Business, Environment and Ecology, Free News Articles, Green Business

Appalachian Gap Distillery Becomes Country’s First Climate Neutral Certified Distillery

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, Appalachian Gap Distillery is delighted to announce that it is officially Climate Neutral Certified. All of its brands -- AppGap, Split Spirits, and Vermont Creemee Liqueurs -- proudly share the certification.

"Doing the right thing has always been at the core of who we are across all of our brands," says distillery co-founder Lars Hubbard. "We love that our spirits are made from grains sourced as close as possible to the distillery and support our local farmers." These spent grains are then turned into clean power at a local biodigester, which supports the local green economy.

Lars adds that "when people come visit our tasting room, they pass six solar arrays that provide the majority of our electricity and symbolize our commitment to sustainability." These panels help to minimize emissions from direct operations.

The carbon footprint measurement process revealed there was an opportunity to reduce emissions from powering the steam system, which uses natural gas. As a result, Appalachian Gap Distillery has already made the switch to using renewable natural gas derived largely from local farms to further reduce its direct emissions.

"We've done a tremendous amount to make energy efficient decisions to keep our operation's' climate footprint small," says co-founder Chuck Burkins. "In order to give our customers the confidence of knowing that each bottle is truly carbon neutral from grain to glass, we rigorously measured emissions within our supply chain and offset those we cannot control directly."

Appalachian Gap Distillery offset 59 metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent by supporting nature-based projects like encouraging sustainable agriculture and protecting important ecosystems. In order to further reduce supply chain emissions, the distillery has switched to using 100% recycled glass bottles that have not had their natural greenish hue bleached with harmful chemicals and high heat processes.

Will Drucker, AppGap's Head of Hustle, was drawn to join Appalachian Gap Distillery because of the distillery's commitment to sustainability and the exceptional quality of their spirits. "It was evident that they adhered to the highest standards of quality and took great care throughout the entire spirit production process, and that this care extended to the natural environment and the community as a whole," says Will.

"Appalachian Gap Distillery and our other Climate Neutral Certified brands are leading the global shift to a net-zero economy by doing what all companies should be doing immediately: measuring, offsetting, and reducing their carbon emissions," says Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman. "Our label helps consumers identify these brands. It's a recognizable and trusted symbol that turns everyday purchases into meaningfully positive climate action."

Climate Neutral's certification is based on internationally recognized standards for carbon measurement, neutrality, and offsetting. Each brand must measure Scope 1, 2, and 3 cradle-to-customer greenhouse gas emissions for the prior calendar year. Then a brand must buy verified carbon credits to offset its entire footprint. This directs investment into critical carbon sequestration projects such as forest conservation, renewable energy, and carbon capture technologies. Finally, brands commit to a reduction action plan to cut future emissions within a 12-24 month timeline, reporting progress on those plans annually. All of the brand's data is publicly available on Climate Neutral's website. The process is repeated annually when companies must re-certify.

ABOUT CLIMATE NEUTRAL

Climate Neutral is a nonprofit organization working with brands and consumers to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions. The label, Climate Neutral Certified, is the universal standard in carbon neutrality. It is earned by brands who measure, offset, and reduce their entire carbon footprint, making it easy for consumers to shop with concern for the global climate. Learn more about Climate Neutral and browse all of the certified brands at http://www.climateneutral.org/.

ABOUT APPALACHIAN GAP DISTILLERY

Appalachian Gap Distillery hand crafts sustainable spirits with Vermont character, in Middlebury, VT. Quality, creativity and a deep respect for the environment are the driving forces behind Appalachian Gap's products. To learn more about Appalachian Gap Distillery, visit https://www.appgap.com/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Appalachian Gap Distillery Contact: Will Drucker
will@appgap.com, 773.726.0954

Climate Neutral Contact: Torie Dye
torie.dye@purpleorangepr.com, 614.315.2042

Related link: https://appalachiangap.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved.

Business, Environment and Ecology, Free News Articles

Appalachian Gap Distillery Commits to Become Climate Neutral Certified

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Appalachian Gap Distillery is proud to announce it has committed to become Climate Neutral Certified. The company will be working with Climate Neutral, an independent non-profit organization that helps companies measure their carbon footprint, offset it in its entirety by purchasing quality carbon credits, and reduce emissions moving forward.

Climate Neutral has set rigorous certification standards that all companies must meet before being granted the Climate Neutral Certified status.

"Consumers today are yearning for evidence that companies are aware of their contribution to climate change and committed to erasing it," said Climate Neutral CEO Austin Whitman. "We're thrilled to have Appalachian Gap Distillery commit to this journey. Soon they will join our growing list of certified companies that are proving that we're living in a new era of leadership on climate by top brands."

For Appalachian Gap Distillery, the decision to join this movement was a natural next step in the distillery's journey to reduce the impact of making quality craft spirits. "Doing the right thing, whether making delicious spirits with integrity or distilling in a way that was easier on the planet, has always been part of our ethos as a brand," says distillery co-founder Lars Hubbard. "The first thing people see when they visit our distillery are six solar arrays that provide all of our electricity and are symbolic of our commitment to sustainability."

Other actions the distillery has taken to reduce its environmental impact are less visible but equally important. "We renovated the building with high-performance building standards in mind, by ensuring the distillery was highly insulated, installing efficient heating and cooling equipment, installing daylighting skylights and double-insulated windows, and equipping all lighting with motion sensors" co-founder Chuck Burkins explains. "Another thing we're proud of is that all our spent grains, which are mostly sourced from local farmers, are sent to a biodigester to be turned into clean power." The distillery has made its operations so clean that it is no longer required by the Town of Middlebury to have an industrial discharge permit; the distillery is adding less liquid waste to the system than a residence does over the course of a month.

The distillery still relies on natural gas to power a high-efficiency steam system for their processes, and this is an area the team has identified as an opportunity for further reducing its reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change and are switching over to renewable natural gas (RNG).

The environmental case for reducing carbon has been well understood for years and now the business case for committing to climate neutrality is more compelling than ever. "Customers care about how products are made and are supporting brands that commit to operating responsibly," says Will Drucker, head of sales and marketing at Appalachian Gap Distillery. "I'm proud to work with a brand that has made sustainability a core value and am excited to offer our customers products that address the climate crisis in addition to being delicious to drink. Given the choice, more people want to do good by drinking well."

Over the coming months, the distillery will be compiling information about its carbon footprint, including direct operations, upstream sourcing and downstream shipping in order to create a comprehensive accounting of emissions. Once this is complete, Appalachian Gap will offset its emissions as necessary and commit to actions to further reduce its climate impact in the future. "We will be certified Carbon Neutral this year, which is the last step in our journey towards having our operations reflect our values, one of which is responsibility to the planet and its inhabitants." said Lars Hubbard. "It is the right thing to do."

ABOUT APPALACHIAN GAP

Appalachian Gap Distillery hand crafts sustainable spirits with a unique Vermont character, in Middlebury, VT. Quality, creativity and a deep respect for the environment are the driving forces behind Appalachian Gap's products. To learn more about Appalachian Gap Distillery, visit https://appalachiangap.com/.

ABOUT CLIMATE NEUTRAL

Climate Neutral is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to decrease global carbon emissions by creating a trusted net-zero certification for consumer brands using a standardized process which makes it easier for companies to estimate their greenhouse gas footprint, identify credible carbon offsets, and prioritize measures to reduce their emissions. To learn more about Climate Neutral, visit https://www.climateneutral.org/.

Related link: https://appalachiangap.com/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved.