In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, Appalachian Gap Distillery is delighted to announce that it is officially Climate Neutral Certified. All of its brands—AppGap, Split Spirits, and Vermont Creemee Liqueurs — proudly share the certification.
“Doing the right thing has always been at the core of who we are across all of our brands,” said distillery co-founder Lars Hubbard in a press release “We love that our spirits are made from grains sourced as close as possible to the distillery and support our local farmers.” These spent grains are then turned into clean power at a local biodigester, which supports the local green economy.
Lars added that “when people come visit our tasting room, they pass six solar arrays that provide the majority of our electricity and symbolize our commitment to sustainability.” These panels help to minimize emissions from direct operations.
The carbon footprint measurement process revealed there was an opportunity to reduce emissions from powering the steam system, which uses natural gas. As a result, Appalachian Gap Distillery has already made the switch to using renewable natural gas derived largely from local farms to further reduce its direct emissions.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount to make energy efficient decisions to keep our operations’ climate footprint small,” said co-founder Chuck Burkins. “In order to give our customers the confidence of knowing that each bottle is truly carbon neutral from grain to glass, we rigorously measured emissions within our supply chain and offset those we cannot control directly.”
Appalachian Gap Distillery offset 59 metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent by supporting nature-based projects like encouraging sustainable agriculture and protecting important ecosystems. In order to further reduce supply chain emissions, the distillery has switched to using 100% recycled glass bottles that have not had their natural greenish hue bleached with harmful chemicals and high heat processes.
Will Drucker, AppGap’s “Head of Hustle”, was drawn to join Appalachian Gap Distillery because of the distillery’s commitment to sustainability and the exceptional quality of their spirits. “It was evident that they adhered to the highest standards of quality and took great care throughout the entire spirit production process, and that this care extended to the natural environment and the community as a whole,” said Drucker.
“Appalachian Gap Distillery and our other Climate Neutral Certified brands are leading the global shift to a net-zero economy by doing what all companies should be doing immediately: measuring, offsetting, and reducing their carbon emissions,” said Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman. “Our label helps consumers identify these brands. It’s a recognizable and trusted symbol that turns everyday purchases into meaningfully positive climate action.”
Climate Neutral’s certification is based on internationally recognized standards for carbon measurement, neutrality, and offsetting. Each brand must measure Scope 1, 2, and 3 cradle-to-customer greenhouse gas emissions for the prior calendar year. Then a brand must buy verified carbon credits to offset its entire footprint. This directs investment into critical carbon sequestration projects such as forest conservation, renewable energy, and carbon capture technologies. Finally, brands commit to a reduction action plan to cut future emissions within a 12-24 month timeline, reporting progress on those plans annually. All of the brand’s data is publicly available on Climate Neutral’s website. The process is repeated annually when companies must re-certify.
Learn more about Climate Neutral and browse all of the certified brands at climateneutral.org.