What does the future hold? That’s never an easy question to answer, but there’s a very clear sense of direction when it comes to sustainability in wine. Last year, our five highlighted trends included regenerative viticulture and climate adaption, certifications, collaborations and alternative packaging.
We have seen distinct progress in all of those areas, so this year we can look back at what has been achieved, while also anticipating the trends that will shape 2025. The main development at an industry level is that we are seeing increased awareness of the whole ecosystem of drinks production and consumption. Having one ‘sustainability focus’ is no longer enough – to be successful, companies need to have the environment and people at the heart of their whole brand ethos.
Nature positivity for a resilient future
Carbon foot printing is becoming a hygiene factor: it’s not enough to only focus on reducing emissions, wines businesses also need to invest in protecting and enhancing soil health and nature. Producers, distributors and retailers that are only in the foothills of measuring and managing their carbon emissions will soon find themselves behind the curve. Scopes 1 and 2 relate to emissions that can be directly attributed to a business (for example the power that they use), whereas Scope 3 relates to the emissions generated in the production, retail, distribution, use and disposal of the wine itself and its packaging. This means that Scope 3 ties everyone together in emissions reporting, from grape to glass, and beyond.
Soil health, biodiversity and regenerative practices are now also no longer standing in isolation in the hands of the vineyard team: positive environmental impacts like improving soil health and biodiversity can help mitigate some of the negative ones caused in the making, transporting and packaging of wine. Wine businesses leading the way in this are now trying to see how wine can be nature positive in its entirety. After all, wine businesses are built on soil, they are rooted in the vineyard, so we’re increasingly seeing efforts to protect nature in order to create a resilient future.
Politics
Sustainability politics are now a force of nature – literally becoming a law of their own. While governing parties in parts of the EU (and beyond) have shifted to the right, sustainability regulations and objectives have already been set in train, and the momentum is increasing. We are also seeing more political focus on measuring and rewarding biodiversity, not just carbon targets. While some current governments may be unwilling to accept that extreme weather events are the results of climate change, they cannot escape the economic realities: namely the cost of insurance against issues such as floods or fires. This in turn leads to the creation of financial incentives and regulations that will support governments in hitting their own targets. Despite a slightly disappointing CoP 2024, the stage is set for Brazil 2025, which has been billed as the ‘nature CoP’, being sited so close to the rainforest.
UK catching up
Last year the global sustainability regulation landscape became increasingly robust. In 2025 we will see the UK join the fray with the UK sustainability disclosure standard. This is likely to mandate Scope 3 reporting and ‘transition plans’ towards Net Zero for larger businesses, which is an enhancement of current global reporting standards. Given the breadth of impact of Scope 3, this will flow down through most wine producers over the next 12 to 18 months.
We are also hoping to see some of the more forward-thinking biodiversity and carbon ‘removals’ measures being clarified in Europe (for example accounting for the positive carbon impact of regenerative practices on soil, or on the carbon sequestration from hedges and trees in the vineyard). The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is the main ‘instruction manual’ for how to account for carbon, and it will be updated to include more agricultural guidance in 2025. The UK government is also looking at how to encourage landowners, farmers and vineyard owners to focus on activities with environmental benefits.
Efficiency as a positive message
Efficiency is no longer a dirty word. In previous years we have seen consumer suspicion of businesses choosing ‘efficient’ options such as bulk shipping, bottle lightweighting or even using less vineyard inputs. However, cost-saving messages are now paired with positive developments in renewable energy such as solar, and even carbon capture from fermentation. As Dr Laura Catena (Managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina) said at the Sustainability in Drinks exhibition, we made lightweight suitcases fashionable: now we need to do the same for wine bottles.
Social sustainability
Increasingly we are seeing widespread acceptance that sustainability includes responsibility towards people and communities. This came to the fore in 2024 and we will see it becoming ‘business as usual’ in 2025. It’s not just going to be token Diversity and Inclusion policies at board level, but an increasingly strategic focus on workers (particularly seasonal workers) and local communities.
2025 will be a year in which more clarity develops on how to manage the different strands of a ‘people’ element within the context of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) strategies. We’ll see them becoming a standard part of governance reporting and making sound, long-term business decisions. Our customers are also coming of age, and demanding that brands align with their own values. ‘Sustainable luxury’ is the new phrase in town, positioning sustainable choices as ones that also align with a luxury product.
Technology and Big Data
In the last 12 months we have seen a proliferation of investment in tech and data associated with the wine industry. There are satellite models to predict vineyard disease, robotic vineyard tools and digital vineyard mapping. However, until now, there has always been the question: ‘so what?’.
This year we will see improvements in the application of technology, from tracking product information such as alcohol levels and ingredients, to the use of sophisticated data and technological innovations that can inform and improve activities in the vineyard. For example, ecoacoustics (using sound probes to assess soil life), precision sprayers, ultraviolet frost protection, and other machinery that can carry out core vineyard tasks while making less impact on the environment – such as using electricity for weed control rather than disturbing the soil. There are some really exciting launches and trials planned for 2025, so watch this space!
This combination of environmental, social, and technological trends reflects how sustainability in wine is evolving rapidly. It’s a whole new language, and it’s worth getting to grips with some of the key terms and regulations if you want to understand the landscape.
For wine lovers, 2025 promises an even stronger connection between buying your favourite sustainable wine and making an informed impact on the planet's future.
