About Pillars
Pillars wasn't your typical brewery when it burst onto the London scene in 2016. Founded by a family united by their love of lagers, it quickly became the city's first craft lager brewery. But their passion extended beyond creating delicious brews.
Pillars is a close-knit team driven by a desire to make a positive impact. Their dedication to sustainability isn't an afterthought; as a small business, they're not bound by regulation, but by a genuine passion to be a force for good.
This commitment goes beyond bringing people together with their award-winning lagers (including the coveted "Beer of the Year" at the 2023 London Beer Competition!) – it's about brewing a brighter future.
The Challenge: Understanding their footprint
Like many SMEs, Pillars wanted to measure their environmental impact. However, they lacked the resources of a larger company – no dedicated sustainability team meant limited time to delve into the complexities of GHG protocols and Scope reporting.
The Solution: Partnering for Progress
Recognising the need for expert guidance, Pillars turned to Switch2Zero’s team of net zero consultants and carbon reduction specialists. By collaborating with Switch2Zero, Pillars embarked on a journey to understand their carbon footprint.
Armed with Switch2Zero's Sustainability Toolkit, Pillars gained a clear picture of the data needed for carbon footprint calculation & reporting. Regular 15 minute pulse calls with their dedicated sustainability consultant kept the momentum going. These weekly check-ins ensured no time went to waste, keeping Pillars on track towards their sustainability goals. This was especially crucial given the importance of understanding their current brewery's footprint to inform decision making and to ensure any unavoidable emissions were offset.
Expansion with Sustainability in Mind
Pillars' delicious lagers are in high demand, ushering in plans to increase capacity. However, before expanding to a new facility and leasing new equipment, the team felt it was important to assess their current environmental impact so they could prioritise ways to reduce it. This commitment extends to investing in the latest, most efficient brewing technologies, such as state-of-the-art equipment that captures the CO2 released from their fermentation process. This captured CO2 can then be reused in their taproom and for purging tanks, eliminating the need to purchase new CO2.
After assessing their environmental impact and implementing efficiency measures, Gavin, CEO at Pillars said "We're incredibly impressed with the progress we've made in understanding our environmental impact in such a short timeframe. The weekly check-in calls with Leanne are highly efficient and keep us on track.”
"Switch2Zero's intuitive toolkit has proven invaluable. It takes what can feel like an overwhelming task and breaks it down into clear, actionable milestones. As a result of this process, we've already implemented changes that have reduced our footprint. One significant outcome is a 20% decrease in gas consumption, which benefits both our 2024 goals and bottom line!”
Taking Sustainability to the Next Level: Scope 3 Reporting
Not stopping at Scope 1 & 2 reductions, Pillars demonstrates their unwavering commitment to sustainability by tackling the complex challenge of Scope 3 emissions reporting. This decision signifies their dedication to minimising their environmental impact throughout their entire value chain – from sourcing ingredients to waste management.
Partnering with Switch2Zero's expertise has been instrumental in this endeavour. Through collaboration, Switch2Zero identified packaging as the area with the greatest potential for Scope 3 emissions savings. This has catalysed conversations within Pillars to optimise packaging for minimal environmental impact.
This initiative exemplifies Pillars' proactive approach to sustainability. By implementing such a program, Pillars can significantly reduce their carbon footprint while fostering a sense of community and environmental responsibility.
To learn more about how our net zero consultants can help you understand your footprint book in a FREE 15-minute consultation.
