Moving to Net Zero

Climate change is the most pressing emergency the world faces today. The climate crisis impacts people’s lives and livelihoods, the planet’s biodiversity and the availability of natural resources. The Scotch Whisky industry has a responsibility to help tackle the crisis – both through collaboration across the industry  and through direct action by each of our member companies.   

Transparency

Decarbonising our operations (Scopes 1 and 2) is a priority for our industry, and one that is largely in the power of companies of all sizes to adapt, adopt and improve. As an industry, we’ll use a science-based approach to reach this target. 

Our 2022 baseline figure, which will demonstrate our sector’s current emissions total across our operations, will be a clear, data-led point from which we can accurately measure progress. 

We plan to report on our operational emissions annually.

Efficiency

Mashing and distillation are energy-intensive processes. In many distilleries energy is used to produce steam, which is currently generated in boilers by combusting fuel. While many Scotch Whisky sites are just a few years old, built with sustainability at their heart, many others have existed for decades, sometimes over a century. Innovating heat reduction technology in historical and heritage spaces is complex, costly, and at times impractical. 

Significant investments have already been made in renewable heat using existing technology, and you can explore some ways that’s being done across Scotch Whisky companies, below. 

Utilising new technology

Being sustainable, being energy efficient: you can’t do that without innovation

Collaboration

It’s too big an agenda: if we as an industry start sharing knowledge, we can all get there faster.

The Scotch Whisky Industry's Scope 1 & 2 emissions

In January 2021, the industry refreshed its sustainability ambitions. Among these is a commitment to decarbonise our own operations by 2040 and to achieve net zero by 2045. We have built a solid baseline for the industry’s operational (scope 1 and 2) emissions, against which future performance will be measured and reported annually.  The baseline covers the calendar year 2022.  We have also published data for 2023.  In-line with recognised reporting protocols, we have updated the baseline data.  Re-baselining is necessary to account for any changes to the number of sites reporting.  This is to enable more accurate comparisons to be made between the 2022 and 2023 data sets.