Four Pillars certified carbon neutral by government's Climate Active

Due to open its doors to its new Healesville headquarters at the end of the month following a $7m upgrade ad expansion by more than 1000 sqm, Four Pillars has been certified by the Climate Active, making it the first carbon neutral gin distillery in Australia.

Climate Active is an Australian government certification and awarded to businesses that have reached a state of achieving zero net emissions. Lark Distillery was the first distillery in Australia to be certified as carbon neutral by Climate Active earlier this year.

All Four Pillars gin bottled onsite will be certified carbon neutral, and the business operations of Four Pillars have achieved carbon neutral status by being included in the boundary of the Lion Australia’s organisation certification last year. (Lion is a partner of Four Pillars).

Four Pillars has been working with Climate Active and consultants Ndver Environmental for more than a year to achieve this accreditation, which also tracks the gin’s pathway to market beyond the distillery door. 

“From the very first day we distilled gin we have tried to recycle, re-use and replenish our environment and give back to the community. We cannot give more to the community than assure it that our gins tread carefully on our planet especially in this time of climate crisis," said Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cameron Mackenzie.

“Our journey to carbon neutral began with the simple idea of reusing oranges for marmalade, giving spent botanicals to pigs for feed, putting solar panels on our roof and of course offsetting what can be an energy intensive production process by carefully purchasing mainly domestic carbon credits. To be honest, we are doing no more, or less, than what should be expected of a business that is lucky enough to be based in the magnificent natural surrounds of the Yarra Valley.”

Four Pillars distillery, named Healesville 2.0, has expanded by more than 1000sqm and is directly adjacent, and wholly connected, to the original Four Pillars home on Lilydale Road. 

The construction has used materials including recycled and upcycled concrete and bricks, pineapple ‘leather’ upholstery and even building ‘waste’ has been carefully used and given a second life. Furniture is all locally sourced, solar power panels clad the roof, and internal and external landscaping includes plantings of local natives and botanicals, many of which will be used in future gin distillations. 

Gin will be ‘piped’ directly into the main bar through featured copper pipes (see right) to reduce glass waste plus bottled tonic usage will be massively reduced, replaced in the most part by tonic in kegs. These two initiatives alone will see the site save 29 tonnes of glass per year. 

The whole site, incorporating the old and new buildings, will be enclosed by a copper ‘veil’ made from 1650m of raw copper tubing, giving Healesville a stunning new landmark as well as working as a natural heat exchange to reduce energy consumption.