Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers division is targeting carbon-neutrality for its distillery in south-west Ireland, unveiling a EUR50m (US$52.6m) investment over the next four years.
The funding programme, announced today, will focus initially on improving the efficiency of on-site energy generation at the facility in Midleton near Cork, as well as recycling waste heat. The investment, which aims to phase out ‘scope 1’ and ‘scope 2’ carbon emissions by the end of 2026, will then go towards securing energy from renewable sources.
Irish Distillers, which is responsible for Pernod’s Jameson Irish whiskey brand, claims that the pending move to a “closed loop system capture” would be “the first time this technology has been used across multiple batch processes in distilling”.
A mapping of the division’s carbon footprint has recently been completed, resulting in today’s pledge to “work with suppliers on projects and initiatives to reduce scope 3 emissions across all areas of its business”.
When contacted by Global Drinks Intel, a spokesperson for Irish Distillers said the facility has an annual production capacity of around 70m litres of pure alcohol.
Two months ago, Irish Distillers confirmed a transition of its CEO position, with incumbent Conor McQuaid lined up to lead on the group’s corporate communications & public affairs. McQuaid will be replaced at the start of next month by the current CEO of Pernod Ricard Japan, Nodjame Fouad.
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