Climate change: NZ wine industry tackling carbon footprint

The New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report looked at soil, water, waste, climate change, plant protection and people. Photo / 123rf

By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ

With climate change a key threat facing the wine industry, New Zealand grape growers and winemakers are increasingly taking steps to minimise their carbon footprint, a new report shows.

The New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report looked at vineyards and wineries’ sustainable practices across six categories — soil, water, waste, climate change, plant protection and people.

“While we may be here for a short time, our impact can last longer than a lifetime,” it read.

“To our industry, sustainability means growing grapes and producing our world-famous wines in such a way that we can do so for generations to come.”

The report noted climate change was the biggest long-term challenge facing the industry.

New Zealand Winegrowers general manager sustainability Dr Edwin Massey said it found more of its members were implementing specific initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint — the body represents 700 wineries and 700 grower members.

“Once you start measuring your emissions, you can then make informed business decisions around future changes and investment.”

Massey said the report showed the industry was making good progress, with the certification programme having been in place for 30 years.

“We’ve seen real key improvements.”

He said it was important to look at sustainability across the whole supply chain; 83% of carbon emissions come from wineries and only 17% from vineyards.

The report found 68% of wineries and 56% of vineyards are implementing specific initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint.

“We’ve seen almost doubling of the number of industry members involved in certified carbon accounting programmes.

“That’s up to 127 vineyards and 30 wineries reporting measurement of those emissions through a verified programme, which is great to see.”

Water was another key area and one where growers and winemakers could still make a lot of changes in, Massey said.

All wineries surveyed and the majority of vineyard operators indicated they had initiatives in place designed to conserve or reduce water use — about half of all wineries were recovering and recycling cleaning water.

With the goal of being “world leaders in water use” and ensuring its quality, Massey said NZ Winegrowers was focused on educating its members.

“New industry guidelines offer members practical ways to mitigate the already low impact of viticulture on freshwater.

“This month, we will complete the pilot for a digital tool that in the future can integrate with the SWNZ programme when Freshwater Farm Plan regulations come into place.

“This will minimise duplication and save time and costs for grape growers.”

Massey said the report suggested the industry was on track to realise its sustainability goals, including Net Zero by 2050.

“Sustainability is a journey of continuous improvement, and continuous improvement is supported by changes in technology, enhanced education, and also market demand.

“I think there are a number of incentives to spur our progress towards a more sustainable future,” he said.

- RNZ