Save the climate initiative

Overview

The FAIR and GREEN e.V. started its climate protection initiative on 01.03.2017 under the keyword "Save Climate". For the association, this means that it will work together to promote climate-friendly practices in viticulture. The initiative consists of two main building blocks:

  • Bundling of climate protection measures
  • CO2-neutral production from procurement to sales

The greenhouse gas emissions of the wineries have played an important role at FAIR'N GREEN from the very beginning, because we are concerned with a sustainable reduction of all negative environmental effects of wine growing, development and marketing. For all FAIR'N GREEN wineries, the energy consumption-related greenhouse gas emissions are recorded annually. FAIR'N GREEN regards it as proven that the differentiation in terms of the environmental friendliness of agricultural products cannot be based on plant protection alone. Instead, other environmental effects such as climate impact, the effect on biodiversity and ecosystems and, of course, energy and resource efficiency must be given equal consideration - and this applies throughout the entire production process of the product right up to the consumer.

“Save Climate” climate protection initiative

"We are aware of our responsibility for environmental and climate protection and take care to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to a minimum in all areas of wine production. We therefore take far-reaching measures to reduce the CO2 footprint of every winery:

In order to do justice to their special responsibility for the climate, the FAIR'N GREEN wineries implement comprehensive climate protection measures. These include, among others:

  • Purchase of green electricity at the winery,
  • Improving energy efficiency and promoting the operation of modern energy supply technologies such as geothermal energy, combined heat and power plants, solar and photovoltaic systems,
  • Reduction of fuel consumption and use of biofuels and promotion of electric mobility,
  • Use of lightweight glass bottles (with a guide value of 420g) for all wines in the basic segment,
  • Extensive recycling and minimization of residual waste,
  • Avoidance of mineral nitrogen fertilizers in order to avoid the formation of nitrous oxide,
  • Safeguarding biological diversity,
  • Regional procurement to avoid emissions from logistics,
  • Use of climate-neutral transports in Germany and promotion of climate-neutral transports abroad,
  • Reduction of air travel

An important part of the climate protection initiative is also the awarding of CO2-neutral products. The complete analysis required for this according to Greenhouse Gas Protocol has so far been implemented for the Egon Schmitt Winery in Bad Dürkheim.

CO2-neutral wine as part of the climate protection initiative

Some FAIR'N GREEN members have already taken so many climate protection measures that the path to a CO2-neutral winery is open for you. For these particularly committed wineries, it is therefore possible to comprehensively calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of wine production from procurement to sales and to offset the remaining emissions with recognised climate protection certificates:

  • Calculation methods
  • Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wine production
  • How does a wine become CO2 neutral?
  • Our offsetting projects

These wineries are already CO2-neutral:

Kennzeichen für co2-neutralen Wein

Wine Estate Egon Schmitt

By analysing the greenhouse gas emissions in wine production, the Egon Schmitt Winery can now label its wines as CO2-neutral products!

How does a wine become CO2 neutral?

The most important part of the process is the company analysis with regard to a CO2 and ecological balance sheet. Here, all areas of the company are examined in order to obtain a detailed and reliable picture of the status quo. The analysis of the company follows a holistic approach which is already applied in the analysis of companies according to the FAIR'N GREEN standard, a sustainability standard which Athenga has developed in cooperation with the partners of the FAIR'N GREEN Association for Sustainable Viticulture. The renowned and internationally recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol forms the basis for the subsequent calculation of the product and company carbon footprint. The emissions are calculated in so-called. Scopes, which allows a more detailed calculation and more precise recommendations for action. This enables individual challenges to be identified and tailor-made approaches to be implemented. For certification as a climate-neutral product or climate-neutral company, Save-Climate.com also offers the purchase of emission certificates from selected Gold Standard neutralisation projects at a market price. As a service provider, Save-climate.com also offers consulting services for the communication of the results or the emission-free and external presentation, as well as the publication of the certificates on the website and the award of a certificate as proof of climate neutrality.

Our compensation projects

When selecting the certificates, we attach great importance to high standards in the awarding of projects. In this context, Gold Standard certificates were chosen, which guarantee a high degree of efficiency and high credibility in the implementation of the projects. FAIR and GREEN e:V. primarily supports projects which, in addition to the climate protection component, also generate social added value for the local population in the project region. For this purpose, three projects have been selected that meet the above-mentioned gold standard and are highly effective in their surroundings:

Efficient cooking stoves in Ghana

Category: Energy efficiency Project Region: Ghana, West Africa Production and distribution of efficient cooking ovens. Much less fuel is needed for cooking. This protects the tree population, reduces CO2 emissions and promotes local craftsmanship through local production.

Reforestation of endemic forests in Costa Rica

Category: Afforestation Project region: Finca la Virgin, Costa Rica, Central America Conversion of former grazing land into endemic mixed forests with 15% teak, managed according to FSC standard. Profit from the sale of teak and certificates goes largely to the local population. In addition, at least 10% of the reforestation area is currently unaffected, and even 25% of the reforestation area remains a nature reserve.

Distribution of the LifeStraw® water filtration system in Kenya

Category: Energy efficiency Project Region: Kenya, East Africa Providing the Lifestraw® filtration system and thus access to clean water for everyone. Elimination of the otherwise common method of boiling the water, thus reducing fuel consumption and minimizing deforestation.