Johnnie Walker has launched The Next Steps initiative, which is its most ambitious sustainability drive to date, and is a wide-ranging action plan that will see the whisky maker become more “sustainable by design from grain to glass”.
The initiative is part of the brand’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, restore natural landscapes and reinvent how its whisky is made, distributed and enjoyed in every corner of the world.
Included in the programme is a series of environmental commitments, which, by 2030, will ensure:
- All packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable;
- 100 per cent of Johnnie Walker whisky production is net-zero carbon;
- 100 per cent of Johnnie Walker distilleries harness renewable energy;
- Investment in projects to restore peatland and plant, and protect trees in Scotland; and
- A reinvention of the drinking experience to be more sustainable, and engagement with people around the world on the importance of ‘sustainable socialising’.
“Johnnie Walker is built on a legacy of making positive, progressive choices – our own ‘Keep Walking’ mantra is shaped by that thinking,” explains Julie Bramham, global brand director, Johnnie Walker.
“When we look at the world around us, it’s clear that we all have a role to play in protecting the planet and its resources.
“We can either see what’s happening and choose to do nothing or we can keep walking, taking every step we can to reduce our impact. We believe there is only one choice to make.”
In terms of packaging, Johnnie Walker aims to reduce its environmental impact by increasing the recycled content in all its packaging material, including a minimum of 60 per cent recycled glass in its core range bottles by 2025. Plastic used in its packaging will also be made from 100 per cent recycled content.
Johnnie Walker also wants to ensure all packaging material, including secondary packaging such as gift boxes, will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2030.
The company will continue to work with customers and suppliers to continue to find and implement more sustainable alternatives for promotional materials and bar-ware, with a focus on recyclability or reusability.
“Over the next few years, the choices we make and the actions we take will make a tangible difference to the environment,” says Bramham.
“But more than that, we want to do what we can to help give people all around the world the chance to make simple, more sustainable choices themselves, and in doing so, play their own part in building a better future.
“None of us can change things entirely by ourselves, but the collective effort of millions of people pushing in the same direction can make a real, lasting difference.”
The brand’s environmental pledges come on top of its continued commitment to promote diversity and inclusivity in all its work, as well as its ongoing advocacy for responsible drinking.
