IWCA is pleased to release our first inaugural annual report, which traces the growth of our organization, shares highlights of our efforts, and reports our members’ GHG emissions reductions in line with our UN Race to Zero commitments.
Galvanizing the Global Wine Community to Decarbonize the Industry
Three years ago, two visionary, committed winemakers—Miguel A. Torres and Katie Jackson—met with an idea to tackle an issue close to their hearts and foundational to their businesses: how to decarbonize the wine industry. In February 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, they launched IWCA.
In the years since, IWCA has grown into an international collective driving awareness and action to achieve a climate-positive wine sector. We are proud to detail our growth and efforts to-date in our 2021 annual report:
Membership growth: We have 10 committed, innovative wineries in our ranks and added 12 applicant members in2021 alone.
Knowledge sharing and measurement: Our member wineries have invested heavily in measuring and reducing their emissions (some of them using IWCA’s new US-specific GHG emissions calculator); and they have been sharing their knowledge and best practices within and outside IWCA to help us build a global movement.
Organizational growth: IWCA is now registered as a 501(c)6 nonprofit, and our new secretariat, Meridian Institute, came on board this July.
Partnerships and visibility: We are proud to be a member of the UN Race to Zero campaign and a Founding Member of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable. We have increased awareness about climate and the wine sector through a number of events and media profiles.
Doing Our Part as Partners in the UN Race to Zero Campaign
The annual report is not only a reflection of the rigorous science-based approach of IWCA, but also a reporting document that ensures that applicants and members are held accountable to their commitments and demonstrate tangible progress towards climate neutrality by 2050. This is not only a requirement of IWCA membership, but also a requirement of remaining remain part of the UN Race to Zero Campaign.
At a press briefing in London on October 21, Miguel A. Torres (Familia Torres) and Rob Symington (Symington Family Estates) — IWCA Board members — were joined by guest presenter Fiona Macklin from the UN Race to Zero Campaign.
Fiona Macklin congratulated IWCA on the annual report and said:
It’s wonderful to see wineries from across all corners of the world joining IWCA, and through IWCA joining Race to Zero. As the first Partner initiative from the food and agriculture sector in Race to Zero, IWCA is demonstrating leadership and rigour in managing its members to meet the robust, science-aligned criteria needed to race towards a better, healthier, zero carbon world.
.Learn more about the press event here.
Rob Symington (far left) and Miguel A. Torres (to his right) at IWCA's event in London on 21 October 2021. In the image at right, Rob Symington and Miguel A. Torres are joined by Fiona Macklin of the UN Race to Zero Campaign to share highlights of IWCA's efforts with members of the press.
Get Involved
We actively invite wineries interested in IWCA’s mission to contact us. We are open to any wine company involved in the production process from winegrowing to bottling that believes in taking strategic action to accelerate innovative climate solutions.
Cover image courtesy of Yealands Estate Wines.