ESG. Environmental Justice. Net Zero Carbon. Green Washing. Sustainability. These are all terms that you have probably seen in the media and company communications on an increasing basis. To realize these environmental goals into a corporate accountability structure, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) as well as Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns have become a key part of how businesses are measured in their commitment to stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, and their surrounding communities. While businesses can benefit from the increased investment value and social value that these programs offer, how does a company begin to integrate them into existing operations? Additionally, corporate boards and governing bodies are asking their local Environmental, Health, and Safety managers to do more in these areas and provide results that can be seen in company annual reports, but what does this actually look like?
Sustainability in Action: Spoetzl Brewery
Spoetzl Brewery is a great example of how companies can balance the needs of the company, their employees and the community in which they operate, with ESG and EJ innovative and strategic initiatives. According to Spoetzl, doing what everyone believes is the right thing can also present tremendous opportunities for a business in terms of long-term growth, resiliency and sustainability.
A little history – the Spoetzl brewery located in Shiner, Texas, a town of only slightly more than 2,000 residents, has grown since its inception in 1909 to being one of the largest craft breweries in the country today. They produce a diverse line of beers and products but are most known nationally for their “Shiner Bock” brand of dark lager.
Today, the brewery is launching several sustainability projects that it believes will secure a solid future for the company and its employees. The brewery uses anaerobic treatment of its process wastewaters to produce methane gas that is used as fuel in the brewing stills. In addition, Spoetzl plans to land apply the treated wastewater on several acres of land to produce drought resistant hay that will be provided to local ranchers to offset short supply caused by ongoing drought in the region. A grant from the US Department of Agriculture will allow Spoetzl to install solar panels on the brewery’s building roofs – providing reliable, clean power to all the mechanical equipment used in the brewing process. The use of clean solar power will also save the brewery long-term costs by reducing maintenance and equipment replacement needs. The latest initiative under consideration is to capture carbon dioxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and treat it to be used for carbonating beverages and purging brewing vessels.
Advice from the Director of Operations?
Now is the perfect time to consider unconventional methods for capturing cost savings and reducing long-term risks associated with inflation and rising costs. Spoetzl’s Owner of Operations plans to use the captured savings to reinvest in his employees, expand the brewery product Iine, and invest in the Shiner community (the brewery routinely sponsors college scholarships and other community events). His projects also happen to be aligned with key climate change and sustainability initiatives for this country and the globe, and he has the added satisfaction of knowing he is part of the solution.
Braun Intertec has Environmental, Health & Safety professionals that can assist you with your ESG and EJ goals. Join us for our live webinar, “Environmental Social Governance and Environmental Justice – Practical Applications for Your Business” on June 23 to learn more about what other companies are doing to meet their ESG and EJ objectives and how you can apply these ideas to your own operations.
