CARBON NEUTRAL WINERY
CERTIFICATA IN ITALIA AD IMPATTO 0
What is Carbon Neutrality?
ZERO IMPACTEvery human activity, whether natural, such as fermentation that transforms the must into wine, or artificial like the machine that brings our farmer to hoe under the row, generates the emissions of the so-called GAS Serra, the most famous of which is Carbon Dioxide or the well known CO2. These greenhouse GASs, as is known, are the main suspects for pollution in general and for global warming and climate change in particular.
Being Carbon Neutral means having accurately and scientifically analyzed its impact on the environment relating to the emissions of the entire production process, from the countryside to bottled wine; and having brought, through reduction and compensation actions, this balance to ZERO, or having canceled their own footprint on the environment.
Firriato is therefore certified zero impact, CERBON FOOTPRINT NEUTRAL;Â a path started in 2014 and crowned at the beginning of 2019, a concrete, certified and effective commitment against climate change, to give our children a better future.
Being Carbon Neutral means having accurately and scientifically analyzed its impact on the environment relating to the emissions of the entire production process, from the countryside to bottled wine; and having brought, through reduction and compensation actions, this balance to ZERO, or having canceled their own footprint on the environment.
Firriato is therefore certified zero impact, CERBON FOOTPRINT NEUTRAL; a path started in 2014 and crowned at the beginning of 2019, a concrete, certified and effective commitment against climate change, to give our children a better future.
What is Carbon Neutrality?
ZERO IMPACTEvery human activity, whether natural, such as fermentation that transforms the must into wine, or artificial like the machine that brings our farmer to hoe under the row, generates the emissions of the so-called GAS Serra, the most famous of which is Carbon Dioxide or the well known CO2.
These greenhouse GASs, as is known, are the main suspects for pollution in general and for global warming and climate change in particular.
Being Carbon Neutral means having accurately and scientifically analyzed its impact on the environment relating to the emissions of the entire production process, from the countryside to bottled wine; and having brought, through reduction and compensation actions, this balance to ZERO, or having canceled their own footprint on the environment.
Firriato is therefore certified zero impact, CERBON FOOTPRINT NEUTRAL; a path started in 2014 and crowned at the beginning of 2019, a concrete, certified and effective commitment against climate change, to give our children a better future.
on the environment
The choice: cancel our footprint on the environment
Firriato has always been at the forefront and pioneer of environmental sustainability, the real one, made up of real actions and measurement of results, adhering to international standards with constant contacts with research bodies.
However, this seemed not enough, for two main reasons. The first is that no matter how hard one tries, the environmental protection action carried out by man can give rise to positive reactions measurable tens of years later. The second is socio-anthropological in nature, man must take cognizance of its impact before it is too late. Animated by this “mission”, we have therefore decided to accelerate the times, canceling, where possible, our footprint on the environment in a certified way, that is, provable by anyone, but above all measurable. Emissions were and are one of the most complex topics and with the greatest impact on the environment and climate system, so we decided to achieve this very important result: the certified carbon neutrality, hoping to become an example for others and sharing the experience, both technical and common that entrepreneurial, acquired during this process.
Our path, our way
Everything starts from far away, Firriato’s attention to environmental sustainability begins with its foundation, and it is already at the end of the 90s that the first actions aimed, among other things, at reducing the impact environmental and its emissions.
Various investments followed with this specific objective, but the turning point came in 2012 with the entry of Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato into the company. Taking note of the enormous effort already made, Federico has a dream: to make the entire production process, from the vineyard to the bottle that comes out of the cellar gate, become carbon neutral. From here unfolds a long and complex path made of two main lines, the first will be to make investments to reduce emissions, the second will be to quantify these emissions scientifically, so that we can monitor and reduce them with an approach precise and structured.
The completion of a path
In 2014 Firriato became one of the first examples in the world of application and ISO14064 certification for the entire production area related to wine. It is not simply linked to a single label, but to all wines in order to make this philosophy of quantification and reduction not a one-off, but an integral part of the whole Firriato universe.
The certification may seem to many simply a number, but it is a fundamental goal: only by quantifying your balance of emissions can you start the process that will lead to Carbon Neutrality. A prestigious result certified by a third party, the DNV-GL, as proof of the commitment and seriousness applied to these issues, which have now become an essential priority for the Firriato family. The next step is to extend this quantification to the entire production area of ââthe countryside, to complete the so-called “big picture”. The cycle continues and Firriato certifies, in 2017, that thanks to its investments and choices, it has reduced its emissions by as much as 41% since 2012. A result that speaks for itself. From this moment on, Firriato focuses on the latest possible initiative: neutrality of emissions, a target reached in 2019.
Zero Impact
ZERO IMPACTOnce the emissions balance is correctly calculated Firriato can finally decide to bring its residual environmental impact to zero with further investments, this time not with the aim of reducing emissions, but with the aim of compensating for the effect in order to achieve neutrality.
He decides to do it in two different ways, but deeply synergistic with important and positive environmental and social implications.
