International Wineries for Climate Action

We are pleased to announce that we have joined International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a new association of wine companies who have committed to respond to the severity of the climate emergency by taking immediate action to reduce their carbon emissions.

We chose to join IWCA because of its rigorous requirements:

1. Complete a verified end-to-end (Scopes 1-3) Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory.

2. Be powered by at least 20% on-site renewable energy.

3. Have achieved at least a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions per litre of wine produced.

4. Commit to reducing total emissions 50% by 2030 and at least 80% by 2045.

Founded in 2019 by Familia Torres (Spain) and Jackson Family Wines (USA), IWCA is today announcing its first 4 Applicant Members – Symington Family Estates (Portugal), Spottswoode Estate (USA), VSPT Wine Group (Chile) and Yealands Wine Group (New Zealand).

Applicant Members are wine companies who have completed Point 1 (measuring their carbon footprint across their entire supply chain), are working on Points 2 and 3 (to be achieved within five years maximum), and who are committed to the overall decarbonisation objectives in Point 4.

Climate change is one of the greatest risks facing humankind. We need individuals, businesses and governments to rise to the challenge. At Symington Family Estates we are committed to systematically reducing our carbon footprint and working with our partners to reduce the emissions in our supply chain. We are very pleased to be joining IWCA as Applicant Members as we believe that this rigorous framework can lead the wine sector’s response to this existential threat. We encourage other wine companies to join us in making concrete public commitments with measurable goals to respond to the challenge of the climate crisis. We have no time to waste.

IWCA is open to wineries from any country who recognise that climate change is the most significant threat facing the wine industry, and who are guided by the urgency for strategic action that accelerates the implementation of strategies and innovative solutions to tackle climate change.

Find out more: iwcawine.org

– Rob Symington, Associate Director, Symington Family Estates.