Why data and AI are central to realising brewing and distilling’s decarbonisation targets

Nathan Skillen outlines how data and AI are central to brewing and distilling’s need to meet its net zero and decarbonisation targets, and how academia and industry can work together to overcome AI fears and sustainability challenges to turn ambition into reality

In 2008, the UK passed the Climate Change Act. Eleven years later, it was amended to commit the UK to a legally-binding target of becoming net-zero by 2050.

Many sectors also have their own net zero and decarbonisation commitments. Scotch whisky is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2040 and decarbonising operations by 2045. For brewing and hospitality, there is also a commitment to be net zero by 2040.

Looking at the distilling sector, it’s energy intensive. With whisky, from grain to glass, significant heat and power is required for processes such as mashing and boiling wort, distillation, cleaning and sterilisation and packaging.

Without a “decarbonisation silver bullet”, every distillery faces a slightly different transition pathway to achieving net zero. An industry-wide strategy will offer some support, but essentially every distillery will need a tailored strategy for them. And that is why realising the ambition to become net zero is such a daunting task.

The answer needs data and AI

Distilleries need accurate data to find out what their operations look like today, what their trajectory is and how to measure where they want to be to reach net zero. And they need to embrace AI and automation as a way to help reach net zero at speed and at scale.

That’s because achieving net zero requires every distillery to examine where they are, and where they want to be. Especially when following the ‘scopes’. They are the official categories of Scope 1, 2, and 3 used to classify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on where they originate.

Scope 1 covers emissions directly from sources the distillery owns or controls, while Scope 2 is emissions generated off-site by energy suppliers to produce the energy purchased and used.

Scope 3 relates to emissions that come from activities distilleries do not directly own or control – they are emissions from the entire supply chain.

This creates a huge challenge for distilleries. How can they cover all three scopes in order to get to where they need to be to meet these targets? There are ways this can be done – and they don’t necessarily require expensive bespoke software to achieve it.

Carbon footprint calculator

Heriot-Watt University is already leading the way.

Renowned academics from our International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) – including my ICBD colleagues Annie Hill, Professor of Brewing and Distilling, and Dr Shiwen Zhuang who specialises in the beverage and biotech industries – developed a web-based carbon footprint calculator, AI4Whisky, helping distillers measure Scope 1, 2 and crucially Scope 3 emissions. The work was conducted in collaboration with Yeqi Huang and Dr Luo Mai from the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.

Whisky breaks down emissions across three primary production stages: the distillery, the maturation warehouse, and the bottling hall.

Firstly it tracks data around raw materials, energy consumption, waste disposal, and transportation. It then provides actionable insights by visualising the carbon footprint and identifying "hotspots" in production processes. This allows distillers to make informed changes and work toward net-zero goals.

This simple, cost-effective tool dispenses with the need for spreadsheets or private software through embracing AI and automation.

The case for AI

AI processes data in seconds and minutes, rather than hours and days – vital for smaller Scottish distillers perhaps not already embracing tech as a way to achieve net zero.

Others are leading the way, using companies that incorporate blockchain technology and AI to report and analyse data.

Ardnamurchan Distillery uses Provenate, whose all-in-one management platform replaces manual spreadsheets, to digitise its entire operational flow from fermentation to spirit yield, replacing manual legacy records.

It leverages its blockchain capabilities to achieve a new level of traceability and transparency that allows consumers to check how the whisky they are buying was produced through a QR code on the bottle.

For an industry steeped in history, this is a perfect example of how a traditional distillery can embrace technology to enhance its ‘grain to glass’ storytelling.

Setting new benchmarks

These examples show how data is vital to benchmark the industry, and AI to analyse the data at speed and at scale to fully embrace traceability, transparency and process.

But more needs to be done. For brewing and distilling to fully embrace net zero, it must carry everyone with it.

That is vital because the net zero transition will not be timely or orderly. It needs to happen and happen at pace, but that will not necessarily be in an orderly way. This increases the risk of people being left behind, especially if people are reluctant – or not proactive – when it comes to embracing this transition.

This is where industry and academia can continue to work together, with further study and research becoming embedded into a new Centre – a tangible, physical entity where people can come and see for themselves what is happening.

The CSBD project provides a focal point for both brewing and distilling that, together with ever more evolving digital platforms in the marketplace, sees data and AI fully embraced across the industry.

Indeed, Provenate is engaging with Heriot Watt University on the CSBD project as well as supporting our new MSc in Advanced Sustainability for Brewing and Distilling – which I mentioned in detail in my previous blog. In that way, the targets of the past can become the reality of the future.

Dr Nathan Skillen is an Assistant Professor of Sustainability in the university’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling.