Leading scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker announced today the launch of The Next Steps, a broad sustainability initiative aimed at enabling the company to become more sustainable by design from ‘grain to glass’.

The new initiative includes sustainability targets encompassing emissions reduction, clean energy sourcing, sustainable packaging and natural landscape preservation, among others. Some of the key commitments include 2030 goals to achieve 100% net zero carbon whisky production, 100% renewable energy use at distilleries, and 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging. The company will also in projects to restore peatland and plant and protect trees in Scotland.

Julie Bramham, Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director, said:

“Johnnie Walker is built on a legacy of making positive, progressive choices – our own ‘Keep Walking’ mantra is shaped by that thinking. 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.”

Johnnie Walker’s initiative will be spearheaded by the creation of a revolutionary new bar experience, which will showcase the future of ‘sustainable socialising’, aiming to reinvent the drinking experience to be more sustainable, and engagement with people around the world.

The announcement follows the launch in November 2020 of Johnnie Walker parent company Diageo of its own sustainability program, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress, which includes goals encompassing environmental sustainability and renewable energy use, inclusion and diversity, as well as the promotion of responsible drinking. Diageo also announced last year that it has created the world’s first ever 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood, which will be debuted on the Johnnie Walker brand.

Bramham added:

“Over the next few years, the choices we make and the actions we take will make a tangible difference to the environment. 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.”