Climate inaction is so old-fashioned
A neat holiday
Having lived in the United Kingdom for over ten years, it was about time I discovered the beauty of Scotland. I recently visited a friend in Edinburgh and fell in love with the city.
It's got everything I could wish for, with scenic hikes, friendly people and the ocean a short bike ride away. Having spent three days there, I'm already contemplating moving.
Edinburgh also seems to be a great place to focus on climate change, whether academically or professionally. On the industrial level, Scottish trades such as whisky are leading the way towards Net Zero.
The Scotch Whisky Association has committed to reaching Net Zero emissions in its operations by 2040. That is ten years ahead of the UK government's target.
Since 2009, the industry has reduced its emissions by 34% at production sites. It's a flying start, but a long road lies ahead to reach Net Zero.
An industry on thin ice
Scottish whisky has a short ingredient list of water, barley and yeast. However, these three ingredients are exposed to climate change risks, such as increased temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns.
By 2080, Scottish summer rainfall is expected to decrease by 18%, and temperatures are predicted to be 2.0°C warmer. This could negatively impact whisky production in a myriad of ways.
Starting with barley, 800,000 tonnes are needed yearly to produce Scotland's whisky. One only needs to look back to what happened in 2018 to explore how warmer temperatures could impact crop yield and quality.
The 2018 heatwave in the UK led to a 7.9% decline in barley production, raising the cost per tonne by 34 pounds. That represents an additional 27 million pounds for a single ingredient.
It's estimated that distilleries consume 61 billion litres of water annually, with a single litre of whisky requiring 46.9 litres. Despite Scotland being known for being wet, droughts have and will negatively impact the industry.
Drought in the 2018 summer led to water shortages, forcing a halt in production for some distilleries. One in Speyside lost an entire month of production, 300,000 litres of whisky.
Climate change could also impact whisky's taste. Historically, the temperate conditions in Scotland have been ideal for the various production stages. Warmer temperatures could derail the cooling process, affecting quality.
Lastly, floods could negatively impact agricultural production, distillery operations, storage, and transportation. Coastal distilleries are also at an added risk of flooding due to sea level rises.
Whisky's sour note
Adapting to these climate risks and ensuring an enduring production of its liquid gold is paramount to the Scottish economy. Employing 11,000 Scots, whisky brought in £6.2 billion from exports in 2022, representing 26% of all Scottish exports.
Alongside adaptation, the industry must address how its operations and supply chain contribute to the climate crisis.
Every year, an estimated 400 million litres of Scotch are produced. Taking an average of 2.4 kgCO2e emitted per litre, the industry's carbon footprint would be 960,000 tCO2e. That is equivalent to the Maldives' annual emissions.
According to the UK government, 530,000 tCO2e are emitted annually through the industry's energy consumption alone, with 10% of Scotland's energy dedicated to whisky.
Before we evaluate how to decarbonise whisky, here's a run-through of the various production stages:
1. Malting: Mixed with hot water, barley germinates and is then dried in ovens. The output, "malt", is then grounded.
2. Mashing: Hot water is mixed with the malt to extract its sugars. Once the process is finished, we are left with waste malt, "draff", and a liquid containing the sugars, "wort".
3. Fermentation: Once the wort is cooled, it is paired with yeast to start the fermentation. The sugars from the wort are then converted into an alcoholic liquid, "wash".
4. Distillation: The wash is heated with steam or gas, vapourising the liquid. Impurities are removed, and undesirable liquids such as "pot ale" are disposed of.
5. Maturation: The liquid that made it past distillation is stored in casks, where it will mature for a minimum of three years to be legally named Scotch.
A tremendous amount of fossil-fuel-generated heat is required throughout these stages, especially throughout the distillation process. Natural gas and fossil-based fuels represent 94% of the energy consumed.
Beyond the energy requirements, the industry must look at its supply chain and collaborate with farmers to reduce its emissions, given that the agricultural production of barley accounts for 37% of a bottle's emissions.
Scotching whisky's emissions
The approach of COP 26 in Glasgow was a perfect opportunity for Scottish distilleries to showcase to the world the efforts they were making to align their businesses with a Net Zero future.
Founded in 2017, Nc'Nean is showing the industry how to tackle emissions head-on. Some of its initiatives include:
- Procuring 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, while generating the steam required for whisky production with biomass rather than fossil fuels.
- Sourcing organic barley, with farmers shying away from pesticides and fertilisers. This form of agriculture not only protects biodiversity, water and soil, but it means purchasing barley that generates 42% fewer emissions than non-organic barley.
- Manufacturing 100% of bottles with post-consumer recycled glass. Compared to sourcing virgin glass, this allows them to reduce emissions from the bottle's glass by 40%.
- Recycling the water used throughout the cooling process in a pond near the distillery. This has enabled a 90% reduction in water consumption.
Decarbonising this industry will require collaboration with farmers, energy providers and governments. Indeed, the UK government has provided more than £11 million to support distilleries on their emissions reduction journey.
Heat pumps and hydrogen, especially green hydrogen produced with wind or tidal energy, present opportunities to phase out the use of fossil fuels from production processes.
Additionally, anaerobic digestion of whisky's byproducts, such as pot ale or draff, can allow biogas production. Once converted, it can be used in boilers to generate heat or be converted into fuels for fleets distributing whisky.
We must recognize that some of these technologies are still relatively immature, but their gradual implementation will be required if the industry is to meet its Net Zero target.
Beyond energy, the industry must not overlook the emissions released in its supply chain. Extending its Net Zero ambitions to scope 3 emissions would solidify Scotch's climate leadership. Once we get there, we’ll have many things to toast.
