It
may not yet be an important issue with the wine producers in India but
with many new wineries coming up, it will be environmentally correct
to look at taking all necessary steps to help reduce carbon emission
as much as possible.
With wine producers under increasing pressure to measure and find new
initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, the
calculator is only one of a number of new initiatives being considered.
WSTA
spokesperson Kate Coleman told Beverage
Daily that the system provides
a solid estimate for manufacturers of their carbon emissions.
"We believe it represents an objective, reasonable and conservative
assessment of emissions from what analysts agree is one of the most complex elements
of the alcoholic beverage supply-chain," says Kate Coleman, clarifying that
the calculator was not for certification use, but only to give indication of
possible areas for operational improvement.
"This measurement will enable companies to consider potential benefits
of alternative transport modes or evaluate appropriate levels for off-setting," she added.
Development of the calculator, which was partly
devised in collaboration with JF Hillebrand, started in February
this year, and was based on existing research.
Further focus
Coleman said the association
had decided to focus specifically
on carbon emissions generated
from transport due to their overall
significance for the international
wine industry. However,
she added that additional focuses
on reducing the carbon footprint
in wine production were under discussion
from others in the industry.
The calculator initiative is the work of wine makers from South Africa,
California, New Zealand and Australia.
Earlier in March, major players
in wine production had announced that they were teaming up with packagers
and other stakeholders to improve cooperation in supplying lightweight
glass bottles.
A number of producers and packagers like Constellation
Europe, Kingsland Wine & Spirits,
and Ardagh Glass UK were involved in the discussions.
The participants
agreed to improve communication and cooperation in the supply chain from
bottle makers up to retailers on how to better obtain lightweight glass
for packaging.
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