Fat Tire beer brand is certified carbon neutral, New Belgium raises awareness about climate change disrupting agriculture

You might not have noticed, but last Friday, in select locations, a six-pack of Fat Tire Amber Ale was selling for $100. As New Belgium Brewing Co. explained in the press release: “Fat Tire’s ten-fold price increase is designed to spark customer attention around the growing agricultural disruptions caused by climate change, which will drive the prices of staple products like barley, wheat and rice to unaffordable levels.”

Eco focused and socially responsible have always been big core values and equally big marketing avenues for New Belgium Brewing. The heritage craft beer brand, which was recently bought by global beer giant Kirin, is a Certified B Corp and was the first brewery to join 1% For The Planet (an international organization whose members contribute at least 1 percent of their annual sales to environmental causes).

Now, New Belgium’s Fat Tire brand has earned carbon neutral status by SCS Global Services using the international recognized PAS 2060 standard, and the company has launched its Drink Sustainably campaign to recognize it. How did Fat Tire earn carbon neutrality? Jump over to this cool Drink Sustainably web page to learn the sustainability processes New Belgium has installed at its brewing facilities and businesses to earn the certification — solar arrays, LEED-certified buildings, recycling efforts and ever onward.

Now, New Belgium is using Fat Tire’s carbon neutral status to raise awareness about climate change and how it’s disrupting both agriculture and economies. From the press release:

“Make no mistake, the climate crisis is an economic and health crisis far greater than the one we’re experiencing now, with even more devastating consequences for marginalized communities hurting most,” said New Belgium Brewing CEO Steve Fechheimer. “We failed to prepare for COVID-19, but we have a historic opportunity to learn from our mistakes and act now to avoid economic catastrophe in the future. Congress should lead the way in creating a powerful, carbon-free engine of prosperity for current and future generations, instead of rebuilding our fossil fuel-dependent past. The future of beer — and everything else — depends on it.”

Fechheimer penned an open letter on the subject that you can read right here, explaining how the climate crisis is also an economic crisis and how climate change could disrupt agriculture in the near future so much so that it could skyrocket product prices, resulting in a $100 for a six-pack of craft beer. To learn more about Fat Tire, carbon neutrality and how you can get involved, visit www.drinksustainably.com.