The Making a Difference series shares brand stories and actions from the people in our community who are driving change – offering inspiration and insights on the many routes there are to making a difference. Lucy Armstrong, The Glenturret’s Project Manager and Sustainability Lead has led this renowned Scottish whisky brand through their certification journey and is also spearheading the businesses path towards Net Zero.

As Scotland’s oldest working Distillery, situated in the picturesque Turret Valley, The Glenturret has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to 1763. Over the centuries it established itself as an emblem of Scottish whisky craftsmanship, producing exquisite single malt whiskies that exemplify the region’s distinct character and flavour.

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Hi Lucy! Can you tell us about your role at The Glenturret and how it all began?

In early 2022, The Glenturret identified a need for a focused role in sustainability. I put myself forward with a keen interest in leading the distillery’s Net Zero Project. As Project Manager and Sustainability Lead at The Glenturret, I create, implement, and manage the distillery’s Sustainable Strategy, ESG+ framework and Emissions Reporting. I also manage our community working groups, charitable partnerships, and the distillery’s Green Team.

What qualifications do you have? Did they help in getting you where you are today?

Although not formally trained, I’ve found that, akin to the whisky industry, sustainability is a broad and engaging subject that you can gain a deeper understanding of through research, experience and learning from other best practices across multiple industries, not just your own. Expanding your network and being open to new concepts and ideas is essential.

Have you always worked in sustainability? If not, what did you do before?

In my teenage years, I thought about what I envisaged doing after school; never did I think I’d work in whisky! A very happy pathway to stumble upon!

After leaving University with a degree in Animation, I struggled for two years to break into the games industry, and I’d had my heart set on it for several years. Feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do next, I took solace in my job as a tour guide at The Glenturret Distillery. My years at Glenturret taught me that I loved the industry, the people, the fascinating history, and the traditions, and it gave me a renewed determination to change direction and pursue a career in Scotch Whisky.

Initially, I travelled across markets as a Global Brand Ambassador before working as a Retail and Business Development Manager. After returning to work from maternity leave, I had the opportunity to manage a variety of projects that ranged from marketing support to implementing till systems.

Since joining the distillery in 2006, I’ve been fortunate to have been involved with so many aspects of the industry. The variety I’ve experienced has given me a unique insight and understanding of the different environments, cultures and approaches to sustainability and its importance in distilling and preserving traditions for future generations.

What made you fall in love with sustainability?

As a child, I remember the wealth of bugs and creepy-crawlies that frequented our garden and how much I loved admiring the ladybirds in particular. Now three decades later, I have children of my own and every time I step outside with them, I can’t help but notice the depletion of the insects and how sparce the ecosystem feels these days. It’s a sad reality that I can count only a handful of times that they’ve ever seen a ladybird.

More than ever, we are acutely aware of the damage that we have done and that now is the time to act and make a change. I’m determined to set a good example to my children that you can be a force for good and make a conscious decision to protect our planet and embrace equality in our communities. I think it’s important to acknowledge that even the smallest changes can significantly impact.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Since starting my Net Zero role, my work has remained quite diverse. Typically, I work with all areas of our business to map out our sustainability strategy and reporting structure. I’m also working towards our first Green Tourism Award with our Visitor Centre team and hope to complete this in the coming weeks.

In addition to my sustainability role, I also manage the construction project for our new warehousing complex. This has presented us with an excellent opportunity to explore renewable energies and continue our commitment to looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint with each new project. Importantly my role would not be complete without participation in the occasional whisky tasting!

What challenges have you faced?

As a small team, the biggest challenges that I’ve faced have been around expertise and resource. To keep the momentum high, I’ve secured vital assistance from our graduate intern as we continue to review our operations and data streams enabling us to build our emissions reporting structure.

I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time researching and connecting with sustainable professionals who have helped guide us towards greener practices, including explaining the basics behind all of the terminology! Sometimes it can be tough to know which areas to prioritise, and engaging with accredited bodies such as Positive Luxury is incredibly beneficial in bringing structure and meaning to your approach.

What are you most proud of?

I am incredibly proud of what The Glenturret team have achieved here. The earliest records of the distillery date back to 1763, and for over 250 years, we have been preserving the art of traditional distilling whilst setting ambitious targets to reduce our impact on the environment.
It’s been fantastic to see the results coming through from the recent production upgrades saving 28% water consumption, equating to 1,000,000 litres per year, 27% overall energy usage reduction per year and reducing our distillery waste by 1,000 tonnes per year.

Achieving Butterfly Mark certification was a significant milestone for us, and I’m delighted to have led the team through this process.

What advice would you have for anyone looking to contribute to their company’s sustainability goals?

LEARN MORE ABOUT BUTTERFLY MARK CERTIFIED THE GLENTURRET HERE