Accolade Europe achieves carbon neutrality for UK core portfolio

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 15 September, 2020

Accolade Wines has achieved a major milestone in its journey to reduce its carbon footprint to net zero across the company.

Its core branded portfolio for Europe, which includes Hardys, Mudhouse, Jam Shed, Banrock Station, Echo Falls and Kumala, has now been certified carbon neutral.

The certification follows efforts by the company to drastically reduce its carbon footprint in Europe, where it sells over 150 million bottles of wine annually.

This includes the introduction of lighter weight bottles for Echo Falls and Hardy’s this year and more recyclable packaging for its wine on tap formats. Investments in on-site renewable energy have also begun. A solar panel installation at one of its Australian vineyards is underway. In 2019, a 2.5MW wind turbine was installed at the company’s Bristol manufacturing site, Accolade Park, which has significantly reduced GHG emissions.

“We’re very proud to announce that our Accolade Wines UK-packaged core branded portfolio is carbon neutral,” Caroline Thompson-Hill, managing director for Europe, Accolade Wines, said. “We know that there is demand from shoppers for greener products, with 62% of consumers saying they want to buy from sustainable brands, and the wine category is no different. Companies have to act on their carbon footprint for the sake of the planet and we want Accolade Wines Europe to set a positive example that we hope the rest of the industry follow.”

CEO Robert Foye added: “Taking our UK-packaged core branded portfolio carbon neutral is a major achievement for our entire company and follows on from recent investment in The Park to become a carbon neutral production facility. We are committed to focusing on sustainability across everything we do and moving towards carbon neutrality across our business is extremely important to us.”

Accolade’s carbon neutral footprint was certified by the Carbon Trust, an independent organisation that looks to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.

The company’s goal is to complete 100% portfolio neutrality by the end of 2020.

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