Thirty Years of SWNZ

Speaking at the Wine Business Forum 2024, she noted that the sustainability landscape is shifting faster than ever before, particularly in food and beverage, and particularly in New Zealand’s key export markets, thanks to government regulations, retailer demands and changing consumer preferences. “Customers are asking for a genuine, honest sustainability story, and you are one of the few industries globally that, at a nationwide level, can say that you are walking the talk on this.”

Building SWNZ from the ground up

Back in 1994, Dr David Jordan (DJ) was asked to research and report on sustainability programmes around the world, and help develop one for New Zealand’s rapidly growing wine industry. He applauds the industry bodies at the time – the Wine Institute and Grapegrowers Association – for their foresight, and major companies like Montana and Corbans for supporting the project, knowing that they’d be called on for evidence of environmental rigour in key export markets.

DJ knew of a “clever, straightforward” Swiss programme that he deemed far ahead of the initiatives he found in other countries, and used it as the basis for SWNZ, initially called Integrated Winegrape Production. He wanted a programme that recognised that wine was already a relatively soft player in horticulture, “giving due recognition to good practices”. He also wanted a “platform for change”, using a scorecard to measure impacts over time, and a framework that encouraged progressive enhancements to the way vineyards were being managed.

Launched in 1995, SWNZ was built from the ground up, using growers to test it and give feedback, ensuring “it wasn’t just hypothetically sensible, but was practically sensible”, DJ says. “So there are a lot of fingerprints over the development of this programme.”

There were sceptics among the grower groups ground truthing SWNZ, including sustainability naysayers who called it “a load of crock”. But DJ says they turned up to every meeting and provided important feedback in those early days, helping grow buy-in that’s endured and extended over the past 30 years, with 96% of New Zealand’s producing vineyard area now SWNZ certified, and approximately 90% of wine produced in a SWNZ certified facility. There were also critics at the other end of the spectrum, insisting the programme’s bar was too low. But it was important that it be inclusive, not the domain of the highest achievers, while also celebrating ‘heroes’ in the sustainability space, DJ says.

For three decades SWNZ has become increasingly comprehensive, and has evolved to meet changing needs, including the inclusion of requirements covering people, soil, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and, as of 2025, biosecurity. DJ says it’s long been a global benchmark of successful sustainability programmes, as evidenced by SWNZ Programme Manager Meagan Littlejohn being asked to speak at the inaugural Sustainability in Drinks conference in London in October. “To me, that’s clear recognition of a world class programme that has the enduring credibility and the robustness to evolve.”

A Powerful Point of Differentiation

New Zealand Winegrowers General Manager Sustainability, Dr Edwin Massey, says the 30-year milestone shows the dedication of NZW members to focusing on sustainability “as a point of differentiation”. The industry showed “great foresight” in establishing something that garnered such a high level of buy-in, and has elevated the New Zealand wine brand in export markets, he says. “When I look internationally at other sustainability programs, SWNZ has a very broad focus of inclusivity across our entire industry, right across vineyards, wineries and brands, and even bottling facilities.” The high participation rate differentiates New Zealand wine on the global stage, he says. “I think that has really been a hallmark of the programme, and driven its success over a long period of time.”

SWNZ has worked to continuously improve, and keep up with the “concept of what constitutes sustainability”, Edwin says. In 1995 there was, “quite rightly”, a focus on vineyards, “because at the time, the narrative was all about the concern of potential agrichemical use, not just across the wine industry, but across all the primary sectors”, he says. “SWNZ emerged out of that and we have very robust information processing requirements regarding the spray schedule and members submitting their spray diaries.”

But other key elements of sustainability have since come to the fore. “We’ve really seen, for example, climate change emerge as the dominant focus area in the sustainability narrative,” Edwin says, noting NZW’s goal for the wine industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050. “We’ve also seen a growing narrative about the potential negative impacts of primary sector production on New Zealand waterways,” he says. “And there’s been a real change in how primary sector activities need to operate to ensure their social licence”.

SWNZ has had a swift evolution to meet that changing landscape, and in 2021 introduced personalised GHG reports, which quantify the Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions) associated with wine production. SWNZ also worked with government agency EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) on the Wine Decarbonisation Programme, through which Indevin, Framingham and Wakatū received co-funding for energy transition plans, to
create concrete steps towards emissions reduction goals.

