Treasury Wine Estates says it has made significant progress on sustainability commitments set in 2021. The company expects to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity by the end of 2024.
TWE global director of Sustainability, Michael Parks, said the progress reflected an increased focus on sustainability across all divisions and regions. He added that for there to be more progress in this ‘decade for action’, there needed to be greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, and within the industry.
“As a global agricultural business operating in some of the world’s most famous wine making regions, we recognise our impact on the natural environment and our exposure to the impacts of the changing climate,” Parks said.
TWE said key highlights were its advancements on water stewardship, significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increased certification levels, and adaptions to the broader impacts of climate change.
There had also been significant improvements in safety, technological innovation, and solar installation program.
“We’re proud of the way sustainability has become embedded in our business, with our global teams getting involved in initiatives that are delivering significant outcomes for our business and the communities that we operate in.
“We’ve always been committed to making positive contributions to the communities we’re part of, working alongside our industry partners and associations, government, our grower community and our customers,” Parks said.
Key milestones
- 66% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) since F21;
- 24 solar projects switched on in F24, with an expected investment of almost $30 million on our onsite solar capacity by 2025;
- 99.2% of sustainability certifications maintained across owned and leased winery and vineyard sites globally;
- Smart water meters installed in 94% of sites operating in high-risk catchment areas;
- 39% reduction in the 3-year rolling Serious Safety Incident Frequency Rate; and
- 100% of primary risk assessments completed for all contracted spend within the supply chain.
Projects
An innovative example of measures taken to adapt to climate change, TWE invested $1 million into an enclosed vineyard canopy at its 14-hectare Koonunga Hill vineyard in the Barossa Valley.
To help preserve water levels in dams, TWE launched a multi-year dam lining and covering project to minimise leaks and evaporation, with three projects underway in South Australia’s Barossa Valley. Leaky dam liners can result in a volume loss of up to 10 per cent a year, and depending on climatic conditions, dams can also lose 10-30 per cent a year through evaporation. In the US, TWE also installed dam level sensors to obtain real-time data about water levels, helping to track losses.
Introducing electric and autonomous equipment like tractors and drones across vineyards and production facilities in a number of regions has reduced TWE’s carbon footprint, as well as application costs for crop protection and week control. This is complemented by the use of traditional methods like cover crops and grazing to reduce the need for additional pest control. At the same time, we’re exploring novel techniques and materials like disease-resistant varieties and aerial imaging to identify weed outbreaks.
