HOPLAND, Calif., Dec. 7. 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Fetzer Vineyards will be among five wineries worldwide and the only US winery sharing key successes and ideas for working towards a carbon-neutral future at Caring for Climate, the official Business Forum at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference ("COP21"), presented by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change ("UNFCCC"). The largest winery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification earlier this year, Fetzer Vineyards will address topics at what is expected to be the largest-ever climate change conference including zero-waste business practices, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and initiatives that will enable the Winery to achieve its goal of net-positive operations by 2030.
"Climate Action in a Bottle – Red, White or Rose?" will be the only seminar on the topic of wine presented at COP21's Business Forum. Fetzer Vineyards, the first winery in the world to receive Zero Waste certification and diverting 98.5% of all waste from landfill, was invited by the United Nations to share more on its forward-thinking practices following the Winery's achievement of B Corp status. Nearly 700 participants are expected to attend Caring for Climate, a multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue and action among businesses, investors, civil society, the UN and Government officials, with the UN Secretary-General participating in key aspects of the event.
"The wine industry is uniquely positioned to tell the story of climate change, because wine grapes are dependent on specific climates and regions for the growing of quality fruit, making vineyards especially vulnerable to a warming climate," said Giancarlo Bianchetti, CEO of Fetzer Vineyards. "In addition to measures we take in our vineyards to mitigate the effects of climate change, we aim to constantly improve our environmental measures, from energy initiatives enabling us to be the first winery in California to operate on 100% renewable energy, to farming measures that have made us the largest organic winegrape grower in the U.S. certified by California Certified Organic Farmers."
Josh Prigge, Fetzer Vineyards' Director of Regenerative Development, will discuss ideas for measuring, reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and winery operations at Caring for Climate alongside other sustainable leaders from the wine industry. Also appearing in the seminar are Valentina Lira from Concha y Toro, Jean-Guillaume Prats of Moet Chandon Estates and Wines, Alice Tourbier of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte and Robert Eden of Chateau Maris. Niclas Svenningsen, representing the UNFCCC Secretariat, will moderate the seminar and panel discussion to follow.
"It's an honor to be a part of this incredible program, whose topic—working towards making climate-neutral wines a reality on a global scale—underscores our ethos as a Winery, and what we've been working towards since our founding in 1968," said Prigge. "We began reporting greenhouse gas emissions to the Climate Registry in 2005 and have reduced our emissions over 50% in the years since. I'm looking forward to sharing lessons from this initiative and others, as we all face the same challenges in moving towards climate-impact neutrality and, ultimately, net positive operations."
Caring for Climate Business Forum is an initiative of Climate Neutral Now, UNFCCC's vehicle for engaging all parts of society to take action to become climate neutral by measuring, reducing and offsetting their climate footprints. Caring for Climate takes place concurrently with COP21, the larger climate conference, where UN negotiations aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate for the first time since UNFCCC was founded in 1994, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2 degrees C.
For more information on Fetzer Vineyards' regenerative strategy and initiatives, please visit fetzer.com/commitment. Follow the Winery @FetzerWines on Twitter and at Facebook.com/Fetzer to learn more about the latest developments in regenerative and climate-neutral winegrowing.
About Fetzer Vineyards
A pioneer in regenerative winemaking, Fetzer Vineyards continues its legacy of hard work, rebellious thinking and crafting wines that make a difference. Since its founding in 1968, Fetzer Vineyards has consistently developed and implemented practices that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible and ultimately regenerative, becoming the world's largest winery to receive B Corporation certification, in 2015. B Corp certification standards, developed by the non-profit B Lab, are widely recognized as the highest standards for social and environmental responsibility in business. Fetzer Vineyards strives for the perfect relationship between land, climate and vine to regenerate communities and bring wines of remarkable quality and character to the table.
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