The Brewers Association (BA) recently published the new Sustainability Benchmarking Update, which highlights best-in-class utility usage and unique sustainability case studies in the craft brewing sector. This update focuses on four key performance indicators (KPIs), including electricity, water, natural gas, and CO₂ usage on a per-barrel basis. By utilizing the BA Sustainability Benchmarking Tools, along with the data in this benchmarking update, brewers can gauge their utility usage against industry leaders, gain insights on best practices, and increase efficiency to improve their bottom line.

(READ: BA Releases Guidance on Utilizing Sustainability Manuals)

Hundreds of craft brewers have participated in the BA’s sustainability benchmarking efforts since 2014, and have seen great value in tracking their utility usage rates and costs associated with different aspects of production. The Sustainability Benchmarking Tools provide a platform to track monthly utility bills, identify opportunities to save energy and money, and benchmark per-barrel performance to brewers with comparable annual production. As more breweries engage with the tools, the data will be more robust and drive improved sustainability throughout the industry.

The Sustainability Benchmarking Update divides brewery utility usage into the following production volume categories: 0 – 1,000 bbls/year, 1,000 – 10,000 bbls/year, 10,000 – 100,000 bbls/year, and 100,000+ bbls/year. The update also summarizes performance on a geographic basis, by comparing breweries in the following regions: North Central, Northeast, Mountain West, Pacific, Pacific Northwest and South. While individual brewery data are not presented in this report, certain top performers are identified to encourage collaboration on sustainability initiatives. Case studies are also included to highlight some progressive solutions to challenges facing brewers across the country.