Climate change is a public health concern. As an example, increased air pollution causes and exacerbates asthma and cardiovascular disease, while higher temperatures put more people at risk of heat stroke and create conditions for insects carrying vector-borne diseases to thrive. These health issues often disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Communities hit first and worst by climate change are known as frontline communities.

Increasing intensity of floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires not only endangers lives but also destroys property and infrastructure. In just three years’ time, climate change has cost North America $415 billion, and those numbers are expected to rise. Jobs of all varieties, from recreation, to farming, and manufacturing are threatened by these catastrophes and the ripple effects they create across businesses and industries.

Rising sea temperatures spell disaster for fish populations and coral reefs. Decreased snowpack minimizes our ski season and decreases flows in the rivers we paddle. Increased temperatures and wildfire threaten our forests, our waterways, and habitat for hunting and fishing.

Increasing intensity of floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires not only endangers lives but also destroys property and infrastructure. In just three years’ time, climate change has cost North America $415 billion, and those numbers are expected to rise. Jobs of all varieties, from recreation, to farming, and manufacturing are threatened by these catastrophes and the ripple effects they create across businesses and industries.¹

We are now brewing Fat Tire with Proximity’s ReGenMaltTM demonstrating a market for barley grown in ways that improved soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit regional ecosystems. We know that when farmers use growing practices designed to rebuild soil health like cover cropping, no till, nutrient management, and others, there are multiple and meaningful environmental benefits in addition to reduced greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. While these growing practices can ultimately make farming more profitable, the costs to make this transition and the time required to realize the full benefits of soil health are a reality for growers. With the support of Fat Tire and federal grant dollars through USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities grant program, we’re supporting producers in this transition and demonstrating that environmental performance is a viable point of market differentiation, good for business and for beer.

In particular, the refrigerants required for storing the finished product – at the warehouse, the beer store, and in your home refrigerator – are typically made from HFC refrigerants, which are powerful greenhouse gases with global warming potential (GWP) much greater than carbon dioxide. Leading climate scientists have identified managing refrigerants as a top solution for fighting climate change, and we were proud to support the passage of federal policy requiring the phase-out of HFC refrigerants in the coming years. In the meantime, our investment in a refrigerant recycling project has helped recover, clean, and reuse HFC refrigerants - displacing production of virgin refrigerants. 

We harness Earth’s power to help run our breweries – including biogas, geothermal, solar and solar thermal systems. In 2022, we added a 446 kw hour solar array to the mix on the roof of our Asheville brewery, and we’ve got more plans in sight.

The cheapest watt is the one you never purchase! Throughout our brewhouses, we capture heat and reuse it to offset some of our natural gas needs, and our Engineering, Manufacturing Excellence and Production teams are also constantly looking for opportunities to reduce losses in our production processes.

Fugitive emissions from some of the industrial processes involved in making and storing beer are some of the sneakiest sources, and some of the most important to mitigate.

The communities hit first and worst by the climate crisis are often those who are least responsible for it, and often disenfranchised from being able to do anything about it. Boosting up climate resilience efforts led within these frontline communities is a critical piece of the puzzle.

We are also working to transition our company vehicle fleet less reliant on gasoline, while advocating for policy and programs which help both New Belgium and our distributor partners transition our vehicle and trucking fleets to low-carbon alternatives.

Through our Sustainable Supplier Program, we have supported our packaging, barley and malt suppliers in their own carbon reduction goal setting and reporting.

We continue to financially support barley breeding research programs developing climate-friendly and climate-resilient barley varieties, while investing in programs that incentivize low-carbon farming practices.

Our actions as individual businesses are important, but they are not enough. We need systems-level change including decisive action from all levels of government. We have diligently advocated for clean energy and climate policy for decades, and seen wild successes in the process, including successfully encouraging our hometown of Fort Collins to commit to 100% renewable electricity, and celebrating federal climate investments on the steps of the White House. We continue these efforts and work closely with key partners such as Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), to ensure lawmakers know that American businesses need a healthy climate to continue thriving.

In your local, state, and federal elections, support candidates who are committed to climate action and equity. Sign up for election reminders here, so you never miss another race. And learn where your representatives stand on the climate with the League of Conservation Voters’ nonpartisan scorecard.

Buy less stuff. Buy used when you can. Buy responsibly sourced products and sustainably grown food. Look for products that are Certified Carbon Neutral by a high standard like SCS Global Services.

Find out if your local electricity provider is committed to 100% renewable energy by 2030. If not, tell them it’s time to step it up. Do a home energy audit—many utility companies offer them for free or reduced cost. If you rent, ask your landlord. Switch out your light bulbs to efficient LEDs and turn down that thermostat or A/C.

When possible, replace driving with public transit, biking, or walking. Carpool and maintain your vehicle. If you’re in the market for a car, choose one that’s fuel-efficient or electric—federal tax credits can help with the cost.

If public lands are managed correctly, they can serve as vital carbon sinks for our atmosphere, not to mention other vital services like clean water. Support and follow the Outdoor Alliance or the Wilderness Society on social media to get clued into their work on the ground, and get your employer signed up as a member of the Conservation Alliance.

If you have the means to donate your money or your time, you can make a big difference by supporting one of the nonprofits working tirelessly to accelerate action on climate, protect vital natural resources, and defend the frontline communities impacted by climate change. Here’s a few of our favorite groups: Environmental Voter Project, Coalfield Development, All We Can Save, and Grid Alternatives.