Sustainability in Whisky: The Complete Guide
At Arbikie, a wind turbine, electrolyser, hydrogen storage and hydrogen boiler formed a demonstration of green hydrogen made on site.[7] It is a striking example of the work under way to change whisky’s environmental footprint. But the subject reaches well beyond the fuel heating a still, into water, grain, packaging, production leftovers and land.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) organises its strategy around four themes: climate change, the circular economy, responsible water use and land stewardship.[4] Together, they offer a useful way to follow what producers are trying to change, and how to judge the results.
What sustainability in whisky covers
Carbon is only part of the picture. The SWA’s four themes bring water, materials and land into the discussion alongside climate change. The association says its ambitions are grounded in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.[4]
Irish whiskey takes a similarly broad approach. The Irish Whiskey Association’s 2022 Sustainable Together roadmap covers emissions, water, packaging, grain sourcing and the reuse of production co-products, including spent grain and pot ale.[5]
These association programmes provide a documented view of Scotch and Irish whiskey, rather than a single worldwide whisky standard. They give readers a framework for examining progress without assuming that every producer or country performs alike. The detail matters: what a claim measures, whose activity it covers and what evidence supports it.
Carbon targets: what net zero includes
Scotch has two net zero deadlines, covering different parts of its footprint. In its January 2021 strategy announcement, the SWA set a target of net zero in the industry’s own operations by 2040. Its sustainability material also states a target of net zero across all emission scopes by 2045.[1][4]
The difference is substantial. The SWA says Scope 3, its supply chain emissions, represents over 80% of its emissions. It also explains that its definition of net zero now includes Scope 3.[3][4] Cutting emissions within distillery operations addresses only part of that wider footprint.
The two dates therefore belong to two different commitments: own operations by 2040, all scopes by 2045. Neither deadline measures the progress already made.
Documented: The SWA says its net zero definition now includes Scope 3, and that figures from 2024 onwards use a revised baseline that cannot be compared directly with earlier figures.[3][4] The earliest source of this combined account is not established in the fact sheet.
Sources: https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/an-evolving-industry/ and https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/. Checked November 2026; the exact day is not recorded.
Energy: changing the heat behind the spirit
In November 2021, the SWA reported that 39% of energy came from non-fossil fuels, against a 20% target for 2020.[2] That is a dated sector figure measured against a target, rather than a description of today’s energy mix at every Scotch distillery.
Technology trials explore how heat might be supplied differently. The UK Government’s Green Distilleries Competition explored low-carbon fuels through 17 feasibility studies followed by three demonstration projects. The routes included electrification, hydrogen, biomass or waste, together with fuel conversion, transport and storage.[6]
Documented: Arbikie was a demonstration site for green hydrogen made on site, using a wind turbine, electrolyser, hydrogen storage and hydrogen boiler.[7] Government papers also name the Supercritical and Beam Suntory trial WhiskHy and give its pronunciation as Whisky.[7]
The projects also included biofuel gasification developed for steam boilers at over 60% thermal efficiency.[7] These are specific examples of systems demonstrated through the programme.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-distilleries-competition/green-distilleries-competition-phase-2-demonstration-successful-projects. The earliest source and exact day checked are not established in the fact sheet; the source was checked in November 2026.
For a closer look at the different technology routes and approaches to supplying heat, read fuels, heat and renewables.
Water: using less, securing enough
Water efficiency and water availability are different challenges. The SWA reports a 22% improvement in water efficiency since 2012 and launched a Water Stewardship Framework in 2023.[3] Using water more efficiently matters, but so does having enough available when production needs it.
The Irish Whiskey Association’s roadmap sets an initial maximum of 25 litres of water per litre of pure alcohol for pot and malt distillation, followed by 20 litres. Its grain distillation targets are 50% lower.[5] These are roadmap targets, rather than reported consumption figures for every Irish producer.
Climate adds pressure to availability. Adaptation Scotland, drawing on the James Hutton Institute’s CREW, says the frequency of water scarcity events in Scotland could double by 2050. It also warns that distilleries may need to slow or pause operations if discharge water is too warm.[9]
Efficiency and climate adaptation therefore need to be considered together, without confusing one with the other. Water use in distilling explores both sides of the subject in more detail.
Packaging: recyclable is not the same as recycled
Evidence box: Packaging weight and recycled content
The SWA reports that 94% of packaging materials are reusable or recyclable, recycled content is 37%, and overall packaging weight has risen 2.6% since 2012.[3] Packaging contains recycled material, while its overall weight has increased.
Verdict: Documented.
Evidence gaps: The founding story is not documented. The measurement year and earliest known source are not established in the fact sheet.
Source: The SWA supports the packaging figures: https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/an-evolving-industry/.
Last checked: November 2026. The exact day is not recorded.
A reusable or recyclable pack, a pack made with recycled material and a lighter pack are three different things. The figures above measure each separately: what can happen to the material after use, what went into making it, and its weight.[3] Progress on one measure does not automatically mean progress on the others.
The January 2021 Scotch strategy set a target that all new product packaging would be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.[1] The deadline has passed; completion is not established by the sources used here.
The Irish roadmap separately targets 100% recyclable or reusable primary and secondary packaging, alongside no waste to landfill.[5] Its wording differs from the Scotch commitment: the materials covered and the outcomes promised are part of the substance, not incidental details.