Once this calculation has been made, Firriato requests and obtains the EN: ISO14064-1 certification which is valid for two years, this means that a third party certifying body, the DNV-GL in our case, analyzes these data and confirms that the analyzes have been carried out rigorously and correctly, including the entire reference perimeter, in our case the entire production process. At the same time, the certifying body verifies that all the actions aimed at reducing emissions that the company had included in the previous plan have been implemented.
The remaining footprint was canceled through the support of specific environmental protection activities in emerging economy countries. Firriato has thus participated in reforestation works, through projects carried out within the VCS (Verified Carbon Standard), which have led to the planting of new hectares of rainforests in tropical areas, helping to block the deforestation of these places and to preserve their biodiversity. Furthermore, also in these countries, the company has joined projects to produce sustainable energy through the use of alternative sources.
Adherence to these environmental protection activities, a concrete expression of the green attitude with which Firriato’s production project has distinguished itself from the very beginning, has made it possible to bring greenhouse gas emissions to zero, calculated thanks to the use of a certified algorithm which awarded the company the Carbon Neutrality certification.
gas emissions
Using the rigorous scientific standards of the ISO14060 family norms, Firriato calculates, the balance of greenhouse gas emissions , every 2 years. Budget is the result of the calculation of the activities carried out in the two-year period of reference, if an investment aimed at reducing emissions has achieved the desired effect, it will be seen at this stage. The budget also includes the so-called “seizures”, all the activities carried out by the company to technically remove greenhouse gases from the environment. A clear example is tree cultivation or spontaneous grassing. At the same time, an action plan is drawn up aimed at further reducing these emissions year by year through targeted initiatives and investments.
-41% of emissions
Once this calculation has been made, Firriato requests and obtains the EN: ISO14064-1 certification which is valid for two years, this means that a third party certifying body, the DNV-GL in our case, analyzes these data and confirms that the analyzes have been carried out rigorously and correctly, including the entire reference perimeter, in our case the entire production process. At the same time, the certifying body verifies that all the actions aimed at reducing emissions that the company had included in the previous plan have been implemented.
for emissions
Firriato now knows with certainty what its surplus of emissions to compensate is, therefore, always under the control of a certifying body, it makes investments to compensate, for the reference time cycle, the quantity, expressed in tons of CO2 equivalent, of emissions . Firriato has been carrying out these activities for years by providing certified reforestation programs using the VCS / VERRA standard of rainforests or by bringing renewable electricity to third world economies that would otherwise get their supplies from highly polluting sources. Thanks to these actions, the emissions balance is brought to zero.
certified
Through these certified offset projects, Firriato obtains a certificate, usable only once, called âcarbon creditâ or âcarbon offsetâ. The certifying body, where having verified that the entire process was carried out in accordance with international standards, declares that Firriato is Carbon Neutral, that is, its footprint of emissions with respect to the entire production cycle is zero, neutral with respect to the environment.
Not only reduction of emissions but also social responsibility
The company’s commitment to protecting the environment in offsetting CO2 emissions. It is demonstrated by joining two international projects in the field of forest planting and supply clean energy to developing countries. In this sense, Firriato’s green commitment is realized through the participation in reforestation operations promoted by Verra, of the rainforests of Madagascar and the active participation in projects for the installation of a wind power plant of 45 MW connected to the MMTC network in Karnataka (India). The green commitment also brings with it significant benefits not only for the environment but also in the involvement of local populations.
Not only reduction of emissions but also social responsibility
The company’s commitment to protecting the environment in offsetting CO2 emissions. It is demonstrated by joining two international projects in the field of forest planting and supply clean energy to developing countries. In this sense, Firriato’s green commitment is realized through the participation in reforestation operations promoted by Verra, of the rainforests of Madagascar and the active participation in projects for the installation of a wind power plant of 45 MW connected to the MMTC network in Karnataka (India). The green commitment also brings with it significant benefits not only for the environment but also in the involvement of local populations.
We started by planting the first tree and we never stopped, we have now reached 1089 trees planted in the rainforest of Madagascar. Trees provide a huge contribution against climate change and pollution; in fact, during their growth and with chlorophyll photosynthesis, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere “conserving” it inside them and releasing it into the air. Trees also help us to preserve the habitat of animals, insects and other plant forms, so it is a true protection of biodiversity. Life in nature uses trees for food, shelter, nesting, reproduction and life. Trees reduce soil erosion and desertification and, above all, help us keep the soil fertile. Trees help prevent water pollution; forests provide natural filtration by purifying the water and making it cleaner. In addition to protecting the environment and biodiversity, planting trees gives us the opportunity to create jobs and a culture of environmental protection in communities where, through our adhesion to international projects, there is more need. These communities are involved in the planning and implementation of reforestation projects and local farmers are financially incentivized to plant trees and care for them for life instead of deforesting for their subsistence economy. Do you want to adopt one? Learn more at tree.firriato.it
Can we think of offsetting emissions without thinking about the future? Obviously not! This is why we have decided to join a very important VCS certified project in which we contribute to bringing renewable energy to the economies of the third world. In this way, in addition to offsetting our emissions, we have two other important objectives of an environmental and social nature. First of all, we bring electricity to populations who do not have it, and secondly, we avoid producing electricity using cheap but highly polluting methods such as coal! This is why we have joined the installation of a 15MW plant in Karnataka in India, one of the poorest areas in the area
