What does this goal mean
Elevating sustainability practices is imperative for all businesses. For us, such imperative stems from ethical considerations, of course, but also from the undeniable commercial advantages it offers, and to meet the increasing expectations of our customers, too. Embracing sustainability requires significant effort and unwavering commitment to avoid the risk of merely engaging in greenwashing. To avoid this pitfall, we have set an ambitious yet clear and measurable target: achieving net zero emissions across all our internal operations by 2030. This commitment isn't just about benefiting the environment, it is also about fostering positive outcomes for our business, communities, employees, customers, and suppliers. We recognise we are one of Britain's leading wine and spirits suppliers, and as such our actions and achievements can catalyse environmental improvements throughout the entire supply chain.
What we’ve done so far
Since the inception of our Sustainability Charter in 2022, we have made significant strides in reaching our priority targets. In fact, we have surpassed all the milestones we set for this point in time. Such progress demonstrates that we are firmly on track to attain our ultimate objective of achieving net zero emissions across all our internal operations by 2030. For example, we have been prioritising rail services due to their lower emissions compared to road and air transport. 90% of our shipments from Italy, for instance, are now transported by rail. This contributes to approximately half the carbon emissions compared to road transport. For longer journeys, we employ feeder services to reduce road miles and alleviate congestion at port and container terminals. Additionally, we increasingly use 24,000-litre containers to import high-volume wine, which is then packaged in lightweight glass bottles closer to the final delivery point. This approach results in a 50% reduction in carbon emissions per litre compared to shipping the wine in traditional glass bottles. As for our national deliveries, all our diesel vans are EU Cat 6 & ULEZ compliant, and we are actively exploring electric vehicle (EV) fleet options. Meanwhile, to optimise the carbon efficiency of our delivery routes, we utilise the Paragon Routing system. This system enables our drivers to plan the most environmentally friendly routes, while still ensuring that all wines and spirits are delivered precisely when and where our customers need them.
"Working towards a sustainable future is an ongoing commitment and we will always be evolving with changes that are both external and internal to our industry. However, achieving carbon neutrality within our internal operations is a tangible and measurable goal that we get closer to each day by implementing initiatives."
What we’ve yet to do
Working towards a sustainable future demands ongoing commitment and continuous effort. There are several reasons why this task is perpetual. Firstly, the scope of work is vast, and secondly, the necessary actions evolve with changes that are both external and internal to our industry. However, amidst this dynamic landscape, achieving carbon neutrality within our internal operations is a tangible and measurable goal, which we see as a significant milestone in our journey, rather than the culmination of our efforts. To accomplish this goal, we have a series of actions planned for the months and years ahead. For example, we aim to transition our entire fleet at Enotria&Coe to electric vehicles once suitable options for our required van type become available. We are also scrutinising every aspect of our operations, from using certified carbon-neutral paper for all professionally printed materials to adopting sustainable shrink-wrap solutions and phasing out non-recyclable packaging for goods-in. Each day, we make progress by implementing these initiatives, bringing us closer and closer to our ambitious target.