B.C. winery becomes first in Canada to join climate action organization

Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of Our Changing Planet, a CBC News initiative to show and explain the effects of climate change and what is being done about it.

Drinking wine might be a new way to reduce your carbon footprint — but it depends where you get it from. 

A B.C. winery has become the first in Canada to join an international community of winemakers dedicated to reducing carbon emissions in the industry.

Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland has been accepted into the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) as an applicant member and it now has one year to meet the requirements to become a gold or silver member.

Christine Colletta, one of the founders of Okanagan Crush Pad, says the winery has been working toward sustainable farming since it opened 11 years ago.

She said it moved away from heavier bottles to alternative packaging, which uses less energy, and overall it has tried to reduce water usage. 

"What we're looking at is all aspects of our business and how we can be smart and lean and cut down the waste," she said.

'Consistent reductions of emissions'

The IWCA was founded in 2019 by two winery families, one from Spain and the other from California. 

Julien Gevreau, a founding board member of the IWCA, says both families have long-term visions for sustainability.

"Both wine companies understand intimately the need to protect and preserve the natural environment in order to enhance and preserve their long term livelihoods," he said.

Gevreau says the goal of IWCA is to create "a standardized approach for wine companies to measure and report publicly their greenhouse gas emissions." 

Wineries from anywhere in the world can join to become applicant members but they must meet certain requirements to become silver or gold members.

To earn silver, a winery must ensure "consistent reductions of emissions per litre of wine produced" and must prove a commitment to net zero by 2050. To achieve gold it must ensure at least 20 per cent of operations are powered by renewable energy onsite, the IWCA's website says.

Colletta says Okanagan Crush Pad's next step is hiring someone who can help them calculate their greenhouse gas emissions.

The winery will then commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2030, and becoming net zero by 2050, CEO Darryl Brooker said in a news release.

'We need to come together'

Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery in St Helena, Calif., is a silver member with IWCA and is now on its way to gold, says president and CEO Beth Novak Milliken.

"We're mapping out our next 10 years of things that we're going to need to do to stay gold," said Milliken. 

She says the winery has switched to lighter glass bottles, is shipping directly to consumers via ground instead of air and is being more efficient with business travel, while its offices and vineyard operations are partly powered by solar panels.

Lighter bottles require less energy to make and take up less space, meaning more can be transported at once.

Milliken says when fighting climate change, being a part of a community is crucial for support and acountability, and IWCA offers the support.

"With where we are right now, we need to come together," she said.

Colletta says she hopes Okanagan Crush Pad will inspire other Canadian wineries to join the IWCA.

"What makes it worthwhile is that we're not just talking about doing things that benefit the climate, we're actually taking hard action," she said.

6:41THE CLIMATE CHANGERS: How wineries are adapting to climate change

In BC's Interior, wineries are having to contend with wildfires and fluctuating temperatures due to climate change. The CBC's Joseph Otoo paid a visit to a winery that is trying to adapt to climate change, and showing others how to follow in its footsteps.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. In B.C. we've witnessed its impacts with deadly heat waves, destructive floods and rampant wildfires. But there are people who are committed to taking meaningful strides, both big and small, towards building a better future for our planet. Those people are featured in CBC's series The Climate Changers, produced by CBC science reporter and meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe and associate producer Rohit Joseph, which airs Wednesdays on All Points West, On The Coast and Radio West on CBC Radio One and on CBC Vancouver News with features on cbc.ca/bc.