Whisky - UK (2020-05)

Issue 167 | Whisky Magazine 55

Production Sustainable Distilling

shooting. This drying-out halts the

carbon capture process and even begins

to reverse it, leading to the emission

of CO 2 as the vegetation decomposes

aerobically. Making matters worse,

carbon release is sped up when the

land is burned to prompt new heather

growth, a common practice that (if

not carefully managed) can get out

of control. Worse still, as human-

induced climate change progresses

and temperatures rise, the likelihood

of dried-out bogs burning on account

‘ˆ™‹Ž†β‹”‡ƒŽ•‘„‡…‘‡•‘”‡Ž‹‡Ž›ǡ

playing into a feedback loop that results

in drier summers, higher temperatures,

ƒ†‹…”‡ƒ•‡†Ž‹‡Ž‹Š‘‘†‘ˆβ‹”‡•Ǥ

It is for this reason that some

distillers have acted to preserve the

condition of their local peat bogs.

Highland Park extracts its peat from

Hobbister Moor, leasing the inactive

portions to the RSPB for management

as a bird sanctuary. The distillery

has also successfully taken steps in

”‡…‡–›‡ƒ”•–‘‹’”‘˜‡‡ˆβ‹…‹‡…›ƒ†

now uses less peat per litre of spirit

produced than in the past, all without

impacting spirit character. In a similar

vein, back in 2017 Diageo donated

£60,000 to the RSPB as part of the

Lagavulin Legacy project, funding that

with sustainable distilling as a priority.

Recently, Chivas Brothers announced

a new Sustainability Strategy and, as

part of its 2030 targets, committed

–‘…”‡ƒ–‹‰–Š‡β‹”•–…ƒ”„‘Ǧ‡—–”ƒŽ

distillery within two years.

While such projects and

commitments are indicative of a

positive direction of travel regarding

eco issues, there’s clearly still a long

way to go on the road to truly ‘green’

whisky. Though we can, at the very

least, raise a dram to an industry that

is gradually moving towards self-

awareness and progress.

SWA 2020 TARGET INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE 2009-2016

NON-FOSSIL

FUEL USE

By 2020, we will source 20% of our

primary energy from non-fossil fuels

The industry has surpassed its 2020 target and achieved 21% of primary energy

use from non-fossil fuel sources, up from 3% in 2008

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By 2020, we will improve our

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By 2020, we will improve our

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By 2020, no general waste from

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has been put towards ‘re-wetting’ peat

bogs at the charity’s Islay estates at The

Oa and Loch Gruinart.

In other areas, Glengoyne has

also supported habitat conservation

through a successful partnership

with the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust,

ƒ†Š—Šƒ•„—‹Ž–ƒβ‹•Š’ƒ••‘–Š‡

Knockando Burn that is helping wild

trout and salmon to spawn upstream,

Glenmorangie has launched a project

to restore the lost oyster beds of the

Dornoch Firth and new distilleries such

as Nc’nean, GlenWyvis, Ardnamurchan

and Dalmunach have been designed

This page from top:

Glengoyne has

introduced many

sustainability

initiatives; table

republished with

permission from

the SWA’s Scotch

Whisky Industry

Environmental

Strategy Report 2018.

050 - 055 - Sustainability-WM 167 .indd 55 09 / 04 / 2020 09 : 11