Highlights
- Despite the pandemic Tennent’s continues to invest in its sustainability programmes
- Have reported Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions, for over 10 years to identify and target carbon reductions across their operations
- By 2030, they aim to have reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 35%, Scope 3 emissions by 25% and be carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest
- Received a B rating from Carbon Disclosure Project in 2020
- Work with suppliers to increase transparency of supply chains, share data and implement good management practices in relation to environmental, social, ethical, and regulatory requirements
Tennent Caledonian is Scotland’s largest brewer and drinks’ distributor and is also Scotland’s oldest business: brewing at Wellpark can be traced back to the 1100s. Their bestselling lager is made with the finest Scottish malted barley and fresh Highland water, from Loch Katrine. Tennent’s is available in 60 countries including the US, Canada, Australia and Italy.
The business demonstrates a commitment to the environment and to the community in which it operates.
Tennent’s sustainability programme has delivered a number of significant improvements, cutting resource use and carbon emissions. Examples include:
CARBON CAPTURE:
Tennent have installed a carbon capture plant that collects the CO2 from the brewing process and saves it, “to put the fizz” into the lager. This CO2 was previously purchased, and so as well as reducing carbon emissions (4,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions and around 100,000 km of transport emissions). This new capability at Wellpark sees Tennent’s largely self-sufficient in CO2.
ENERGY:
From 1 April 2021, 100% of the electricity in Tennent’s key operations comes from renewable sources. This has been achieved four years ahead of target. The Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant generates biogas, which provides about 8% of the energy used to heat the brewery.
WATER
The Anaerobic Digestion Plant has improved the quality of wastewater discharged by 90%; and an on-the-can pasteuriser has reduced water consumption by 14 million litres per annum. The recovery and re-use of bottle rinse water reduced water consumption by 7 million litres per annum.
WASTE:
The Wellpark brewery sends zero waste to landfill, and they continue to implement a waste hierarchy approach through prevention, re-use and recycling. 100% of by-products of the brewing process are recycled for animal feed or organic compost.
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS:
Approximately 90% of the company’s fleet are EURO 6, and all new vehicles must meet the EURO 6 standard. They are testing alternative fuel sources - compressed natural gas/liquefied natural gas hydrogen/electric. 16 solar-assisted trucks have been introduced, this powering all on-board equipment, cutting fuel consumption by 5% and lowering CO2 emissions by around 100 tonnes per year. Streamlining the Scottish delivery networks, saves around 600,000 km and approximately 350 tonnes of emissions per year.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING.
Tennent’s are the only UK brewer to join the UK Plastic Pact. A £7million investment in equipment at Wellpark allows Tennent’s to remove single use plastic from packaging of their canned products and switch to fully recyclable cardboard. This removes 150 tonnes of plastic, including more than 100 million plastic rings.
HIGHEST SOURCING STANDARDS
Tennent’s support the growers of the raw materials, through long-term supply arrangements. They use Scottish malted barley, purchased from farms with current, independently audited farm assurance schemes.
COLLEAGUES
Tennent’s have launched a Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Policy, to create an environment in which all members of staff feel welcome and respected, having fair access to opportunities. They offer support to colleagues, with impartial advice and information on everything from physical and mental health, family life, money worries and counselling services.
CUSTOMERS
During the pandemic Tennent’s supported the hospitality sector via: “Dedicated to You”. To mark the first reopening, Tennent’s gave around 1,500 outlets a free keg, to offer a complimentary pint of Tennent’s Lager to consumers. This provided cashflow, encouraged footfall, safe reopening, social distancing and responsible consumption.
COMMUNITY
Tennent’s distributed thousands of cases of water and juice to groups throughout Scotland, including, Trussel Trust Foodbanks, Glasgow City Council Refuge Dept., Kindness Homeless Street Team, and Lightburn Hospital. They distributed approximately 30,000 items of PPE to NHS workers across Scotland, via the “Viseup” initiative
Overall, the team at Tennents have demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering environmental excellence and have a vision and a plan for achieving net zero. All this is happening in their city centre site, where brewing has taken place for hundreds of years.