Brussels, 14 May 2020 – Today, spiritsEUROPE launches its new “#Farm2Glass” Brochure which shows the sustainability of the spirits sector and outlines the ambitious actions taken by distilleries large and small across Europe to advance sustainable production processes. Published ahead of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the Brochure pledges support of the EU’s objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and outlines the sector’s initial commitments to achieve this objective.
Commenting on the launch, Ulrich Adam, Director General of spiritsEUROPE said: “100% of raw materials for spirit distillates such as grains, fruits or botanicals are sourced directly from nature, hence sustainable production processes are the heart of what we do. As a frontrunner in setting high sustainability standards, we welcome the Green Deal and look forward to the upcoming policy proposals that will be presented as part of the Farm to Fork Strategy.”
The Brochure lists four major areas that define the sector’s overall carbon footprint – farming (around 28%), distillation (c. 35%), packaging (c. 30%) as well as transport and retail (c. 7%) – and notes that the carbon footprint of an average serving of a spirit drink is lower than that of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The sector is pursuing an ambitious partnership approach to further reduce the environmental impact of its products, by supporting sustainable farming practices, increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing overall energy consumption and water use.
Central to this commitment is sustainable packaging: more than 90% of spirits are sold in glass bottles, most of which (73%) are already collected for recycling across the EU today. Last month, spiritsEUROPE partnered with the “Close the Glass Loop” industry platform to help push average EU glass collection for recycling to 90% by 2030.
Of course, the EU spirits sector is dealing with the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, which has seen sharp drops in the sales and exports of spirits. Against this backdrop, spiritsEUROPE calls for supportive EU policies to allow for a Green Transition and stimulate a Green Recovery.
“To achieve a ‘Green Recovery’ from the current crisis, distillers need predictability and tailored support to help them make the right investments that will allow them to grow again – and do so in the most sustainable manner possible”, concluded Adam.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, please contact:
Ulrich Adam / Director General/ Tel: + 32 (2) 477636751 /adam@spirits.eu
Download