Grain, leftovers and the circular economy
Documented: The Irish Whiskey Association's 2022 roadmap says more than 350,000 tonnes of co-products are reused as animal feed each year, while targeting reuse of 100% of production co-products.[5] The earliest source of the figure is not established in the fact sheet.
Source: https://www.ibec.ie/drinksireland/-/media/documents/drinks-ireland-new-website/irish-whiskey/iwa-sustainability-roadmap-2022.pdf. Checked November 2026; the exact day is not recorded.
Whisky production leaves materials behind, including spent grain and pot ale. Calling all of them “waste” misses the documented reuse of co-products: the roadmap’s annual animal-feed figure gives that activity a scale of more than 350,000 tonnes. It records substantial existing reuse, while the 100% target expresses the wider ambition; it does not establish that every co-product is reused.
Grain sourcing also features in the Irish roadmap. It specifies certification under the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme for all Irish malt, barley and grain used. The association has also signed up as a supporter of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.[5]
These commitments carry the sustainability discussion beyond the distillery gate. Each has its own purpose: a sourcing requirement concerns the grain used, a reuse target concerns production co-products, and support for a conservation programme concerns land and nature. They belong in the same broad account, but represent different actions rather than interchangeable measures of environmental performance.
Peatland: caring for the land
The SWA’s January 2021 strategy set an ambition to play an active role in conserving and restoring Scotland’s peatland by 2035. Its Commitment to Responsible Peat Use dates from 2023, was refreshed in 2025 and is reviewed every two years.[1][10]
Peatland deserves attention in its own right, rather than disappearing inside a general carbon claim. The strategy sets out an ambition and a deadline, while the commitment has its own history of review. The existence of that commitment does not establish that its intended outcome has been achieved.
How to read a sustainability claim
Start with the specific claim, rather than an overall judgement about a brand. Keep its unit, reporting year and scope in view. A sector average describes the sector; a target describes an intention. Neither becomes a result for an individual distillery simply by appearing in the same announcement.
| Claim to examine | What to look for | Example from the record |
|---|---|---|
| Net zero | Scope and deadline | Scotch: own operations by 2040; all scopes by 2045.[1][4] |
| Packaging progress | Recyclability, recycled content and weight | SWA reports 94%, 37% and a 2.6% weight increase respectively.[3] |
| Water performance | Target or result, and measurement basis | IWA targets use litres of water per litre of pure alcohol.[5] |
| Long-term progress | Changes to the baseline | SWA figures from 2024 cannot be directly compared with earlier figures.[3] |
Precise reading brings the real achievements into focus. “Reusable or recyclable” describes a different quality from “made from recycled material”. Demonstrating a system does not prove industry-wide adoption. A deadline sets the timetable for a promise, rather than recording its fulfilment.
These distinctions make comparisons more useful. They allow measured progress to stand on its own merits, while leaving targets and trials in their proper place.
Where to go next
- Peat Bogs and the Environmental Debate: examine peatland questions separately from general carbon targets.
- Draff and Pot Ale: What Happens to the Leftovers: follow the materials left after production.
- Wood and Cask Sustainability: explore the wood side of the subject.
- Lightweight Glass, Packaging and Greenwashing: look more closely at packaging claims.
Sources
[1] Scotch Whisky Association. Scotch Whisky Commits to Reach Net-Zero by 2040 with Launch of New Sustainability Strategy. 25 January 2021.
https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/scotch-whisky-commits-to-reach-net-zero-by-2040-with-launch-of-new-sustainability-strategy/
[2] Scotch Whisky Association. Sustainability numbers add up for green whisky strategy. 1 November 2021.
https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/sustainability-numbers-add-up-for-green-whisky-strategy/
[3] Scotch Whisky Association. An Evolving Industry. Undated web page, version recorded in the supplied November 2026 fact sheet.
https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/an-evolving-industry/
[4] Scotch Whisky Association. Sustainability in the Scotch Whisky Industry. Undated web page, version recorded in the supplied November 2026 fact sheet.
https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/
[5] Irish Whiskey Association, Drinks Ireland. Sustainable Together: Sustainability Roadmap 2022. 2022.
https://www.ibec.ie/drinksireland/-/media/documents/drinks-ireland-new-website/irish-whiskey/iwa-sustainability-roadmap-2022.pdf
[6] GOV.UK. Green Distilleries Competition (closed to applications). First published 16 September 2020.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-distilleries-competition
[7] GOV.UK. Green Distilleries Competition: Phase 2 (Demonstration) successful projects. Undated version recorded in the supplied November 2026 fact sheet.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-distilleries-competition/green-distilleries-competition-phase-2-demonstration-successful-projects
[9] Adaptation Scotland. Climate change risks and adaptation in the Scotch Whisky industry. The final word of the title and publication year are not established in the supplied record.
https://adaptation.scot/app/uploads/2025/08/low-res-6437-as-scotch-whisky.pdf
[10] Scotch Whisky Association. Commitment to Responsible Peat Use. 2023 commitment, refreshed 2025.
https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/industry-insights/sustainability/commitment-to-responsible-peat-use/
This desk-researched guide uses the supplied verified fact sheet, separating industry commitments, reported results and government demonstration projects.
Last checked: November 2026