De BBC meldt het volgende: The Scotch Whisky Association, which spent two years formulating the strategy, said cutting the reliance on fossil fuels was only one of a number of tough industry-wide targets.

These will include a significant reduction in the average weight of packaging used, the elimination of sending waste from packaging operations to landfill sites, a commitment to source future whisky casks only from sustainable oak forests, and to maintain the highest standards of water use and discharge management.

Fossil fuel use will be reduced by improving operational efficiency and investment in new technology, with an emphasis on renewable sources of energy.

Targets have been set in two phases, 2020 and 2050, and the industry said it would publish its achievements annually to show what progress had been made.

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said: "Todays launch of our first industry-wide environmental strategy is a bold move by distillers. We believe it demonstrates our commitment to securing Scotch whiskys future, addressing issues of the environment and the economy.

"Investment of over 100m pounds has been approved in environment-related improvements over the last 18 months alone. The good news is that we are making more whisky but already using less energy."

He said distillers planned to work closely with their supply chain in order to jointly reduce the impact on the environment.

Mr Lochhead praised whisky producers for being the first industry in Scotland to commit to the climate change targets set by the Scottish Government for 2050.

P+ webtip: BBC over Schotse Whisky