Three subsidiaries of Viña Concha y Toro Family of Wineries were winners in their respective categories in the 13th version of the Drinks Business Green Awards, which were launched to draw attention to those beverage companies that go above and beyond to reduce their impact on the environment.
Concha y Toro, Cono Sur and Bonterra Organic Estates were recognized by the prestigious British publication The Drink Business as companies that have made important impacts on environmental issues.
The subsidiaries were recognized in different categories in The Drink Business Green Awards 2022, whose winners were announced at a live ceremony held at The Club at The Ivy, London, on Tuesday, November 29.
Concha y Toro won the Amorim Biodiversity Award
This award recognizes the importance and impact that the constant care of biodiversity has on the care of the environment. Concha y Toro has a sustainability strategy that aims to achieve regenerative practices with the objective of having a positive impact, that is, giving back to the land and the community more of what it has given us. One of the initiatives of the strategy is Biodiversity.
In this area, we highlight the regenerative practices of soil, flora and fauna, which incorporates the protection and reproduction of native forest, as well as participation in E-Bio Atlas to inventory biodiversity.
Since 2020, the company has been working on a project called Agricultural Ecosystem Management (GEA), which seeks to generate a new model of agriculture, incorporating measures for the protection and conservation of biodiversity of flora and fauna, forests and soils.
Cono Sur received the Amorim Sustainability Award
This award recognizes a company's efforts to employ the most efficient and effective sustainable practices. Cono Sur stood out for its practices related to organic management, carbon footprint reduction, energy efficiency, efficient water use and waste reuse.
In 1998 Cono Sur began the transition from conventional agricultural management to organic management. In 2003 it received its first certification, being one of the pioneers in Chile. With the addition of 126 hectares under organic management in 2021, it reaches a total of 456 organic hectares, 270 of which are certified.
In terms of carbon footprint, in 2017 Cono Sur decided to install photovoltaic plants at the company's different sites. The first of these was implemented in 2018 in Las Lomas. They were subsequently followed by El Encanto, Campo Lindo, La Espuela and Santa Elisa. During the 2022 harvest, the photovoltaic plant installed on the winery's roof begins operation, with an installed capacity of 600 kW.
Additionally, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the consumption of liquefied gas, in 2021 the decision was made to switch to electric cranes. As a result, a 42.3% reduction in consumption has been achieved, with the expectation of reaching a 90% reduction in the short term.
In terms of energy efficiency, in 2019, the implementation of 5 frequency inverters in the irrigation system of the Santa Elisa estate achieved a 38% efficiency improvement, which implies lower electricity consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions
Bonterra was recognized as Green Company of the Year
In December 2021, Bonterra Organic Estates obtained Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC™) for all of its vineyards and wineries in Mendocino County, California. ROC is a certification for the food and beverage industries that assures buyers that certified farms and products meet the highest environmental standards. With ROC Silver certification, BOE demonstrated its adherence to the rigorous standards of the program's applicable pillars-soil health and social justice-and committed to continuous improvement, a fundamental requirement of ROC certification.
By the end of 2021, the Bonterra and Fetzer wine brands achieved Climate Neutral certification after measuring, reducing and offsetting 110% of greenhouse gas emissions from wine production and delivery.
Recently, Bonterra has formally committed to the Science-Based Target initiative, a global partnership that encourages ambitious climate action in the private sector by helping organizations set and achieve emission reduction and decarbonization targets based on the best available scientific evidence.
Finally, B Lab, the global non-profit network that certifies and mobilizes B companies, this year named Bonterra Organic Estates "Best for the World" in the environment category, an award reserved for the top 5% of B companies of similar size for their positive environmental impact.