‘Change the status quo’: Brewers demand action on food waste at COP26
Breweries across UK and Ireland call on governments to raise their ambition at COP26 as they debut limited edition beer collective made from surplus bread
Breweries from across the UK and Ireland have called on world leaders to grab a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” at the upcoming COP26 Cliamte Summit to protect people and nature from the global climate crisis.
In a open letter published this morning, a coalition of 25 brewers urged governments from around the world to commit and agree to “robust and wide-ranging targets” that can prevent further global temperature rise, stressing the need for action to be taken to reduce food waste.
“We’re laying down the gauntlet for you,” it states. “As you meet in Glasgow for the COP26 climate talks, you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to protect people and nature from the effects of the global climate crisis. We need you to agree and commit to robust and wide-ranging targets to halt further warming – and to co-operate in taking action to meet them.
The letter, which has been signed by brewing giants Adnams and Guinness, as well as a number of leadiung craft breweries such as Five Points Brewery, Meantime, Beavertown, and Stroud Brewery, has been coordinated by Toast Ale, which has been selling beer made using surplus bread since 2015.
The coalition stressed that governments need to turn their attention to the issue of food waste, pointing to the food system’s outsized impact on greenhouse gas emisisons and deforestation.
“One-third of the world’s food is never eaten, which means the land and resources used and greenhouse gases emitted in producing it were unnecessary,” the brewers write. “We need you, our global governments, along with businesses and groups with the power to influence the food system, to come together and change the status quo.”
The companies participating in the appeal have collaborated to produce a limited-edition box of 26 beers made from surplus bread, which will raise funds for conservation and regenerative agriculture projects run by Rainforest Trust UK and Soil Heroes.
Each of the 25 breweries has contributed a beer to the ‘Companion Series’ box, with Toast Ale providing two different beers to create a box of 26 to mark the COP26 Climate Summit.
Toast Ale co-founder Tristram Stuart expressed hope that the initiative would send a message to fellow businesses, world leaders, and society at large about the need for collaboration on climate issues.
“As a business dedicated to positive social and environmental change, we’re dedicated to sharing our expertise and ethos with fellow breweries to make progress in reducing [emissions and deforestation caused by food waste],” he said. “But we also need governments to make the necessary policy commitments, which is why we’re challenging world leaders and COP negotiators with our open letter.
“We hope that those responsible for making policy decisions and setting international targets at COP will ‘use their loaves’ and work together to take meaningful action for the sake of our collective future.”
Toast Ale said the beers it had produced for the Companion Series were a ‘For the Planet’ juicy IPA produced in partnership with the the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, Business Declares, and Zero Hour and a ‘For People’ coffee porter brewed in collaboration with Cafedirect.
Peter Simpson, head brewer at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, said the company had “jumped” at the opportunity to partner with Toast Ale to brew beer using surplus bread, noting that it was “100 per cent committed to brewing sustainable beer”.
“We like nothing more than experimenting to see what’s possible,” Simpson said. “It is a key focus for us and is what keeps us excited for future innovations and delivering long lasting change.”
The partners plan on selling 2,600 Companion Series boxes, which are priced at £89.96 and also include a range of sustainable products from leading green brands such as Cheeky Panda, Divine Chocolate, Emily Snacks, Liberation Nuts, Teapigs, and Traidcraft.
Check out all the latest news and analysis on COP26 at BusinessGreen’s dedicated COP26 Hub, hosted in association with BCG and Schneider Electric.
