Chivas Brothers has today unveiled a new long-term programme that seeks to protect, protect and improve the health of Scotland's rivers and waterways.
Announced to coincide with World Water Day, ‘The River Within’, is a collaboration between the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard and three River Trusts, The Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust, Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust, and the Spey Catchment Initiative.
Investment from Chivas Brothers will help protect and restore the select waterways within the Trusts’ combined catchment areas in North-East Scotland, a total of 5,566 km21.
Julie Gallacher, head of sustainability and responsibility at Chivas Brothers, said: “Scotland’s waterways are the lifeblood of whisky production, so while we use this precious resource responsibly, returning 96% of what we use to its source, we like to think there’s a ‘river within’ each bottle.
"Many of our distilleries are built on the banks of treasured Scottish rivers and it’s from these waters that our renowned whiskies are endowed with their unique spirit, essence and even their names.
“Just as we rely on the rivers, the rivers rely on us. The art of whisky making is a delicate balance, so too is the Scottish landscape in which we craft it.
"That is why we are proud to launch this partnership with the three River Trusts to protect and build a resilient network of Scottish rivers and riverbanks for generations to come."
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Research has shown that currently, 34% of Scotland’s rivers are in 'compromised ecological health', meaning by the end of this century as a result of climate change, they could face three times as many droughts and up to 40% more flooding, threatening the diversity of life in and around the waterways.
Working to avoid this fate, the partnership will focus on enhancing biodiversity, limiting rises in water temperature from climate change and strengthening the longer-term resilience of the rivers.
Bob Laughton, director at Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust, said: "We are delighted to welcome this new partnership with Chivas Brothers, and the support it will provide towards our nature recovery ambitions for our river catchments.
"The aims of ‘The River Within’ are closely aligned with the work on our new flagship project, the Findhorn Watershed Initiative.
"Chivas Brothers’ support will ensure riparian woodland and river restoration schemes that are currently in development are resourced, helping them to be turned into reality and delivered on the ground."
Water stewardship is said to be a critical part of Chivas Brothers’ 'vision to shape the future of sustainable Scotch'.
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In line with its commitment to preserving and restoring water resources, the company continually monitors water consumption and implements new solutions such as water-cooling technology throughout its operations to prevent waste.
Mr Laughton continued: "We have been impressed by the leadership being demonstrated by Chivas Brothers and Pernod Ricard in committing significant investment to support the health and resilience of our rivers and look forward to working with them over the years to come.”
A range of specific waterway projects are currently being developed in close partnership with the three River Trusts, and are scheduled to commence later this year.
This includes simple, practical interventions such as planting new trees along rivers to provide additional shade which will help limit river temperature rises and strengthen riverbanks.
Highlighting further benefits of the programme, Richard Miller, director at The Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust, added: “Many of the species Scotland is known for and their habitats are currently facing unprecedented challenges.
"One of these is the Atlantic Salmon which was recently reclassified by the IUCN from ‘least concern’ to ‘endangered’ in Great Britain.
“We are delighted to be a partner in ‘The River Within’ programme which will provide essential resources to ensure Deveron fish stocks have free access to cold, clean, water.
"This will be achieved by removing obstacles to fish passage, creation of 3D buffer strips along field margins, riparian planting, fish refuge creation and habitat restoration.
"We very much look forward to working with Chivas Brothers on this new and exciting project.”
In June last year, the Herald reported that The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had forced William Grant & Sons and Chivas Brothers to take action to prevent more spillages from their Glenfiddich and Glen Keith distilleries on Speyside.
The companies also made payments totalling £36,100 to Sepa and local conservation groups.
Chivas gave Sepa a legal undertaking in 2022 after its Glen Keith distillery in Banffshire spilled 300 litres of oil along four kilometres of the River Isla in 2018. An assessment by Sepa assessment suggested a “limited” impact on invertebrates, the company said.
According to the undertaking, a storage tank overflowed while being loaded from an “unexpected” evening tanker delivery. The tank’s capacity was “incorrectly deemed to be sufficient” and an embankment meant to prevent leakage into the river failed.
Chivas reduced the working level of the storage tank, repaired the embankment and said it would check embankments at other locations. It also promised to donate £12,000 for environmental improvements by Devon, Bogie and Isla Rivers Trust, and to pay £9,600 towards Sepa’s costs.
Chivas Brothers, which is part of the French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, confirmed to the Herald at the time that it “completed all corrective action, as well as funding the community projects and satisfying the legal costs for Sepa.”
A statement added: “Considerable investment has been made over the last few years to upgrade and extend the range of site operations covered by containment and bunding systems at its distillery locations in order to reduce the risks from loss of containment.”
For more information on the River Within partnership, click here.
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