A sustainable Strategy
Espirituosos España
Spain
2019 > Ongoing
Objective
Following a rigourous mapping & measurement of the environment footprint of all spirit producers in Spain throught the entire production process, the industry has been able to set a benchmark and agree quantitative and qualitative objectives toward 2025 and 2030 to minimise such a footprint. Objectives have been agreed for:
- Energy use
- CO2 emisssion
- Water use
- Waste and by-products
- Packaging
- The supply chain
- The distribution
Description
In 2019, Espirituosos España together with its membership invested in a rigourous measurement of the environment footprint of the spirits producers across the Peninsula at each stage of the production. With the help of E&Y, benchmarks were setup and ambitious objectives were agreed for the next decades:
- Promote sustainable agriculture and biodiversity
- Reduce overall energy consumption and switch to renewable energy sources
- Develop sustainable products and reduce the impact of waste
- Invest in water management both in distillation & bottlling plants
- Evaluate the CO2 impact of packaging
- Reuse by-products from distillation for animal feed, in biogas stations or in agriculture compost
However, Espirituosos España decided to have different objectives for large and small distillers in Spain. Part of the commitment is also to encourage each producer to have a road map agreed at company level that would include a sustainable policy agreed at CEO level, quantitative objectives, public communication, annual ESG report, UN SDG commitments, etc.
Specific commitments:
ENERGY USE
- Electricity: Increase percentage of electricity from renewable sources from 62% today / to 75% in 2025 / and 90% in 2030
- Heating: increase the percentage of heating from renewable sources or from highly efficient technologies: from 77% today / to 85% in 2023 / and 90% in 2030
CO2 EMISSIONS
- Reduce the ratio of CO2 emission per litre of spirits produced: from 168 gCO2 per litre / down by 15% in 2025 / and -25% in 2030
- Increase percentage of vehicle in the commercial fleet using green energy (hybrid motor, electric battery, etc): move to 15% in 2025 / and 20% in 2030
WATER USE
- Reduce the ratio of water use per litre of spirit produced: from 5,62 litre of water per 1 litre of spirits / down to 15% in 2025 / and -20% in 2030
- Increase percentage of water re-use by 10% in 2025 / and 20% in 2030
WASTE & BY-PRODUCTS
- Maintain the current percentage of 99% of valorisation of waste generated by the distillation process over the next decades
PACKAGING
- minimise the quantity of packaging waste produced through distribution and reduce over-packaging
- Promote the recyclability of primary and secondary packaging
- Reduce environment footprint associated with primary and secondary packaging process
- Promote flanking measures, in particular support the commitment of Ecovidrio to increase glass collection by 2030 (Close the Glass Loop)
SUPPLY CHAIN (supply of raw material)
- Promote voluntary agreements with suppliers to help implement certification schemes including criteria to protect the environment and communities.
DISTRIBUTION
- By 2025, make sure that 100% of the major companies in the sector will calculate their greenhouse gas emissions associated with the distribution of their products (Category "Transport and Downstream Distribution" of Scope 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol).
Partners
By reading the Sustainable Strategy publication (below), you will discover many examples of actions already taken together with public & private stakeholders to achieve meaningful results.
Results
Next report in 2025
Measurement & evaluation
Ernest & Young has been commissioned to help measure & evaluate the current impact of the spirits industry and set the benchmark over which progress will be measured in medium and long term .