland may be renowned for its rain but, as we’ve seen already this year, it can be extremely vulnerable to periods of prolonged, dry weather and with climate change these are expected to become more frequent in the years ahead.
“The businesses that thrive in the face of this challenge will be those that recognise the link between environmental and economic prosperity. They will work with SEPA and others in their industry to build resilience, reduce their water use and have a well-established plan for when we experience water scarcity. These actions will reduce the need for SEPA to impose restrictions on their business.
“It’s reassuring to see the whisky industry being proactive, taking their responsibility to help protect Scotland’s water environment seriously, and contributing to its long-term sustainability for all those who depend on it.”
Degrading peat is estimated to be responsible for about 5% of UK carbon emissions, prompting debate over whether banning its use is the answer.
“You’ve heard of ‘tree-huggers’ protecting woodlands, We ‘bog-trotters’ love the wetlands.”
The words of agile ecologist Andrew McBride, from the Land and Habitats consultancy, as he strides across a marsh in Aberdeenshire.
But there is something almost magical about sphagnum moss. It looks like a bright green mass of feathery ferns.
It thrives without soil, has remarkable antiseptic properties, holds prodigious amounts of water and accumulates almost infinitely to make peat.
In July, the company reported a “standout” 50 per cent rise in sales in China at its interim results. “The desirability of what we have to offer surmounts the current situation in terms of the economy,” Ridley said. Graeme Littlejohn, strategy and communications director at the SWA, said the long-term nature of the industry meant it was able to defy short-term economic volatility, noting that at the height of the financial crisis in 2008-11, exports rose by 40 per cent. While it was “not immune to the global situation, the long-term vision means some of the bumps in the road are lessened”.
Peat covers about 12% of the UK and more than 20% of Scotland.
It’s in the fields of the Fens, the moors of the Pennines and blanket bogs of the Highlands.
In places it can be at least five metres deep and across the country holds more carbon than the woodlands of the UK, France and Germany combined.
But once it’s drained and dried that carbon lock is broken and the greenhouse gas escapes.
Degrading peat is estimated to be responsible for about 5% of UK carbon emissions.
One of the contributors to that degradation is whisky. It is key to the process of making many brands often infused with the treasured “peaty reek”.
The Scottish government has announced a desire to “phase out the use of peat for the sake of the environment” and has not ruled out including whisky in that ban.
The multi-national drinks company Beam Suntory gave Sky News a tour of their Ardmore Distillery on the edge of Speyside.
It’s a maze of giant vats, barrels and steampunk engineering accompanied by a magical mystery tour of aromas: malt, smoke, ancient wood and fresh fermentation.
Alistair Longwell, their head of environment and distilling, points out that whisky is responsible for less than 1% of the peat extracted in the UK, but what they do use is vital.
“For our brands and many others, peat is fundamentally important.
“It creates that unique character and flavour that our consumers love.
“A ban (on its use) would have a unique and detrimental impact on what is our standard bearing export – so important not just to Scotland but the UK as a whole.”
His company is helping to fund the restoration of peat bogs close to the distillery under the watchful and appreciative eye of Andrew McBride.
“Government alone can’t do this so it’s very important that companies that use peat, and others that are using the natural environment, give something back.”
But he also believes that wetlands have suffered from an image problem – seen as perilous, untrustworthy and linked with decay.
“Drain the Swamp” has even become a political chant.
“Bogs have been completely unloved for centuries, and they’ve been seen as sort of negative places,” he said.
“But when you actually start to understand them, you get onto them.
“You see the diversity, the different species.
“I think we’ve probably turned a corner now because people are paying much more attention to peatlands.”
The Scottish government certainly is.
Its proposals include phasing out the use of peat in gardening.
This is already scheduled to happen in England in 2024.
In reality, whisky’s iconic status and importance to the Scottish economy will probably save it from the ban.
Expect peat to vanish from the potting shed well before the drinks cabinet.
Whisky cask ownership is a great way to hedge against inflation and low interest rates
At Whisky investment UK, they advise that in this unsettled market, whisky does seem the safe bet. It naturally appreciates over time, and evidence can be found all over that purchasing the right cask, stored in the right conditions by a reputable wholesaler
(not a sales broker), can offer average returns per annum of 10% to 12%, with most cask returns ready to maximise within three to six years.
A drinks firm is planning to build a new carbon-neutral, whisky distillery after winning a major new investment.
Edinburgh-based, specialist, consumer-brand investor Inverleith LLP has just secured a majority stake in the Eden Mill St Andrews craft gin and Scotch whisky company.
The drinks firm plans to build a new whisky distillery in St Andrews, with founder and managing director, Paul Miller, describing it as a “really exciting moment” for the business.
He stated: “Having secured Inverleith LLP as the majority investor into the business, we will be able to realise our distillery ambition and unlock the potential of Eden Mill St Andrews as a premium, craft gin and premium, single malt, scotch whisky here in the UK and overseas.
“With their consumer-strategic-brand and commercial expertise, I am confident that we have found the right partner to drive and support the next and most significant stage of the Eden Mill journey.”
Eden Mill, which was founded by Mr Miller and Tony Kelly in 2012, hopes to open the new distillery in late 2022.
Meanwhile, the investment will also enable the company to expand its distribution in the UK and internationally.
Paul Skipworth, managing partner at Inverleith LLP, hailed the deal as a “fantastic addition to Inverleith’s portfolio of premium, consumer brands.
He said: “Eden Mill St Andrews has one of the most exciting futures within premium gin and whisky and we are delighted to be supporting the realisation of its vision.
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“As a team, we have a long heritage in the development of premium spirits, both operationally and as investors, and we believe we will be a strong partner for Paul Miller and the wider Eden Mill team over the coming years.
