Diageo is to invest up to £5m over five years to help restore 3,000 hectares of degraded peatland across Scotland.
The Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin and The Singleton distiller has partnered with environmental organisation Caledonian Climate to help it identify and co-fund projects that help to “restore depleted peatlands, increase carbon storage, enhance biodiversity and improve water management”.
Peat is a crucial component in many scotch whiskies, giving them a distinctive smoky aroma and taste.
However, its use in whisky production is helping contribute to the degradation of many of Scotland’s peatlands and the ecosystems in them. The extraction of peat also releases large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
“Through this major commitment to scaled funding and collective action, projects will be delivered that improve resilience in the landscapes, increasing biodiversity, water management and supporting local communities while safeguarding the natural resources on which the industry depends,” Diageo said.
Alongside the restoration programme, Diageo said it was also undertaking internal projects to reduce its peat requirements, and ensure peat extracted was used more efficiently in its distilleries.
It was also “in the early stages of exploring how peat smoke could be recirculated in the maltings and the viability of using displaced peat from other sources, such as in the erection of electricity infrastructure, being used in scotch whisky production”.
Any findings would be shared with the wider scotch whisky industry, it said.
“Restoring and protecting Scotland’s peatlands is essential to addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions,” said Ewan Andrew, chief sustainability officer at Diageo. “Peatlands also play an important role in water management, ensuring the sustainability of scotch whisky’s number one ingredient.
“We are taking a multi-pronged approach to peatlands through restoration and longer-term innovations. Through collective action with other partners and producers, we’ll restore many more times the amount of peat than we will use. This ensures we can maintain the traditional smoky flavour of numerous scotch whiskies, whilst contributing to the conservation of Scotland’s landscapes.”
Freddie Ingleby, MD at Caledonian Climate, added: “We’re delighted to manage this ambitious investment for Diageo. Their collaborative approach, bringing together a range of stakeholders including scientific experts, landowners, communities and NGOs, will accelerate peatland restoration at scale across Scotland.
“Taking a science-led approach over the five-year commitment, we’ll build on best practices and share learnings across the sector, advancing our collective understanding of peatland restoration whilst supporting nature recovery, water resilience and climate action.”
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