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Diageo has announced it will provide seed funding to support the expansion of Glass Futures initiatives in North America and India, to accelerate the decarbonisation of the glass industry. With the funding, Glass Futures, a research and technology organisation specialising in glass, will explore new technologies and approaches to further reduce glass carbon emissions in North America and India – two of Diageo's largest markets. These efforts will play a role in further mitigating carbon emissions within the glass sector. The sum of the investment is unknown, as a spokesperson for Diageo told FoodBev that the company does not plan to disclose the funding amount. Despite glass being a recyclable product, curtailing the carbon footprint in its production remains a widespread industry challenge. This is exacerbated by the swift pace of technological advancements and limitations in the availability and infrastructure of renewable energy. Hallam Wheatley, collaboration lead for Glass Futures, said: “The need to accelerate international decarbonisation and a circular economy across the entire packaging supply chain has led to Diageo’s investment over the next two years for further outreach into North America and India. Glass Futures’ in-house expertise, cross-sector working and unique networks across the glass supply chain are key to increasing glass circularity for the global industry.” Andy Griffiths, head of sustainable procurement for Diageo, said: “We look forward to expanding our partnership with Glass Futures into North America and India to explore lower-carbon glass production. This is key for the success of Diageo’s and the wider glass industry’s decarbonisation efforts. Partnering on innovative approaches is vital to making a net-zero world a reality and we are hopeful that this collaboration will bring great results in other markets going forward.” In 2021, Glass Futures, Diageo and Encirc trialled the use of waste-based biofuel-powered furnaces for Diageo’s Black & White Scotch whisky brand. According to Diageo, this reduced the carbon footprint of the bottle making process by up to 90%. Diageo’s seed investment for Glass Futures’ expansion into North America and India is part of the company's continued efforts towards its 2030 ESG targets, with the results of the 'Diageo-Glass Futures' partnership aiding in its reduction of Scope 3 carbon emissions by 50%.