Bordeaux wines have reduced their carbon footprint by 30 % in 12 years

ordeaux has not only reached its target, it has actually exceeded it. After aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% between 2008 and 2020, the Bordeaux Wine Trade Council (CIVB) has in fact achieved a 30% reduction in its carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in twelve years. Presented at its 12th environmental forum, on December 7 at the convention centre in Bordeaux, the third carbon assessment of the Bordeaux wine industry amounts to 587,000 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020, according to consultancy Carbone 4, compared with 840,000 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2008 and 770,000 tons of CO2 equivalent in 2012.

The latest estimates were conducted within a scope that is both consistent and broad, ranging from production to marketing, including packaging and freight, but excluding wine tourism. They show “real progress”, according to Laurent Charlier, head of research, innovation and transfer at the CIVB, who does, however, add some nuances. “In 2012 we marketed 5.6 million hectolitres of wine; in 2019 it was less than 5 million hl”, says Charlier. According to the calculations, the drop in production explains most of the drop in the carbon footprint, which is accentuated by better energy efficiency (transport, manufacture of inputs, etc.), but also reduced by changes in practices, such as the phasing out of herbicides and increased use of contact plant protection products raising the number of tractor passes for tillage and spraying. Overall, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per hectolitre of wine increased by 6% in 2020 compared to 2012 (146 kg CO2 equivalent versus 138 kg CO2 equivalent).

The CIVB is due to decide on the levers of a 2030 roadmap in January 2022, and is considering actions to reduce emissions by focusing on packaging (eco-design with glass manufacturers, new distribution methods such as deposit return schemes, etc.); freight (engaging with carriers, etc.); vineyard management techniques (with the development of alternatives to agricultural fuel and inputs); and energy efficient buildings (facilitating renovations by removing the technical and financial obstacles). The marketing board is also looking into carbon capture levers, in the vineyard (soil, hedges, etc.), in wineries (sequestration of CO2 from fermentation) and on the farm (production of renewable energy).