International Carbon Footprint Calculator Launched

MEDIA RELEASE
4 February 2008

New Zealand Winegrowers Announce the Launch of International Carbon Footprint Calculator

Another step in sustainability for wine industry

New Zealand Winegrowers today announced the launch of an initiative to give wineries and vineyards the ability to calculate their carbon footprint and to encourage sustainable winegrowing.

The downloadable protocol and calculation tool is available at no cost on the New Zealand Winegrowers website at www.nzwine.com/swnz/publications.html, and has been developed through a partnership between key international wine industry organisations in Australia, California, South Africa and New Zealand.

The protocol includes an internationally-agreed standard of inclusions by participating countries and gives wineries and vineyards the ability to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions.

New Zealand Winegrowers’ CEO, Philip Gregan, said this is one of several initiatives by the New Zealand wine industry to understand and responsibly manage greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re excited to launch this initiative in New Zealand.

“There are not yet any regulatory requirements around carbon emission levels but there is a strong demand in the market for an internationally credible system such as this.

“New Zealand Winegrowers has more than a decade’s in-depth experience with sustainability. The industry aims to have all New Zealand grapes and wine produced under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand or an alternative independent scheme by 2012. This is another step in arming members with the tools they need to help them meet sustainability standards.

“Managing greenhouse gas emissions will become an integral part within New Zealand Winegrowers’ initiative, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Reporting on emissions and minimisation will eventually become a requirement of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme,” said Mr Gregan.

Wineries and vineyards can use the Excel-based tool in order to identify the carbon footprint of their operations, based on their current data.

The protocol document also lists data sources and standards used in developing the tool, and provides sufficient detail to enable the methodology to be independently peer reviewed by groups such as the World Resources Institute, which administers the International Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

The protocol and calculator, version 1.1 which has been launched today, is the first step in the ongoing development of this initiative.

“It will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the New Zealand wine industry,” said Mr Gregan.

ENDS

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