Caring for the Land
Part of the landscape
For many, Scotch Whisky is Scotland.
Each expression of Scotch Whisky has its own character that reflects the landscape around it, its flavour profiles influenced by crucial raw materials including grain, water, and in many cases, peat. It is our responsibility to ensure that we use these materials carefully and responsibly, and our work as the SWA helps to support best practice across the membership.
Cereals and Scotch Whisky
We will work with agricultural partners to explore how we can make sure our barley, and the other cereals we use for producing Scotch Whisky, support our Net Zero ambition and improve environmental management on farms. Agricultural emissions are some of the hardest to reduce, but are important to tackle in our journey to Net Zero. We are collaborating with farmers and maltsters to help find sustainable solutions through research and development, while exploring new technologies and techniques that reduce emissions and improve environmental performance whilst still delivering high quality cereals for use in the malting process.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK ON CEREALS
Peat
Peatlands are one of Scotland’s most important carbon stores, as well as supporting water quality and improving biodiversity across the country. The Scotch Whisky industry also uses a small quantity of peat from a handful of sites in Scotland, solely to impart barley with a distinctive smoky character during the malting process. This is then used in certain whiskies to provide their unique flavour. As a user of peat, we are determined to play a key role in preserving and restoring this habitat however we can. Our Commitment to Responsible Peat Use, launched in 2023, outlines how our industry is extracting peat as responsibly as possible, using it efficiently, and driving peatland restoration. We support the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) UK Peatland Strategy 2040 and work closely with a growing network of stakeholders to advocate for a better understanding of peatlands and to promote further restoration activity across the country.
The launch of the Scotch Whisky Associations sector strategy, highlighting the ambition of its members to demonstrate responsible stewardship for the land, water, products and packing it uses, is very welcome. We look forward to working with the Association to help deliver the peatland conservation and restoration goals set out in the UK Peatland Strategy.
Emma Goodyer, IUCN UK Peatland Programme Leader
Peat: responsibility, efficiency, restoration
"Our peatlands are the country’s lungs, storing around 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon, and are key in our response to the climate emergency. The association between peat and whisky is longstanding and deeply embedded in our culture."
- Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of NatureScot
Peatland is an important store of carbon and plays a vital role in tackling climate change. A significant part of the UK’s peatland habitat is found in Scotland. Our industry understands it has a duty of care to this vital resource and carbon sink.
Some of our distilleries use peat to add character and aromas into their spirit. As well as the industry’s iconic peated Single Malts, distillers also regularly use peated whisky as a base for blended Scotch.
The industry continues to use a very small amount of peat from a handful of sites in Scotland. But, thanks to our industry’s reach both at home and abroad, we want to use our position to show leadership on this important issue.
Ardmore Distillery, Suntory Global Spirits
Suntory Global Spirits launched the Peatland Water Sanctuary™ initiative, committing to replenish as much peat as is used to create their peated whiskies by 2030, and doubling this target by 2040. The programme is investing over $4.4 million into the restoration and conservation of a minimum of 2,600 hectares of peatlands by the end of the next decade, which will help protect high quality water sources across Scotland. With 14 hectares already restored near the company’s Ardmore distillery, 70 hectares near its Bowmore and Laphroaig distilleries on Islay, and another 160 hectares of restoration in progress in East Ayrshire, Suntory Global Spirits is working with local partners such as the RSPB, Forestry and Land Scotland and the James Hutton Institute to further Scotland’s sustainability and biodiversity ambitions and net-zero goals.
We have already worked with NatureScot to help steer Scotland’s National Peatland Plan. Now, our industry’s own Commitment to Responsible Peat Use covers three priorities:
Responsible Extraction
The SWA will expect the highest standards of care to be applied to its members’ extraction sites and is committed to working with third parties across the peat supply chain to minimise overall impact.
Optimising the Malting Process
We will work closely with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI) and the Maltster's Association of Great Britain (MAGB) to support ongoing research to maximise the efficiency of the malting process and reduce overall emissions.
Peatland Restoration and Stewardship
The SWA will strive to support ongoing peatland restoration efforts throughout our membership by deepening relationships between SWA members and the organisations spearheading restoration activity.
The CRPU has been created by peat experts from across our industry and supply chain, and reviewed by stakeholder bodies including RSPB and the Maltsters Association of Great Britain. It sets a direction of travel for the Scotch Whisky industry as we work to improve our use of and relationship with peat in these three priority areas.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about the UN's Sustainable Development Goals here.