ERC Australia is proud to support Wine Tasmania’s evolution in sustainability leadership with its implementation of an innovative state-wide decarbonisation program using the ERC Protocol.

The Tasmanian wine sector has a long term focus on its overall sustainability activities and looking after the land and communities on which it relies. However, the ever-growing focus on emission reduction by consumers, supply chains, major customers and regulators has outpaced the evolution of fit-for-purpose emissions frameworks.  

This left Wine Tasmania with the daunting task of searching for an industry-wide emissions reduction program, that:

• is suitable for micro, small and medium and large businesses;
• contains information and initiatives relevant to wine operators;
• meets the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including those that require emissions data and reduction action plans;
• could be easily communicated and was transparent;
• could be deployed quickly and simultaneously to all wine operators;
• could be readily adopted by the already stretched wine operators;
• was affordable; and

• could be centrally coordinated, monitored and reported as an industry. 

   

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_{Photo Credit: Petrichor Wines, Jasper Da Seymour}

Adopting the ERC Protocol and in close collaboration with ERC Australia, Wine Tasmania was able to achieve the above in not years, months or weeks of work – but in a matter of hours.

Wine Tasmania was also able to secure the support of the Tasmanian Government, providing the base ERC Protocol program for Wine Tasmania members free of charge for two years as well as supporting resources and support.

Now, at the press of a button, with live data, Wine Tasmania can:

• Track and monitor member participation in the program
• Track and review action focus areas
• Report impact and decarbonisation trends of the Tasmanian wine sector
• Support members in areas where additional information or assistance is required

Each participating Wine Tasmania member can, in their own time, without additional resources:

• develop a standardise emission reduction plan following the ERC Protocol set stages;
• adopt independently and professionally verified upgrades to meet reporting compliance standards;
• provide emissions data to supply chains subject to regulatory reporting or procurement obligations, if required;
• transparently share plans with customers, employees and other stakeholders; and
• attend monthly webinars, run by the local ERC team, for any training and support required; ; and
• access additional support from Wine Tasmania through workshops, case studies and additional resources.

Overall, this initiative will place Wine Tasmania on an accelerated trajectory to a lower emissions future and will ensure Tasmanian wine businesses can remain internationally competitive and leading edge in a new world that is expecting more.

This becomes the second industry sector in Tasmania to adopt the ERC Protocol.