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Rémy Cointreau partners with Intact in push for sustainability

15 November 2024 By Sophie Arundel

Rémy Cointreau has teamed up with agricultural company Intact to produce an environmentally friendly neutral alcohol for use in its Cointreau orange liqueur.

Rémy Cointreau has announced a new partnership with French agricultural technology firm Intact to supply low-carbon, legume-based neutral alcohol for the production of Cointreau liqueur.

The new partnership is set to slash Cointreau’s carbon footprint by 5%.

Starting in January 2026, the three year partnership will see Cointreau integrate Pulse alcohol into its Cointreau orange liqueur production. Pulse technology, developed in 2022, is based on legumes that naturally absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere, creating a renewable, carbon-reduced source of alcohol.

The three-year partnership is projected to supply a minimum of 20,000 hectolitres of Pulse alcohol annually, representing around 40% of Cointreau’s neutral alcohol requirements. The switch to this eco-friendly alternative is expected to reduce the brand’s CO2 emissions by approximately 1,200 tonnes.

Mélanie Bulourde, Rémy Cointreau’s director of operations and group social and environmental responsibility, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating, “The Pulse neutral alcohol solution meets the Group’s ambition at the heart of its “sustainable exception” roadmap: to combine the exceptional quality of our spirits with the reduction of their ecological footprint.”

The new partnership also doubles up as support for sustainable agriculture by cultivating 3,000 hectares of legumes in France’s Centre Val de Loire region. According to Intact co-founder and president Alexis Duval, “The development of legumes is essential for French agriculture and plays a central role in combating global warming and food sovereignty.”

Production of Pulse alcohol will be based at Intact’s facility in Baule, which is set to open in late 2025. The initiative represents a step forward for the brand as it aims to blend its heritage with forward-thinking environmental commitments, an ideology reflecting a broader trend in the premium spirits industry, where brands are increasingly focused on finding a sustainable way of creating a luxury product.