BrewDog announces B Corp certification

The B Corp standard is one of the most popular as a marker of a purpose-led brand

BrewDog is the largest beer business globally to reach B Corp certification and follows on from a recent accolade in becoming a carbon-negative business.

For brands to be certified as a B-Corp, they have to complete an in-depth assessment with metrics relating to governance, worker treatment, community sustainability and environmental impact. They must also provide updated information at least every three years to retain B-Corp certification. As such, the standard is one of the most popular as a marker of a purpose-led brand.

The company’s co-founder James Watt said: “After decades of inaction we have a climate crisis on the horizon, and our certification as a B Corp business is another huge part of BrewDog’s commitment to considering the impact of our business decisions on the global community. B Corp is the future of business and we are proud to join an aspirational group of businesses like Patagonia and Allbirds in achieving B Corp status.

“Through the certification, we have committed to joining the community of business leaders, who want to use their businesses as a ‘force for good’. The business landscape is changing so much and the impact of Covid-19 is only going to accelerate that change. The future of business is B Corp.”

Carbon brewing

Several pieces of research have concluded that customers are looking to shop with brands that have a positive social or environmental impact. A 2020 survey from GlobalData found that 45% of shoppers are actively searching for sustainable products.

To that end, BrewDog is currently prioritising carbon reduction efforts. Last year, Brewdog announced that it is now offsetting more emissions than it generates across Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (power-related) and upstream Scope 3 (indirect) sources. After a series of investments to reduce Brewdog’s emissions footprint and to offset more carbon than it creates, the company is planning to plant more than one million trees by 2022.

The brewer has made a commitment to remove twice as much carbon from the air each year as it emits, with the first year being August 2020 through August 2021.

Recent years have seen the company invest in 100% wind power in the UK, systems to extract biomethane from its main by-product malted barley, and energy efficiency improvements.

To further reduce its emissions footprint, therefore minimising the amount of CO2e that will need to be double offset, Brewdog also rolled-out fully electric delivery vehicles, produced in partnership with Arrival.

It is also investing in technology that will capture the carbon dioxide produced by the fermentation of beer, which does not yet have a target date, and an anaerobic digester for brewery wastewater, due to enter operation in 2021.

BrewDog is also a founding member of a new hospitality industry coalition that is plotting a pathway to net-zero for the sector. Called the Zero Carbon Forum, the new initiative is receiving support from trade associations UK Hospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association.

Matt Mace