UK brewers launch food waste beer and call on world leaders to strengthen climate action

A group of 25 UK breweries has called on world leaders to seize a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to combat the climate emergency at COP26, as they launch a limited-edition collection of beers that combat food waste and improve conservation.


UK brewers launch food waste beer and call on world leaders to strengthen climate action

There will be 2

The coalition of 25 breweries from across the UK and Ireland, coordinated by Toast Ale, has released an open letter calling on world leaders to strengthen climate commitments at COP26 next month.

The letter calls on nations to seize the ‘once in a lifetime opportunity to protect people and nature from the effects of the global climate crisis’. The brewers are keen to highlight the role that reducing food waste can play in lowering emissions and cases of deforestation. The letter states that food systems are responsible for around one-third of emissions and linked to 80% of deforestation.

Toast Ale’s co-founder Tristram Stuart said: “It’s exciting to be launching the Companion Series alongside 24 of our Companion breweries. Not only are we raising funds for two fantastic organisations doing important work within forest conservation and regenerative agriculture, we’re also sending a message to world leaders, fellow businesses and society at large that we are committed to collaborating in order to tackle a problem that is bigger than all of us.

“But we also need governments to make the necessary policy commitments, which is why we’re challenging world leaders and COP negotiators with our open letter. We hope that those responsible for making policy decisions and setting international targets at COP will ‘use their loaves’ and work together to take meaningful action for the sake of our collective future.”

Participating breweries have introduced a new limited-edition collection of beers that use surplus bread that would otherwise have gone to waste, as part of the Companion Series.

There will be 2,600 Companion Series boxes available to purchase, with £26 from each sale invested in conservation and regenerative agriculture projects. The Companion Series is expected to raise over £65,000 for these projects.

Toast Ale is partnering with Rainforest Trust UK to protect 3.25 million trees in tropical rainforests. It is also partnering with Soil Heroes to support UK farmers replenish soil, sequestering 360 tonnes of CO2 as well as holding more water and improving biodiversity.

The breweries participating in the Companion Series, all of whom are signatories to the open letter, are as follows: Toast Ale,  Adnams, Beavertown, Bedlam Brewery, Better World Brewery, Brixton Brewery, Five Points Brewery, Fyne Ales, Guinness, Harbour Brewery, Hepworth Brewery, Ignition Brewery, Meantime, Northern Monk, Orbit, Sambrooks, Signature Brew, Stroud Brewery, Tap Social Movement, Tooth & Claw Brewing, Unity BrewIng Co, Utopian Brewery, Wild Card Brewery, Windsor & Eton Brewery and Wold Top Brewery.

Matt Mace

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