Familia Torres strengthens the application of solutions throughout the value chain to reduce its carbon footprint
In the last 15 years, the winery has invested more than 19 million euros in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. The winery participates in a new reuse project of glass bottles for the Spanish wine sector
Familia Torres moves forward with its Torres & Earth environmental program to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the latest audited balance sheet of Familia Torres (specifically Miguel Torres S.A.), the winery has reduced its CO₂ emissions per bottle by 36% from 2008 to 2022 in scopes 1, 2 and 3, that is, from the vineyard to the consumer, a reduction that stands at 46% if only direct emissions (scopes 1 and 2) are taken into account.
To achieve its ambitious emission reduction goal, which is at least 60% in 2030 compared to 2008 and become a net zero emissions winery in 2040, Familia Torres is focusing its efforts on the use of renewable energies – photovoltaic self-consumption projects and the biomass boiler contribute significantly to the reduction of emissions -, the capture and reuse of CO2 from wine fermentation, the promotion of electric mobility, the regeneration of organic vineyards and the planting of trees – the 2022 balance has considered the absorption of CO2 carried out by trees planted on self-owned land in Chile, a project initiated in 2019.
The winery also focuses on implementing solutions across the value chain. On the one hand, the more extensive use of the CO2 calculator, which the winery has developed for its grape suppliers, has made it possible to considerably reduce the emissions transferred to the winery in 2022 and to offset the emissions generated by the increase in the number of trips and commercial displacements. On the other hand, Familia Torres is exploring solutions to reduce emissions derived from wine packaging beyond the reduction of the bottles’ weight– in the wineries Familia Torres owns in Spain, 95% of the bottles produced, already weigh less than 420 grams and are considered light – and that goes through the reuse of glass bottles.
In this sense, Familia Torres, which had already participated in the ReWine project between 2016 and 2020, is part of the new project of glass bottles reuse in the Spanish wine sector REBO2VINO, which will take place from 2022 to 2025. Coordinated by the FEV (Federación Española del Vino), its objective is to analyze the feasibility and the main critical points of implementing a system for reusing glass bottles in the wine sector for the HORECA channel at national level and lay the foundations to extrapolate the model at European level. Within the project, the design and production of a reusable bottle that could serve as a standard model to favor reuse has been carried out. This coming summer, an experimental pilot test will be carried out in five Garraf establishments to know the environmental, technical and economic impact of this circular economy system. The participating restaurants are La Caleta, Los Vikingos, Costa Daurada and Can Laury, from Sitges, and Can Lloses, from Sant Pere de Ribes.
Actions planned in 2023
Familia Torres continues to bet on renewable energies as a key tool to mitigate climate change and therefore, during this year 2023, three new photovoltaic self-consumption projects will be carried out on roofs of its main winery, in Pacs del Penedès. These new facilities will increase its total installed power by 25%.
It also plans to expand the system for capturing and reusing CO2 from wine fermentation, which was launched during the 2021 harvest. This innovative circular economy project makes it possible to capture the CO2 generated during wine fermentation (a CO2 that the vine had previously absorbed during its development) to be used as an inert gas in wine vessels and avoid the purchase of this gas externally. Before the next campaign, the winery plans to increase the number of deposits that are part of this circuit which will allow to extend the days of carbon dioxide capture, with the aim of becoming 100% self-sufficient in consumption of this gas during the harvest.
The Torres & Earth program was launched in 2008 with the aim of reducing the winery's carbon footprint, adapting to the new climate scenario and raising awareness about the climate emergency. The investment made to date in adaptation and mitigation solutions exceeds 19 million euros.
According to Miguel A. Torres, president of Familia Torres and promoter of the Torres & Earth environmental program: "in accord with scientific articles recently published in Nature journal, we are exceeding all limits for the Earth to be habitable, so we must accelerate and intensify efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions, in all sectors and at all levels. Now more than ever, we must urgently decarbonize the economy and try to adapt to a climate reality that no one can question anymore."
