Model to measure methane emissions needs to change
Farmer and former politician Sir Lockwood Smith is questioning the way that methane emissions from livestock are measured in NZ.
Meanwhile, the cost of carbon is increasingly dramatically, making lower emissions an eonomic imperative, explains Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand's (SWNZ) Programme Manager.
"This isn't a theoretical issue anymore; things that might be coming down the track," Meagan told attendees of a Tackling Climate Chnage webinar series in June. "These things are here and happening and affecting businesses now. So, it is really important that you start having a good handle on your carbon footprint, on your sources of emissions. So you can identify areas to make improvements and make a difference."
There are several drivers for tackling climate change, she told attendees, starting with it being "the right thing to do", and extending to the fact that grapes need a stable climate to grow, "so it's important to play our part". New Zealand's Zero Carbon Act, which translates the 2016 Paris Agreement into a New Zealand context, has a target of halving emissions by 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2050. "These goals will be met through a mix of emission reduction activities and some offsetting as well," says Meagan.
Consumers increasingly expect companies to play a climate action role, and "export markets as a whole are starting to require sustainably produced goods", says Meagan, referencing the European Green Deal, which will within a few years include a carbon tax for EU imports unable to comply with its requirements.
Reducing emissions can also reduce costs, with the price of carbon rising significantly over recent years, and impacting the cost of everything from diesel and petrol use to sending waste to landfill. Finding ways to reduce inputs will not only have good environmental impacts "but will also save you a lot of money", Meagan says.
In 2021 SWNZ began to add greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to its winery and vineyard questionnaires, to grow its understanding of emissions and allow companies to benchmark themselves against the wider industry. Personalised GHG emissions reports are returned and winery member, offering insights into their operations.
It's not a comprehensive carbon accounting programme, but the data covers approximately 80% of the total production chain of wine in New Zealand, "which is a pretty high amount", Meagan says. For vineyards, the report considers diesel, petrol, electricity, fertiliser and agrichemical use as well as total waste to landfill. Diesel is typically responsible for the lion's share of GHG emissions on a vineyard, says Meagan, suggesting companies consider options such as combining, minimising or eliminating tractors passes, and focusing on interrow swards or cover cropping.
In wineries, the information gathered to date is focussed on emissions incurred through energy use, including electricity and fossil fuels. The benchmark is displayed with kilolitres, to make results comparable across different sized companies and vintages.
Measuring and understanding vineyard and winery carbon emissions is an important first step, and wine companies should not underestimate the work, nor the worth, says Meagan. "Without that knowledge it is hard to make informed choices." The next step is identifying areas for reduction, and New Zealand Winegrowers, in coordination with Toitū Envirocare, has an emissions reduction guide for vineyards and wineries, and other fact sheets to assist. But one of the msot valuable things companies can do is talk to others in the wine industry about their work and progress, Meagan says. "It's a great way to learn what people are doing and what's possible, and get some inspirations for your own businesses."
To see the NZW emissions reduction guide, go to the members page of the NZW website, at nzwine.com/members/sustainability/guides/climate-change/
Carbon Crunching
According to the New Zealand Winegrowers 2022 Sustainability Report, 75 vineyards and 15 wineries in New Zealand currently hold formal carbon-management certifications. Meanwhile, 58% of New Zealand wineries and 41% of New Zealand vineyards are implementing specific initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint.
In the 2021 season:
- 55% of wineries used lightweight glass bottles as one of their methods of packaging
- 12% of wineries had installed solar energy sources
- 34% of wineries and 21% of vineyards had energy-efficient initiatives such as timers, transport fuel-reduction actions and staff awareness training
- 19% of vineyards were upgrading their equipment to reduce energy consumption
- 6% of vineyards had dedicated property plantings that act as carbon sinks
