The New Zealand wine industry has remained committed to a sustainable future, a vision that industry leaders have championed for over thirty years.
Despite turbulent global trade winds, the industry's reputation for high-quality, distinctive, and sustainable wines has remained constant, and it is focused on protecting its hard-won reputation for generations to come.
The 2025 New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report has taken the pulse of the industry’s progress with sustainability. The report provided a compelling snapshot, highlighting empirical data collected from its members, who are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) and encapsulate 98 percent of the vineyard area and around 90 percent of wine produced.
The measures are set against the industry’s sustainability goals: Climate Change, Water, People, Soil, Waste, and Plant Protection.
“While we may be here for a short time, our impact can last longer than a lifetime. To our industry, sustainability means growing grapes and producing our world-famous wines in such a way that we can do so for generations to come”, stated the report.
The report noted that climate change is the industry's most significant long-term challenge. The New Zealand Wine Roadmap to Net Zero 2050, released in 2024, highlights the need for change across key value chain areas to set the path to a net-zero future.
“We can see from the data that more of our members are implementing specific initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint,” said Dr Edwin Massey, General Manager of Sustainability.
“Once you start measuring your emissions, you can make informed business decisions around future changes and investment.”
SWNZ members submit data on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Each member receives an individualised report that provides comparative data over time. In addition, regional and national reports provide a macro benchmark for progress.
With the goal of being world leaders in water use and the protection of water quality, Dr Massey said the report showed that “100 percent of wineries and 92 percent vineyards are optimising their water use through conservation and reduction.”
In the past year, NZW has upskilled its members to support progress towards its water goal further.
“New industry guidelines offer members practical ways to mitigate the already low impact of viticulture on freshwater. This month, we will complete the pilot for a digital tool that, in the future can integrate with the SWNZ programme when Freshwater Farm Plan regulations come into place. This will minimise duplication, save time and costs for grape growers.”
With 90 percent of New Zealand wine currently exported, advancing sustainability through research is paramount to the industry's future success.
Bragato Research Institute (BRI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of New Zealand Winegrowers. It bridges the gap between science and industry, focusing on and delivering research that fills knowledge gaps specific to New Zealand’s current and future grape-growing and winemaking needs.
The commitment to sustainability remained a key differentiator for New Zealand wine and is central to its premium brand proposition. This report highlighted the ongoing efforts by grape growers and winemakers to prioritise sustainability.
