Simpsons Malt Ltd, the UK’s largest independent malting company, has released its 2024 Sustainability Report.
The annual report offers a background to the fifth-generation family business and references carbon reduction efforts within its own operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) and engagement with the wider supply chain (Scope 3 emissions), with updates on the company’s low-carbon fertiliser and Energy Centre projects.
But, as a certified B Corporation — for which the company is currently undergoing reverification — sustainability goes beyond the environment, so the report also contains colleague and community updates, as well as feedback about product quality and the customer service it provides to both its malting and farming customers.
Headlines from the report are:
- An 11% carbon footprint reduction from the 2019 baseline, despite acquiring the W N Lindsay Ltd business in 2021 and integrating it into the company’s operations.
- Progress on the Tweed Valley Maltings Energy Centre project, which is set to reduce company-wide Scope 1 and 2 emissions by around 55% when it is operational in 2025.
- Information on how the company is tackling Scope 3 emissions through industry-leading partnerships with two of the world’s leading fertiliser brands — Yara and OCI — on the supply of low-carbon fertilisers.
- The link-up with BASF Agricultural Solutions and use of its Xarvio platform to detail all on-farm management practices which, over time, will build up a comprehensive data set that will enable growers to farm more precisely, efficiently and sustainably.
- The donation of £182,854 to charities and good causes local to the company’s two malting sites and six grain storage sites in 2023.
- Certification as a Great Place to Work with a 75% positive response rate.
- An A- rating for supplier engagement on sustainability by the Carbon Disposal Project (CDP), which is above the global average for food and beverage processing.
- Improved results in Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys across both the Simpsons Malt (68 to 87) and McCreath Simpson & Prentice (21 to 33) divisions of the business.
- Case studies on the development of growers groups with The Macallan for malting barley and Chivas Brothers for distilling wheat.
- Details of continued investments across all sites.
The full report can be read here.
