The Brewers Association (BA) has released its 2017 Sustainability Benchmarking Report. The comprehensive study focuses on analysis of water, energy and emissions efficiency in the craft brewing industry. The study also provides meaningful comparison by showcasing facilities by production size, geographic region and market segment by documenting water use, energy use and total emissions normalized to barrels of beer packaged.

“Environmental stewardship is paramount for the health and vitality of the craft brewing community,” said John Stier, sustainability mentor, Brewers Association. “The craft brewing sector is defining their environmental footprint and the characteristics that influence resource consumption to continuously drive improvements in efficiency. The best performers showcased in this report can serve as an inspiration to others in the community who are making a concerted effort on sustainability. We urge brewers to take the time to understand their operations and optimizations of existing systems, to capitalize on production efficiency.”

The 2017 report compiles three years of data and seeks to provide an important look into the craft brewing industry’s environmental performance, while identifying and sharing best practices from top performing breweries.

Developed by its Sustainability Subcommittee, the BA offers a number of sustainability resources for members to engage in environmentally conscientious brewing practices.

Read previous reports and find out how your brewery can participate.