In 2014 Brown-Forman set new, more aggressive environmental sustainability goals focused on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, sending zero waste to landfill, and increasing the efficiency of water use and wastewater discharges.
The result: The company has just been named the “greenest” beverage alcohol company among U.S. publicly traded companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings, one of the foremost corporate environmental rankings index.
Brown-Forman increased its ranking 17 spots, to 52 from 69 and was named among the top three of all beverage companies in the U.S., following Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. and Keurig Green Mountain.
The Newsweek Green Rankings evaluate the United States’ largest publicly-traded companies using eight metrics that provide a transparent measurement of overall corporate environmental performance. The 2016 “green score” of each company was based on these components: energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, green revenue score, sustainability pay link, sustainability board committee, and an audited metrics score.
“Environmental sustainability supports Brown-Forman’s vision of enduring forever,” said Alex Alvarez, Senior VP-Chief Production Officer, Brown-Forman. “Our environmental performance creates opportunities for cost savings, efficiency, and innovation in our production operations.”