Miguel A. Torres pens open letter calling for more climate activism
Miguel A. Torres, president of Familia Torres has urged the wine industry to do more to combat climate change in an open letter.
In 2019, Torres and Katie Jackson, vice president of sustainability at Jackson Family Wines, co-founded the working group International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), designed to help forward-thinking wineries around the world achieve their climate change goals.
The IWCA is now formed of 41 wineries across 10 countries, all striving to reduce carbon emissions and make wine a symbol of climate action and resiliency around the world.
“Often I am asked what the biggest challenge the wine sector is facing, and my answer is always without any doubt: climate change,” wrote Torres, a fourth-generation family member of the winery.
He continued: “Hopefully now with the extreme drought and heat waves in many parts of the world, more people start to realise that something is going on, or actually going really wrong.
“It has become clear that climate change – or better to say climate crisis – is a much bigger threat to mankind than Covid and if no immediate measures are taken, the world in general but especially viticulture will be heading for big problems and changes.
“Therefore, we must accelerate the decarbonisation of our world economy and it is crucial that more action is taken, in all parts of the world, on every level, in every sector and of course also in the wine sector.”
The IWCA was the first Race to Zero member representing the wine and agriculture sector, a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.
In a final plea to the trade, Torres asked more wineries to join the IWCA to help drive forward momentum.
He said: “It is crucial to accelerate the decarbonisation and together we should all do an extra effort to still try to fulfil the 2015 Paris Agreement: to reduce the rise in temperatures to a maximum of between 1.5ºC and 2ºC by the end of the century. It is crucial that more action is taken so that together we can put a stop to this madness that will make our earth almost uninhabitable at the end of this century.”
Current members include the likes of Symington, CVNE and Ramón Bilbao as well as notable producers such as Felton Road and Champagne Lanson.
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