There is no doubt that our planet is perched on a precipice when it comes to global warming. With an unprecedented amount of glaciers melting, we have seen the polar bears suffering—and ocean levels starting to rise at a rapid rate. With almost eight billion people living on Earth, we have populated the planet in a way that it’s never been inhabited in the past. Still, even with all of these factors in play, many governments and businesses have expressed reticence about doing anything that might be able to slow down the progression of climate change. For many companies, their bottom line is better—in the short run, at least—if they just throw caution to the wind and ignore the environment.
In some sectors, however, climate change truly affects every aspect of the business. Winemaking happens to be one of these industries. For many varietals, there is a certain Goldilocks principle in regard to the weather. If it’s too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, years of crops can be destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable for the wine. For wineries that want to stay in business, this is a very tenuous time.
Familia Torres, which is based in Spain, has joined forces with Californian winemaker Jackson Family Wines to lead the charge against climate change. Creating a group called International Wineries for Climate Action, they are steadfast in their devotion to getting their carbon footprints down—and encouraging other wineries to do the same. Right now, the goal is to reduce carbon emissions by a whopping 80 percent. With the aim to do so by the year 2045, the new group isn’t wasting any time. Not only are these wineries looking for ways to actively reduce carbon dioxide, but they’re also hopeful that the new organization will allow wineries to actively communicate climate-saving methods to one another. When these best practices are out on the table, it will make life easier for all winemakers.
Of course, it’s going to take a bit of time to get everything in order. First, the group is looking to measure emissions correctly for the first time, giving them a baseline to work with in the future. Renewable energy is also of the utmost importance to the group, so energy generation that occurs onsite will also become a priority. In just a few decades, the industry should look very different indeed.
