Highlights
- Integration of sustainability into Diageo's £185 million investment in Scotch Whisky tourism
- All open brand homes and distilleries awarded the Green Tourism Gold Award
- Considerations including: zero waste to landfill, biodiversity enhancement, energy efficiency, local sourcing, plastic reduction, operational decarbonisation and green transport
- The Diageo Green Tourism experience has been shared as ‘best in industry’ with other distillery operators through a Scotch Whisky Association webinar.
Diageo leads sustainable tourism with twelve brand homes and distilleries, achieving the Gold Green Tourism award in just eight months, in 2020 and the first half of 2021. Newly opened Johnnie Walker Princes Street also leads on sustainable practices.
Diageo is committed to sustainability throughout its operations and strives to reach and exceed the ambitious goals set in Diageo's 10-year action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world - Society 2030: Spirit of Progress. In 2018, Diageo announced a £185 million Brand Home investment programme in Scotch whisky tourism. A strategy for sustainability, including Green Team Accreditation and Green Tourism, has been implemented across the whole Brand Home programme.
Talisker, Singleton of Glen Ord, Lagavulin, Blair Athol, Oban, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Cardhu, Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore and Brora have received the prestigious gold certification from Green Tourism for their sustainable practices, both in the brand home visitor experiences and the distillery operations. Zero waste to landfill, biodiversity enhancement, energy efficiency, local sourcing and plastic reduction were among the achievements praised.
The Brand Homes sustainability work has included standards, accreditation and a transport strategy. In September 2020, Glenkinchie, the Lowland Home of Johnnie Walker near Edinburgh, was the first to be awarded a prestigious Green Tourism Gold accreditation. This recognises the distillery's green operating credentials, which include zero waste to landfill, sustainable distillation, wildlife protection, green building techniques and sustainable transport.
At Glenkinchie, one of the aims was to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the bus used to transport distillery visitors from Edinburgh. The project included tailpipe testing of emissions from the bus and successfully reduced emissions by 90% by analysing alternative fuel types. Glenkinchie also worked with Sustrans to upgrade the cycle path near the distillery.
The Green Tourism project involved the integration of sustainability across teams involved in whisky production and visitor experience. Most of the work occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and was carried out online, including providing online training in green tourism for Brand Homes Distillery Managers.
All of Diageo's Brand Homes distilleries donate to charity and work within their local communities. In addition, hand sanitiser has been provided by Diageo distilleries to local communities during the pandemic.
Note that Diageo was awarded the VIBES Award: Hydro Nation Scotland in 2019 – you can see their previous case study at - Diageo – Leven | VIBES.