“We admire the work that Eden Mill has done to date in developing high quality, great-tasting gins and scotch whiskies and we look forward to helping the brand and its products achieve international success.”
Paul Skipworth
Should the plans get the green light, they would see 12,000 solar panels capable of producing four megawatts of electricity installed on vacant land at the 150-acre plant, which produces 40 million cases of premium spirits each year.
The owner of brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness said the move is part of its plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from its direct operations by 2030 – and it is working with energy company E.ON and Emtec Energy, a local Scottish business, to develop the solar-panel farm.
The latter would be entirely within the existing footprint of the Leven packaging plant site
“and is planned carefully to ensure minimal visual and environmental impact on the surrounding area.“
Gavin Brogan, operations director at the Leven packaging plant, said: “We have been on the journey to environmental sustainability at Leven for many years and we have made great progress, but this solar array would take us to another level, allowing us to generate our own renewable energy onsite and contributing to Diageo’s global ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
“We have planned this carefully and we are happy to engage our neighbours and local stakeholders during the planning application process.”
The firm added that in Scotland, three of its Scotch whisky distilleries – Oban, Royal Lochnagar and Brora – have already achieved net-zero carbon emissions. Diageo also recently confirmed that its Johnnie Walker Princes Street attraction in Edinburgh will open on September 6.
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference, many will be sampling a dram or two of Scotland’s famous whiskies.
And they may even take note of how the industry is leading the way to create a carbon-neutral future.
One of Scotland’s most prestigious whisky makers, Oban, has been looking at ways of reducing its carbon footprint in the whisky-making process.
In 2018, the distillery switched from using fossil fuels to a rapeseed oil biofuel, reducing the distillery’s carbon footprint by 98 per cent.
“It’s given us a transition fuel to be carbon neutral quicker. We have been carbon neutral now since late 2020. It’s allowing us to make that transition step towards zero carbon,” says Callum Rew, the senior site manager of Oban Distillery.
“We wanted to be out there, we wanted to be pioneering, we wanted to be there first and try and do something and learn, so as the other distilleries within Diageo can learn from ourselves.”
“And biofuel was new on the market, so we thought we’ll try it, we’ll test it, it’s a very relatively small distillery here at Oban, so it’s maybe easier to try and integrate it here first.”
Whisky making can be taxing on the environment. A huge amount of energy is required to extract the sugars out of the grain in the mashing process before even taking into account transporting the products all around the world.
But the industry has been taking steps to lower the environmental impact.
According to the Scotch Whisky Association, since 2009, there has been a 34 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
“A huge amount of energy is required to extract the sugars out of the grain in the mashing processs.”
Karen Betts, chief executive of the associations laid out the industry’s plans: “It’s really important to us that we are sustainable both now and into the future. We think that through collaboration, innovation, investment, ingenuity, and a bit of time, we can get there by 2040. And if we can get there by 2040, we absolutely should.”
On the western edge of the Scottish highlands, Ardnamurchan Distillery has been using sustainable energy sources since its opening in July 2014.
Shift leader in the distillery, Scott Stewart, says that Scotch whisky’s new green credentials will give it recognition all over the world.
“It’s what the country is famous for, it’s so famous for its whisky. So, if we can show that one of our major exports, or biggest export, is being as green as possible and as sustainable as possible and environmentally conscious, then it reflects fantastically on the whole country. And it can be an example to other industries to follow.”
It is estimated the Scottish whisky production is worth around €6.5 billion to the British exchequer and, with a little Dutch courage, the industry is aiming to reach net-zero emissions in its operations by 2040, ten years ahead of the British government’s 2050 target.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has become Scotland’s first trade association, and the UK’s first food and drink trade association, to be recognised as a Race to Zero partner in the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow this November. The partnership, which was approved by the UN High Level Climate Action Champions, recognises the Scotch Whisky industry’s commitment to robust net zero criteria in line with globally halving emissions by 2030.
The Scotch Whisky Association has achieved partner status because of the Scotch Whisky industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, which is set out in the Scotch Whisky industry’s Sustainability Strategy. The Strategy, which was launched in January this year, commits the sector to reaching net zero in its operations by 2040, five years ahead of the Scottish Government’s target and 10 years ahead of the UK Government’s target. It also includes ambitious targets to drive down the industry’s environmental impact in key areas including water use, packaging and responsible land use. Scotch Whisky companies can now join Race to Zero through the SWA by publicly pledging to achieve net zero as soon as possible, producing a clear plan for how they will achieve these targets and contribute their share in the race to zero – all in line with the Scotch Whisky industry’s Sustainability Strategy.
“I’m delighted that the Scotch Whisky Association has become a Race to Zero Partner. This recognises the hard work and significant investments that Scotch Whisky producers are making to transition away from fossil fuel use and to drive up the use of renewable energy in order to reach net zero. It also recognises how successful the industry is proving to be at working collaboratively towards net zero and in improving our environmental impact in the round.
“Our Race to Zero partnership status is something to celebrate as COP26 approaches, where we are looking forward to showcasing the Scotch Whisky industry’s environmental sustainability achievements and ambitions.”
Karen Betts
“We raise a toast to the Scotch Whisky Association as a new Partner in the Race to Zero. It’s great to welcome this industry into the campaign, and I commend the actions they are taking now to meet their ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2040. All of us across the global economy have a role to play in halving global emissions by 2030 – who will join us next?”
Nigel Topping
This work will culminate in a SBCC Pledge, to be announced during COP26, when other businesses will be invited to adopt the measures in the pledge. Following COP26, the group will meet on a biannual basis to share best practice, ensure the spirit of the SBCC Pledge is being observed and consider further ways to collaborate to work towards net zero.
