Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) presents carbon footprint research

13 september 2012

In an effort to accelerate understanding of beverage sector impacts on climate change and identify reduction priorities for greenhouse gas emissions, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has published its research on carbon footprints for five beverage categories – beer, bottled water, carbonated soft drink, spirits and wine.
The research is presented in a series of reports each including boundary assumptions, emission calculation details, secondary data sources and impact analyses discussions for each beverage category in Europe and North America.
The carbon modeling and analysis contained within the reports is based, in large part, on data from BIER member companies through their independent business evaluations, such as life cycle assessments and greenhouse gas inventories. The research is intended to identify those aspects of the beverage value chain that contribute significantly to the overall carbon footprint of a product and to evaluate the sensitivity of the carbon footprint to modifications in material or production practices such as packaging material selection, distribution logistics and recycling rates (News Item BIER).