Reducing emissions in Tohu’s winery and vineyards is about kaikiakitanga, says Dianne Brown, Manager of Wakatū Incorporation’s Whenua Ora sustainability programme. “By joining the EECA wine sector decarbonisation programme, we sought to enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and adopt sustainable practices that would position us to stay competitive and meet shifting consumer preferences and regulatory demands.”

With waterway health another growing concern, Project Raumatatiki was launched in November 2023, to develop a pilot tool to help winegrowers develop individualised Freshwater Farm Plans for vineyards, identifying risks, vulnerabilities and mitigations. In the future, the requirements, currently being revised by the Government, will be included in the SWNZ programme as much as possible. “For our members, this will mean minimising costs and providing comprehensive support in navigating the regulations,” Edwin says. “We see this positively, as it offers an opportunity to further enhance our industry commitment to the environment through caring for our natural waterways and the supporting ecosystems.”

Five months later, the New Zealand Wine Roadmap to Net Zero 2050 was launched, to help vineyards and wineries meet the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Produced in conjunction with EECA and independent sustainability firm thinkstep-anz, the Roadmap details the industry’s current GHG emissions footprint and describes key opportunities for reducing those emissions – including improving energy efficiency, moving away from diesel, decarbonising electricity, innovating the value chain, and using carbon removals. The Roadmap offers targets, strategies and timeframes for each decade from 2030-2050, as well as for the Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions.

Karen Orr, EECA Programme Advisor, Sector Decarbonisation, says there’s a “definite need” to get moving with efficiency and carbon reduction actions. “There is an interest within the sector in use of technology and innovation and many are looking to see what the early movers are doing so they can pick up the learnings.”

Meagan Littlejohn presented the freshly launched Roadmap at the Sustainability in Drinks conference, as part of a panel discussion on the Race to Net Zero. The event, with keynote speeches from Jancis Robinson and Judith Batchelar OBE, and a panel on ‘Creating Value Though Sustainability’, is clear evidence of the significance of sustainability among key wine influencers globally.

Meagan says a lot of companies and organisations have a net zero by 2050 goal, but not many industries have developed a full plan. Having an industry-wide Roadmap, including targets between now and 2050, key opportunities to focus on, and concrete steps to get there, “really stood out”, she says. “It’s showing a really nice, unified commitment.” Meagan believes New Zealand is in a good place to meet the growing demands of markets and looming regulations from governments, because SWNZ already collects so much data, “and that’s what a lot of markets are asking for now”.

The challenge and opportunity

Three critical trends are growing the sustainability movement faster than ever before, Florence Van Dyke told the Wine Business Forum. The first driver is government regulation. “It’s difficult to overstate how quickly governments internationally are putting sustainability regulation into force,” she said, citing an April 2024 Chapman Tripp report that 80% of New Zealand’s exports by value are now going to countries with mandatory climate-related disclosures in place or looming. Regulations for climate related disclosures, greenwashing, deforestation and modern slavery have been implemented in the United Kingdom and Europe. Climate related disclosures are in the pipeline for the likes of the United States, Australia, Singapore and Japan.

The second driver is demands by multinational corporations, which in many cases are moving faster than government regulations. For example, Tesco, Nestle, Unilever and McDonald’s are asking suppliers internationally for carbon data and carbon reduction plans that reflect science-based targets. In the Sustainability Matters November newsletter, Florence noted that many large companies are choosing to apply high European sustainability standards across their operations globally, to maintain consistency. For example, McDonald’s in China will soon require carbon reduction plans from all its meat and dairy suppliers, including New Zealand exporters.

The third driver is consumer preferences, which continue to “trend towards sustainability”, she told the Business Forum. “The majority of target consumers in New Zealand’s key markets want to purchase sustainable products, but they aren’t necessarily willing to pay for them”. But while cost is still a “huge barrier” to buying sustainably, 50% of those surveyed in New Zealand Trade and Enterprise research said they purchased more sustainable products this year than last year. The biggest consumer trend she notices is a desire for honesty and transparency, “and that’s grown out of an aversion to greenwashing”.

She called on wine companies to take advantage of the industry’s unique position, after 30 years of SWNZ, and to measure sustainability metrics, “so that you’re ready when multinationals and governments come asking for them”.

