Beam Suntory Makes Significant Advancement in Protecting Scotland’s Peatlands with Third Major Restoration Partnership
Beam Suntory Makes Significant Advancement in Protecting Scotland’s Peatlands with Third Major Restoration Partnership
Beam Suntory announces funding and coordination of innovative restoration project in partnership with Northern Peat & Moss as part of its Peatland Water Sanctuary™ programme
SCOTLAND, UK – Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, today announces a long-term project to restore peatland on Craigculter Moss, in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, in partnership with Northern Peat & Moss. The project will use novel techniques to restore and replenish the peat bog, improving resilience to climate change, enhancing biodiversity and re-establishing nature-supporting habitats.
Initial restoration groundworks are already underway at the 60-hectare site in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Beam Suntory will fully fund the approximately £100,000 restoration project.
The restoration is part of the Peatland Water Sanctuary™ programme, a joint investment of over $4 million by Beam Suntory and its parent company, Suntory Holdings, into the conservation and restoration of peatlands. While the Scotch Whisky industry is only responsible for a very modest percentage of Scotland’s peat use, Beam Suntory is committed to working in partnership with different site owners and conservationists to implement novel restoration techniques that will replenish any level of degraded peatland.
Craigculter is a heavily degraded peat moss, having historically been used to harvest peat for different industries, such as for fuel. Beam Suntory will demonstrate novel techniques on the moss to restore peat below the ‘standard’ threshold level, and in some areas, to reintroduce a functioning wetland on bare substrate.
Restoration will provide considerable benefits for carbon sequestration and increase water retention and distribution across the site to both reduce the rate of erosion and re-establish vegetation to the point where peat will once again accumulate naturally. This in turn will reduce the risk of local and regional flooding and restore the biodiversity and wildlife of this natural habitat.
As part of the project’s commitment to improve education and awareness about the importance of peat and biodiversity, Beam Suntory will facilitate knowledge-sharing with the wider Scotch Whisky industry and other research and conservationist groups to encourage further restoration and innovation.
Alistair Longwell, Head of Distillation & Environment, Beam Suntory, comments: “We are very proud of the progress we’ve made since launching the Peatland Water Sanctuary™ programme three years ago, with 206 hectares restored and 435 hectares in planning stages. This project at Craigculter marks an important step in our industry-wide commitment to restoring Scotland’s peatlands, proving that by implementing novel methods, we can push the boundaries of restoration and show that even historically degraded land can be replenished to a thriving natural habitat.”
Robbie Millar, President of Global Whisky and Prestige, Beam Suntory, adds: “Our global sustainability strategy, Proof Positive, lays out our commitment to making a positive impact on the environments and communities in which we operate. By collaborating with other organisations, landowners and expert conservationists, we can implement real change for these crucial watersheds, and we look forward to sharing our results and learnings with others as we progress the Peatland Water Sanctuary™ programme.”
Harumichi Seta, General Manager, Sustainability Management Division, Suntory Holdings, comments: “As a company sustained by the gifts of nature and water, we are dedicated to replenishing and protecting the natural wetlands across Scotland that play an indispensable role in water purification and biodiversity. We are steadfast in our long-term restoration targets and hope to bring many more partners on the journey with us, to maximise our collective positive impact on nature and society.”
About Peatland Water Sanctuary™
The Peatland Water Sanctuary™ is a large-scale series of peatland restoration and watershed conservation projects in Scotland launched in 2021 by Beam Suntory and its parent company, Suntory Holdings. Through PWS™, the companies have committed to invest more than $4 million to the restoration and conservation of 1,300 hectares of peatlands by 2030, enough to produce the same amount of peat that Beam Suntory uses to make its peated whiskies on an ongoing basis. Beyond this, there is a longer-term aim to restore sufficient peatlands by 2040 to equate twice what Beam Suntory uses.
The PWS™ programme began with work to restore and conserve peatland near the Ardmore distillery in November 2021 in partnership with the James Hutton Institute and Forestry & Land Scotland. Beam Suntory has also partnered with the RSPB Scotland to regenerate peatland at the Airds Moss reserve in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Across its projects, Beam Suntory has already restored 206 hectares of peatland, with a further 435 hectares in active planning stages.
The PWS™ programme aligns with the Suntory Group Sustainability Vision and Beam Suntory’s ambitious Proof Positive sustainability strategy, as well as the Scotch Whisky Association’s environmental commitments.
About Beam Suntory
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires the brilliance of life by delivering great consumer experiences through its world-class portfolio of brands. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam®, Maker’s Mark®, Basil Hayden® and Knob Creek® bourbons; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Beam Suntory also produces leading brands such as Courvoisier® cognac, Tres Generaciones®, El Tesoro® and Hornitos® tequila, Roku™ and Sipsmith® gin, Canadian Club® whisky, and is a world leader in ready-to-drink cocktails, with brands like -196 and On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails.
A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries, one of Beam Suntory’s core values is Growing for Good and through its Proof Positive sustainability strategy, the company has committed to ambitious goals and investments to promote environmental sustainability in its operations, ensure the company has a positive impact on the communities where employees live and work, and programs to educate and inform consumers to make the right personal choices about drinking. Headquartered in New York City, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.
About Northern Peat & Moss Ltd.
Northern Peat & Moss Ltd. is a commercial peat supplier based in Aberdeenshire in the northeast of Scotland. Experts in bog management and peat extraction, it is a fourth-generation family business, founded in 1905.
The first thing you notice is the elegant fragrance of lychee, spring blossoms, lily, rosewater, and raspberry meringue. Deeper in, grassy notes with star fruit, kumquat, and kaffir lime leaves. The flavors offer perfection in their simplicity: silky honey, soft spices, crystalized pineapple, barley sugar, lemon, and orange. On the finish, the spices chatter on and on as the sweet citrus and honey fade in and out. One to cherish. (JM, Spring 2018) 
