Turning words into action

Published: 23 July, 2008

We've heard where the retailers, the generics and the producers stand on the environment, but what about those tasked with representing the UK drinks industry to Westminster and the world at large?

The Green Debate throws the floor open to the sector's key trade bodies and their views on what we should be doing
to tackle the environment.

The British Beer & Pub Association has been at the heart of industry efforts to improve environmental performance, monitoring progress in key areas - especially energy and water use - in British breweries.

Progress has been dramatic. For each pint of beer produced, energy consumption per pint has fallen by 54% over the past 30 years.

The biggest strides have been made by larger breweries, which have rationalised plant and invested in new, energy-efficient technologies making UK brewers among the most energy efficient in the world. C02 emissions have been cut by 67% over the past 30 years.

Brewers have also made dramatic cuts in water usage. This also ensures the industry's effluents have sharply fallen. For every pint of beer produced, water use has been cut by 43% in the past 30 years.

The brewing industry is not resting on its laurels and continues to explore ways of reducing its impact on the environment. While refillable kegs and casks are still the most common form of packaging, and are very kind to the environment, the industry is also working on making our bottles lighter and encouraging recycling in pubs and bars.

We are committed to sharing best practice, and have set up a website with protocols for auditing water and energy usage in the brewing and distilling sector. It is an essential platform for spreading best practice, and securing further environmental gains for the future.

Printer friendly version