Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) achieved a 96.7 per cent recycling rate and has committed to 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2024 its latest sustainability report says.
Building a resilient business and producing sustainable wines were two new primary goals for TWE, the FY21 sustainability report said.
TWE sustainability director Michael Parks said 2020 was a year of increasing sustainability leadership.
“During this time we’ve listened and thought deeply about what matters to our employees, communities, partners, and consumers. In May we released our enhanced sustainability strategy and some bold commitments to drive progress in the areas that matter the most to our stakeholders and business,” said Park.
Energy, emissions and supply chain
As a global viticultural business, TWE acknowledged its various impacts on climate change and outlined progress the company has made on several fronts to minimise and mitigate any negative ramifications its operations may produce.
As part of its commitment to a low carbon economy, the wine giant has set the goal of achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2024. This comes after the company was one of the first wineries to join the global RE100 initiative, a mission led by the non-profit organisations Climate Group and CDP, aiming to bring together international companies to build a green economy.
TWE has also set plans to use behind the meter solar and sign power purchase agreements (PPA) as strategies to reaching its goal by 2024.
“We believe that embedding sustainability into our business is fundamental to our longevity.”
The company’s second goal to make a positive long-term climate change, is net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. TWE has identified 70.4 per cent of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions derive from its electricity, as a result majority of its emissions can be reduced by 2024.
TWE disclosed that it still needs a better understanding of its Scope 3 emissions as they occur outside of its business, creating difficulty in measuring and controlling it.
During F21, the company worked with key or high-risk suppliers by conducting a fit for purpose risk assessment. This entailed assessing ethical, social, and environmental performance for 855 of its suppliers, of which 550 were approved and activated. TWE said the remaining suppliers are pending remediation and approval.
Water usage
In FY21, TWE had made significant investments to upgrade its Wastewater Treatment Plant for the company’s Barossa Winery and Packaging. The upgrade allowed for up to 360 megalitres of recycled water for the use of irrigation and the local community.
Having completed an in-depth review during FY21, TWE will ensure it reduces water usage during FY22 through its drought resistant root stocks and variable output irrigation systems in its vineyards.
The company will also reuse water several times within its wineries and certify there is no pollution or contamination in water after it leaves its site.
Sustainable packaging
TWE has set a focus on promoting a circular economy and increasing recycling/reusability within its packaging. This was reflected in the 96.7 per cent of waste the company diverted from landfill.
As of FY21, TWE has conducted a scientific global review into analysing materials that can be removed and changes in composition for its product packaging. The results are currently being implemented with trouble areas such as plastic sleeves and bag-in-box being the company’s next focus areas over FY22.
During FY20 the company released its Sustainable Packaging Guidelines and has since been working with suppliers to meet the goals highlighted in it by creating packaging through environmentally friendly materials, while still being fit for purpose. Though the company primarily sells its wine products in glass, it still incorporates the use of aluminium cans, pouched, PET plastic and bag and box packaging for some of its products.
