A letter to Australian officials from Taylors Wines Mitchell Taylor ahead of UN Climate Change Conference - COP26

Australia’s wine industry is the canary in the coal mine. It is one of the most climate sensitive agricultural businesses. As a third-generation family winery, we’ve witnessed vintages arriving earlier and the window for our harvests narrowing. Around the world our industry has seen increased climate-related challenges droughts, bushfires, floods, heatwaves, hail and frost events.

We applaud the recent announcement by the Morrison government to set a target of net zero emissions by 2050 and the targets set by all Australian states and territories.

We encourage our leaders to go further by setting increased short- and medium-term targets that align with the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature increases well below 2°C. We have a role to play in inspiring greater global action, the alternative is many more of these climate-related challenges for our agricultural industries in the years to come. Everyone, across every industry, will be impacted. For ours, 2°C means the difference between being able to make premium Pinot Noir in Tasmania.

While our business seeks to prepare for a range of possible climate futures we are setting about doing what we can to encourage a best case outcome. We are the first independent Australian winery to commit to Science Based Targets that align with the Paris Agreement, and will reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by the year 2030, with a target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This year we flicked the switch on the first of a number of planned solar panel installations at our winery, each of which will produce 136,000kwh of renewable energy each year. In addition to this, 30% of our winery’s electricity requirements now come from certified Greenpower, further reducing our carbon footprint by 266 tonnes per annum.

We’re working on more sustainable packaging, and we are now proudly certified as a sustainable grape grower through the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia initiative, a national program for grape growers and winemakers to demonstrate and continuously improve their sustainability in the vineyard and winery through the environmental, social and economic aspects of their businesses.

And this isn’t a challenge our winery is only beginning to tackle. In 2009 we released our 80 Acres range the world’s first range of ISO 14044 compliant, carbon neutral wines. We undertook a full Life Cycle Assessment from vine to glass to measure, reduce and completely offset the carbons emitted in the winemaking process and consumption of these wines.

In our dealings with international trade, it is becoming apparent that more opportunities are open to businesses and nations with a strong policy for sustainability than those without one. Despite producing some of the finest wines in the world, Australia’s reputation, access to markets and hard-fought spot on the global retail shelves will suffer unless we take a leadership stance on climate change. Our family spends a lot of time thinking about the type of business we will be handing on to our kids in the years to come - and what state the planet will be in when that day comes.

With only a few days to go until COP26, we ask our representatives as they head to Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to take a serious moment to reflect and ask themselves - are we as a nation doing enough to protect our future? As a nation built from the red soils from which we thrive, are we giving back to the planet in a way that will see it continue for generations to come?

We have a real chance to not only be part of a positive conversation for change, but show leadership and determination in the face of this serious challenge.

Sincerely,

Mitchell Taylor

Third-generation Winemaker & Managing Director

Taylors Wines

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