Objectives

Our 5-step pathway is supported by NZ Winegrowers. It provides tailored tools and resources to help winemakers and growers lower their emissions and unlock business benefits.

Eligibility

All grape growers and winemakers can access this pathway for free.

Your decarbonisation journey starts here

There are two ways you can access the decarbonisation pathway:

Sign up for a series of curated emails below. We highly recommend this method as you will:

  • Be alerted as soon as new resources are added
  • Receive invitations to events and webinars
  • Be the first to know about new co-funding opportunities

Or you can jump straight into things by visiting our Tools and Resources page to start your journey now.

Tools and resources

The climate impact of the wine sector

From grape to glass, New Zealand’s wine sector is world class.

And it is growing – in 2022, more than 2000 vineyards harvested about 532,000 tonnes of grapes. Wine exports are worth more than $2 billion per year.

Along with making top-notch wine, the sector is focused on reducing its carbon footprint.

In vineyards, the majority of emissions come from diesel, which is used in machinery like tractors, irrigation and frost fans. For wineries, the largest emissions come from using diesel and LPG to run boilers.

In total, vineyards produce about 47.4kT CO2e each year, while wineries produce 11.46 kTC02e per year.

This pathway focuses on reducing carbon emissions coming from fossil fuels, which ultimately means reducing the use of diesel and LPG across the winemaking process.

But remember, reducing emissions makes not only good environmental sense, but good business sense too.

Wakatū Incorporation champions energy efficiency

2 minutes

Wakatū Incorporation, a pioneering Māori-owned enterprise, encompasses various sectors, including Kono—a producer and exporter of premium wine, beer, cider, pipfruit, and hops. The company’s commitment to energy efficiency is deeply rooted in Te Pae Tawhiti, Wakatū’s visionary 500-year plan.

Indevin Group’s energy journey

3 minutes

Indevin Group has been a leading producer of wine since 2003 with more than 3,000 hectares of planted vineyards and wineries across three New Zealand wine regions - Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, and Gisborne.

As the business has expanded the team has focused in on increasing energy efficiency and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels from their wineries, to further support the company’s environmental and sustainable business goals.

While we may be here for a short time, our impact can last longer than a lifetime. To our industry, sustainability means growing grapes and producing our world-famous wines in such a way that we can do so for generations to come.

New Zealand Winegrowers

Framingham Wines — energy transition plan

3 minues

Learn how Framingham Wines has partnered with EECA to develop a comprehensive energy transition plan, starting with quick wins such as switching to LED lighting and insulating their glycol pipes.

Felton Road Wines — drone spraying

3 minutes

Felton Road Wines in Bannockburn, Otago, is using an electric agricultural drone sprayer as an alternative to diesel-powered tractors and transforming its vineyard management. 

Wayfinder