Net ZERO / CARBON NEUTRAL
With projections to achieve carbon neutrality/net zero by the end of 2023, Thistlerock Mead Company is on track to hold the distinction of being the first net zero/carbon neutral winery in Virginia and meadery in the United States. This means that the few emissions we produce while beekeeping and meadmaking are less than the amount which we have removed from the atmosphere. All of our sustainability interventions along with the deployment of climate mitigating technologies and practices such as renewable energy generating technology, energy efficient technology and sustainability practices promote a circular economy and contribute to our net zero strategy.
We are actively pursuing creative approaches to address scope 3 emission locally such as;
Encouraging patrons to reduce their carbon footprint by incentivizing the use of zero emissions vehicles, car pooling, and the use of public transportation when visiting Thistlerock Mead Company;
Develop a program/mechanism to track the distances traveled by our patrons and quantify the associated emission with that travel;
Develop a carbon credit farming program that can leverage Thistlerock’s tree planting program along with our forest and land management practices to provide carbon offset credits to patrons and achieve our scope 3 emissions goal;
We will work closely with our suppliers to identify pathways whereby they can offset their emission and enable net zero emission for scope 3 emissions. This will include working closely with our suppliers and assessing how their activities promote healthy biodiversity and quantify the carbon sequestration and offsets that come from these operations. These offsets can be leveraged to achieve net zero in the sourcing of supplies from targeted communities.
Thistlerock Mead Company is also actively working with researchers to develop best practices that can be leveraged by the beverage and agritourism industries to facilitate the reduction in emissions associated with our sector.
Our efforts in impact and sustainability are made possible by a vast network of diverse partners from Virginia to Appalachia and across the globe. Learn more about them here.
