Scotch Whisky Industry

The SWA commissioned SWRI to deliver a scoping study to assess the risks of climate change to the sector and identify initial adaptation options. Following this, SWA held an industry workshop to raise awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation within the sector, share information and experience and generate ideas for how SWA and SWRI could work to build the adaptive capacity of the Scotch Whisky industry.

 

Key messages

• The research found that the Scotch Whisky industry, along with all process-based industries, faces potential risks from projected future changes in the Scottish and global climate.

• This includes some less obvious impacts on the profitability of Scotch Whisky production.

• As an industry with a long-term focus, the sector is already collectively undertaking a range of adaptation actions to tackle the impact of climate change.

• Further steps could be taken to adapt practices, strategies and infrastructure.

• The main priority is to raise awareness of specific business risks and build capacity within the industry to enable individual companies to adapt successfully.

• The overall aim is to ensure all companies include risks from climate change into their Business Risk registers.