“The script has changed” when it comes to getting wine into market, says Phil Reedman MW, who had nine years as Senior Product Development Manager at Tesco, sourcing wines for its own-label program, and these days runs a consultancy business to help Australian wineries and retailers “sell more wine”. In a recent conversation with a British importer that deals extensively with European grocery chains like Aldi and Lidl, the first question was not about price or quality, but firmly focused on sustainability certification, Phil says. He applauds the foresight of New Zealand’s industry in having SWNZ. Others are going to have to “catch up”, he adds.

On the front (and lighter) foot

Lawson’s Dry Hills has been on a steep sustainability climb for the past 11 years, gaining ISO14001 and Toitū ISO14064 net carbonzero certification on top of its existing SWNZ platform. The relentless task of continuously lightening its footprint began with a deep company philosophy of producing wine with care. But in recent years that environmental ethos has proven an economic lifeline as well, as customers increasingly demand sustainability certification, emissions measurement and authentic stories of stewardship.

General Manager Sion Barnsley shares a recent letter from one client in the Northern hemisphere, which lays out an ambition to reduce 45% of its greenhouse gas emissions in supply chains by 2030, compared to 2018. As a consequence, suppliers like Lawson’s are asked to annually report carbon footprints, develop climate targets in line with the 1.5 global warming scenario, and have those validated by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), or an equivalent.

On the day we talk, Sion has just submitted two airline tenders, for Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, which required sustainability certifications. Buyers – from large retailers to small distributors – increasingly require certified sustainability measures or a programme that demonstrates a company’s intentions, he says.

Meanwhile, regulation changes mean market barriers will play a major role in growing sustainability. The European Green Deal, aiming to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, is likely to mean a competitive advantage for wines that can demonstrate environmentally friendly practices, while those without measurable efforts – including cutting emissions – could face roadblocks, Sion says. New laws will target greenwashing in the European market, meaning glossy green claims will need to be backed by certification.

Even for a company well on the front foot in this realm, the curve is getting steep. But Lawson’s Marketing & Sales Manager Belinda Jackson says New Zealand has a real opportunity to capitalise on consumers’ perception of a clean, green, lightly footed nation, by following decades of talk with certified walk. “New Zealand’s wine industry is small enough and nimble enough that we should be able to lead the whole world on being sustainable."

SWNZ has moved quickly in recent years to help arm wine companies for the changing world, including with the emissions reporting requirements now part of SWNZ certification, says Belinda, who was part of an advisory group established to help further develop the resource. Annual personalised GHG reports give wine producers insight into the main emission areas of their business, and how they compare to other comparable operators, as a big first step to recording and reducing CO2 emissions. “Those reports are absolutely fabulous for individual wineries.”

Authentic sustainability credentials open doors in international markets, and put the focus on values rather than price, she adds, noting that wine quality is often the first lever, but shared and authentic sustainability values can be a vital next step in building relationships with trade. This year was Lawson’s 33rd vintage and featured updated labels to add emphasis to core values of provenance and sustainability. “Featuring the words, ‘certified sustainable and carbon zero’ helps to differentiate the brand and give customers valuable information,” they say.

Fit for the future

“The fact that we’ve travelled down this road of continuous improvement for 30 years is a very, very good indicator of the level of care that goes into the production of New Zealand wine,” says Edwin Massey

New Zealand wine plays exclusively in the premium market, and consumers are increasingly associating premium products with sustainable production practices. “The transformation of a primary product into a highly valued liquid, which also aligns with consumer values, puts New Zealand wine at the vanguard of primary sector products. I think that’s what makes our wine special.”

Everything done within SWNZ is driven by three key objectives, he adds. One is to meet the need for robust evidence “to prove yourself on the international stage”. The second is wine companies’ social licence to operate, and reducing regulatory costs, “by getting ahead of that curve as much as possible”. The third is providing information back to members. “The SWNZ programme is not just about members submitting information to us, but it’s about us giving them information so they can maximise their efficiency and save in their hip pocket,” he says. “So when you take those three benefits together – markets demanding it, governments requiring it, and sustainability information to ensure efficiency – it really remains the right thing to do for our industry.”

The SWNZ programme will continue to evolve, according to changing values and expectations of the concept of sustainability. “We’ve been doing this for 30 years, but what we will do over the next 30 is going to be more important,” Edwin says. “We know there’s more work to be done, but if we work together, as we have through SWNZ, we can achieve really, really extraordinary things, and we can maintain a leadership position in sustainability as a differentiator for New Zealand wine.”