Accolade Wines Europe has announced that its core branded portfolio - including Hardys, Mudhouse, Jam Shed, Banrock Station, Echo Falls, and Kumala - has been certified carbon neutral.
The certification, undertaken by the Carbon Trust, is part of the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and reducing its impact on the planet.
Accolade sells over 150 million bottles of wine in Europe per year and says that it continually seeks improvement opportunities to reduce its carbon footprint. For example, the introduction of lighter-weight bottles for Echo Falls and Hardy’s this year reportedly reduced the brands’ glass-related CO2 footprint, and more recyclable packaging has been introduced across “Wine on Tap” formats.
Investments in on-site renewable energy have commenced, with the installation of solar panels at an Australian vineyard and, in 2019, the construction of a 2.5MW wind turbine at Europe’s manufacturing site.
In an attempt to offset the remaining carbon emissions, Accolade Wines Europe has also partnered with ClimateCare, a company that specialises in projects that seek both to reduce carbon emissions and improve lives.
Collaborative projects include the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, which helps to restore ecosystems and preserve threatened and unique flora and fauna in Australia, alongside innovative afforestation in Chile, clean cookstoves in South Africa, and renewable energy in the US and China.
Robert Foye, Accolade Wines’ chief executive officer, comments: “Taking our UK-packaged core branded portfolio carbon neutral is a major achievement for our entire company and follows on from recent investment in The Park to become a carbon-neutral production facility. We are committed to focusing on sustainability across everything we do and moving towards carbon neutrality across our business is extremely important to us.”
Vaughan Lindsay, chief executive officer, ClimateCare, adds: "We work with forward-thinking organisations to turn their climate responsibilities into positive outcomes. Our trademark Climate+Care approach helps organisations take a smart approach to address their environmental impacts by offsetting their carbon emissions through projects which also support sustainable development.”
The company’s carbon-neutral messaging will be communicated on packs, in-store, and on digital, across the Accolade Wines Europe branded portfolio from January 2021.
