Hops and Hypocrisy: Brewdog’s Controversial Struggle for Sustainability
BrewDog promises you the world in a pint glass, but the taste of environmental shortcomings and deceit will leave a bitter aftertaste. Behind a glossy facade lies a former B-Corp brewer, a company tainted by questionable (at best) marketing tactics and toxic culture. This article delves into BrewDog’s commitment to environmental responsibility and seeks to uncover what is fact or fiction.
Introduction
James Watt and Martin Dickie founded BrewDog, a craft beer company, in the Scottish town of Fraserburgh in 2007 (BrewDog, 2022). By 2022, BrewDog had grown into a hospitality conglomerate with 105 bars, 3 hotels, 205,000 shareholders, and 2,000 employees, and has sold over 160 million beers as of 2021 (Ibid). BrewDog is one of Scotland’s greatest start-up success stories, started by two university students, the business flourished into a household name.
BrewDog have made a name for themselves, but they haven’t done so unscathed. The craft brew conglomerate has suffered an onslaught of criticism, from its controversial marketing to its ‘culture of fear’, and the actions of founder James Watt (Makortoff and Davies, 2021). This article delves into one of BrewDog’s newest hurdles – their controversial struggle for sustainability.
The reality behind BrewDog’s sustainability claims
In 2020, BrewDog purchased Kinrara, a former sporting estate in the Scottish Highlands. BrewDog promised Kinrara, their ‘Lost Forest’, would be home to millions of trees, and capable of sequestering up to 550,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year (Carrell, 2022). Furthermore, BrewDog claimed their Lost Forest would span over 50 sq km and be Scotland’s ‘biggest forest ever’ (Ibid). And, to top off their promises, BrewDog advertised that for every pack of their Lost Larger sold, a tree would be planted in their forest – this was stated on their Amazon store, Twitter, and short film.
BrewDog does a great job at making environmental and altruistic promises to its customers and authorities. The aforementioned environmental pledges would help BrewDog’s mission to be a carbon-negative company. However, these promises are far from the truth and BrewDog has been subject to widespread criticism and scrutiny as a result.
Fact or Fiction?
Is the Lost Forest capable of sequestering up to 550,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year? No. BrewDog was pulled up on this exaggerated figure and was quick to admit their wrongdoing. BrewDog turned around and stated that the Lost Forest was capable of sequestering up to 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide…over the next 100 years (Ibid). For a company championing their caron-negative achievements, this is a cause for concern.
Is the Lost Forest over 50 km sq and Scotland’s largest forest? No, and far from it. The Lost Forest is smaller than promised, it is 37 km sq. Scotland’s largest forest is Galloway Forest Park, which is over 770 km sq – well over 10x what was promised (Visit Scotland, 2024). BrewDog, on paper, makes their environmental commitments seem legitimate and progressive – the reality is, in fact, much different.
Are profits from BrewDog’s Lost Larger sales funding the reforestation of Kinrara? No, taxpayers are footing the bill. BrewDog’s promise that their Lost Larger sales will be entirely reinvested into the reafforestation of the Lost Forest – a seemingly selfless and ethical investment – couldn’t be further from the truth. BrewDog quietly applied for a £1.2 million public grant (funded by you, the taxpayer) to pay for this project (Sanderson, 2022). Not only are Lost Larger sales not paying for this project, but BrewDog is not paying full stop.
The Darker Side of BrewDog’s Environmental Initiatives
Whilst some can put BrewDog’s broken promises to the side, a line has been crossed. Research shows native hare and deep populations are considered a threat to the success of the Lost Forest reafforestation project. Whilst, usually, these animals are driven out using non-lethal methods (birds or even drones), the proposal was to shoot these animals. Furthermore, proposals suggested an additional 100 deer should be executed on top of the normal amount to manage the impact of the project (Tidman, 2022). PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) director Elisa Allen claims BrewDog have ‘lost the plot’ and must switch to a human and sustainable method of population control to ‘retain any of its plant-friendly credentials’ or risk losing all credibility (Ibid).
This, perhaps unsurprisingly given BrewDog’s history, isn't the first time they have come under scrutiny regarding environmental and animal welfare. BrewDog’s crowdfunding investment method in 2010 – named Equity for Punks – rewarded the ten biggest donors with a bottle of 55% Belgian ale…encased inside a dead squirrel (Gander, 2016). Whilst these squirrels were roadkill, therefore not killed for this purpose, it still begs the question why? Why use the carcass of an animal to encase your product, and why does BrewDog think this is an appropriate or desirable gift to reward their donors? BrewDog’s founder, James Watt, states he ‘absolutely loves the beautiful, yet disturbing nature of taxidermy’ (Ibid). Sadly, for Watt, the masses were much more focused on the distributing - rather than beautiful - nature.
BrewDog’s Struggle for Sustainability
From humble Scottish beginnings to a household name, BrewDog’s journey to the top has been nothing but a rollercoaster ride. Despite impressive accolades, statistics, and growth, consumers are drawn to brands that align with our values and aspirations. BrewDog once promised a world in which they were dedicated to doing good, to the environment, people, and the planet. This captured many of us, our trust, and our money. However, the truth is out and all we are left with is the bitter aftertaste of broken promises, misplaced priorities, and poor decisions.
Let BrewDog’s struggle for sustainability be a lesson learnt. It’s a cruel reminder that household names dabble in greenwashing and corporate doublespeak and that to be a truly sustainable business it demands accountability, transparency, and genuine action. Now is the time to raise our pint glasses to a world where sustainability is more than just a buzzword; a world in which actions speak louder than words. Cheers, to that.
Bibliography
BrewDog (2022). BrewDog History. [online] www.brewdog.com. Available at: https://www.brewdog.com/uk/history.
Carrell, S. (2022). Lost Forest: why is BrewDog’s green scheme causing controversy? [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/05/lost-forest-why-is-brewdog-green-scheme-causing-controversy.
Gander, K. (2016). BrewDog are giving away bottles of the world’s strongest beer encased in a taxidermy squirrel. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/brewdog-worlds-strongest-beer-squirrel-bottle-the-end-of-history-a7436201.html.
Makortoff, K. and Davies, R. (2021). Former BrewDog Staff Accuse Craft Beer Firm of Culture of Fear. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jun/10/brewdog-staff-craft-beer-firm-letter.
Sanderson, D. (2022). Animals in the crosshairs in BrewDog’s taxpayer-funded tree-planting drive. The Telegraph. [online] 1 Feb. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/02/01/animals-crosshairs-brewdogs-taxpayer-funded-tree-planting-drive/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2024].
Tidman, Z. (2022). BrewDog ‘lost the plot’ over tree-planting scheme that could involve shooting animals. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/brewdog-tree-planting-shoot-animals-b2006284.html.
Visit Scotland (2024). Scottish Forests & Woodlands. [online] VisitScotland. Available at: https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/landscapes-nature/forests-woodlands#:~:text=Galloway%20Forest%20Park%20Dumfries%20%26%20Galloway&text=Did%20you%20know%2C%20seven%20out [Accessed 22 Mar. 2024].