This report has been prepared by Bo P. Weidema, Marie de Saxcé, and Ivan Muñoz of 2.-0 LCA consultants, Denmark, for the Nordic Alcohol Monopolies (Alko in Finland represented by Virpi Valtonen and Kirsi Erme, Systembolaget in Sweden represented by Lena Rogeman and Maria Hagström, and Vinmonopolet in Norway represented by Frank Lein). The study was undertaken in 2015-2016. The data relates to the turnover of the Nordic Alcohol Monopolies in year 2014. Some data have been removed for confidentiality reasons.
The report examines the environmental impacts of beer, wine and distilled beverages sold by Alko, Systembolaget and Vinmonopolet in Finland, Sweden and Norway during 2014. It treats the combined product portfolio as an organisational life cycle assessment and expresses results in physical units and monetary values. Sales and packaging data from the monopolies were combined with background database information, literature and primary data from selected producers.
The authors estimated total monetised life cycle impacts of €320 million, around 7% of the beverages’ pre-tax sales value. Respiratory inorganics and global warming were the largest impact categories, with nature occupation from indirect land-use change also significant. Packaging manufacture and agriculture, including upstream activities and indirect land-use change, together accounted for more than half of the reported impacts. Packaging was especially important for beer and wine; glass manufacture made the largest contribution within packaging overall.
The report identifies agricultural fuel use and emissions, energy use in breweries and distilleries, and packaging choices as priority areas. It highlights reducing unnecessary one-way glass and packaging weight, while noting variation between producers. The authors caution that underlying data vary, so specific percentages should not be treated as exact and country averages may not represent individual producers. The findings describe the 2014 product portfolio and the study’s stated modelling assumptions.
