Can a company keep growing and still cut emissions

Caroline Merrell, senior director of sustainable winemaking at Jackson Family Wines, shares how her company set a science-based climate target, the challenges of reducing emissions in a growing business, and the actions working now such as using less glass in wine bottles, installing solar on farms, and looking at supply chain emissions.

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Resources

International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) is a global group of wineries working to decarbonise the wine industry.

Source: IWCA

Rooted for Good is Jackson Family Wines' climate action plan, launched in 2021.

Source: Jackson Family Wines

The scientific consensus is that global emissions need to be cut in half by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Source: SBTi

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) sets out a 3-step process for companies.

Source: SBTi

IWCA's emissions calculator, built for the wine industry, helps companies measure emissions and simplifies the reporting process.

Source: IWCA

Jackson Family Wines plans to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030.

Source: Jackson Family Wines

IWCA members, including Jackson Family Wines, report both absolute emissions and emissions intensity.

Source: IWCA

Jackson Family Wines' reported 2015 baseline emissions have changed between reports, and are now about 19% higher than the lowest figure previously reported.

Source: IWCA and the 2022 annual report

Jackson Family Wines' emissions are rising.

Source: IWCA

IWCA's breakdown of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for the wine industry.

Source: IWCA

Packaging is the biggest source of emissions at Jackson Family Wines, making up about 27% of emissions last year.

Source: IWCA

Alternatives to glass, such as bag-in-box or aluminium cans, are lighter weight and lower-emission wine packaging options.

Source: Systembolaget

Across IWCA members, packaging is the single biggest source of emissions in wine production, unusual for food and drink, where packaging is normally a small share of the total.

Source: IWCA

Jackson Family Wines is moving towards renewable diesel for its tractors and fleet vehicles, now at about 47% renewable diesel.

Source: IWCA

Kim's master's research on soil carbon sequestration.

Source: Nicholas

Kim's 2024 study on regenerative viticulture.

Source: Nicholas et al.

Molly Sheppard of Spottswoode Winery, speaking at a wine industry conference, on how one company's Scope 3 emissions are another's Scope 1.

Source: We Can Fix It