Climate Change Data

Upslope Brewing Company

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2020-2021)

Reporting Period: 2020-2021

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:1215 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (Scope 1 & 2 combined in 2020)
Scope 1 Emissions:821 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (2020)
Scope 2 Emissions:374 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (2020)
Scope 3 Emissions:Not disclosed
Renewable Energy Share:Not disclosed
Total Energy Consumption:Not disclosed
Water Consumption:Over 4 million gallons/year at main production facility
Waste Generated:Approximately 1.3 million pounds of spent grain (100% diverted)
Carbon Intensity:Not disclosed

ESG Focus Areas

  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Community Engagement
  • Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
  • Employee Engagement
  • Supply Chain Management

Environmental Achievements

  • Reduced CO2 usage from 13 lbs/barrel to 11 lbs/barrel by replacing leaky hoses and fittings and performing a full fill valve rebuild on the canning line.
  • Installed two rooftop solar arrays (25 kW in 2018, 47 kW in 2020).
  • Achieved a 79% waste diversion rate (improved from 63% in a previous audit).
  • All onsite events are Zero Waste, consistently achieving 90%+ diversion from the landfill.

Social Achievements

  • Launched an inclusion committee to identify and remove barriers to entry for employees and customers.
  • Made the Crafted for All commitment to build a foundation of equity, inclusion, and justice.
  • Increased employee participation in external development from 42% to 67% and volunteering from 4% to 40%.
  • Donated over $77,000 to Trout Unlimited chapters through the 1% for Rivers program since 2015.
  • Donated $85,801 to Leave No Trace through the Backcountry Tap Room (excluding 2020).

Governance Achievements

  • Became a Certified B Corp™ in 2020 (82.6/200 points).
  • Developed a set of preferred purchasing guidelines and a supplier code of conduct.
  • Conducted employee materiality assessment to identify important social and environmental topics.

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
  • Reduce Scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 50% from 2018 levels by 2030.
Short-term Goals:
  • Develop a strategy to increase fuel efficiency to 0.8 therms/barrel and electricity efficiency to 10 kilowatt hours/barrel.
  • Reduce CO2 consumption to 10 lbs/barrel.
  • Measure water use at each step in the production process and develop standard operating procedures.
  • Implement PACE’s recommended upgrades to reduce office and taproom water usage by 25%.
  • Reduce outdoor water usage to 15 gallons per square foot.
  • Conduct quarterly waste audits and waste composition studies.
  • Achieve Zero Waste (85% diversion rate by weight).
  • Launch the reimagined Pints for the People program.
  • Develop a comprehensive IEJ strategy based on the Crafted for All framework.
  • Implement a workplace harassment prevention program.
  • Fully implement supply chain management policies.

Environmental Challenges

  • Inaccurate estimation of Scope 1 and 2 emissions due to shared building-wide electricity metering and estimated fuel consumption of company vehicles.
  • Incomplete data for calculating Scope 3 emissions.
  • Limited capital and space for installing a larger hot liquor tank to optimize water recapture.
  • Need to improve waste diversion rate to achieve Zero Waste (85% diversion rate by weight).
Mitigation Strategies
  • Using Fat Tire's “Carbon Neutral Toolkit for Craft Breweries” to improve emission calculations.
  • Planning to finish calculating Scope 3 emissions in 2022.
  • Installing a fill gauge in the HLT to improve water recapture.
  • Conducting quarterly waste audits and waste composition studies to identify areas for improvement.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Supplier survey conducted in 2020

Responsible Procurement
  • Preferred purchasing guidelines
  • Supplier code of conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Drought impacting water supply
Transition Risks
  • Not disclosed
Opportunities
  • Brewing with sustainably-sourced ingredients (Kernza®, Solar Grown® honey)

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: B Corp™ Certification

Certifications: B Corp™

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Kernza® Kölsch With Solar Grown® Honey

Awards & Recognition

  • Not disclosed