Sustainability
Champions of change:
Drinks industry takes a sustainable stand Seamus May investigates how the alcohol industry is taking the lead to increase sustainability efforts and reduce emissions.
From the grains that make beer and whisky, to the
“The wine industry is the canary in the coal mine
grapes that are pressed for wine, essential ingredients
when it comes to sustainability, as it is one of the
for the drinks we love are dependent on a stable
most climate-sensitive agricultural business sectors,”
climate and fertile environment.
Taylor adds.
This is an environment that is progressively more
“We’ve been working with the land for generations
fragile, and producers are now taking steps that are not
and have already begun to see how the slightest
only driven by moral imperative, but that respond to
changes in climate enormously affect winemaking,
real existential threats to the future of their industries.
with vintages on average becoming shorter and
As the changing climate is a global issue, producers of all sizes, from across Australia, New Zealand and beyond, are taking more concrete action than ever before.
commencing sooner.” Taylors has implemented emission reductions through solar power and energy efficiency projects, with an ambition of cutting its emissions in half by 2030.
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Wine – ‘the canary in the coal mine’ of climate change
of the business, starting with the farming, winemaking
One such producer is Mitchell Taylor, Managing
practices, and energy efficiencies, and only then trickling
Director of Taylors Wines, who explained that the
out into more consumer-facing initiatives,” Taylor says.
“We take a holistic approach encompassing all aspects
steps his company was taking were “essential to the
Constellation Brands’ Round Theory Wines also
survival of both our family business, and the future
places sustainability at the centre of what it does, as
of our planet.”
Brand Manager, Andrew Theodosi, explains.
