WHAT IS A CARBON FOOTPRINT?
Put simply, a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) that are released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity. That includes everything from heating buildings to transporting goods and even growing our food.
WHY IT MATTERS
Measuring a carbon footprint allows individuals, businesses, and governments to understand the environmental impact of their choices. If you can measure it, you can manage it - which is an essential step in taking accountability and tackling climate change.
HOW TO MEASURE A CARBON FOOTPRINT
Measuring carbon footprints can be complex and detailed, so to help, emissions are broken down into three categories which are used globally. Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions are categories used to account for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across an organization’s supply chain. These definitions come from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the most widely used global standard for carbon accounting.
Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned sources (e.g. boilers, fuel for company owned vehicles).
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity/energy.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions. This includes the manufacturing of products and supply of raw materials, transport and haulage, staff travel, disposal of distillery waste, and the distribution, storage, and disposal of all of our products.
- WHY WE DO IT
Reducing carbon emissions isn’t just about the data and the numbers. It’s about protecting ecosystems and the planet we call home, building a more resilient business, and responding to what you, our customers, increasingly care about. We know that environmental responsibility and innovation can go hand in hand, and we are proud of our journey so far.
- HOW WE DO IT
At Nc’nean, our distillery is verified net zero carbon emissions (scopes 1 and 2).
Here is how we have achieved this:
Our stills are powered by 100% renewable energy (biomass), and the boiler is powered by local wood chips.
Our tractor and chipper are powered by certified HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) which lowers the emissions from the exhaust by 90%.
We buy 100% renewable electricity, which is generated from wind farms.
We then offset the small amount of carbon emissions left in scopes 1 and 2 via purchasing carbon credits through Highland Carbon.
- WHAT'S NEXT?
The next step is becoming verified net zero for scope 3, which is something we are working hard on. We will keep you posted with our progress through our annual sustainability report, which highlights the progress we are making and the areas we still need to work on. You can click here to read the latest report, with more information about our carbon footprint on pages 4-8.
