We believe that each and everyone can have a positive impact on gas emission levels. With our partners, we’re working towards a more sustainable future, respectful of our finite quantity of resources, whether those resources are readily and freely available or not.
We look at our impact through the products we import. With our partners, we strive towards high standards of social and environmental performance.
EXCEPTIONAL CHAMPAGNES AND RESPONSIBLE USE OF LAND
SimplyChampagne curates exceptional champagnes that are representative of the quality of the terroir (soil and area) they come from and of their producer’s commitment.
Among the 4,300 independent champagne producers in Champagne, France, we select champagnes made from grapes farmed through sustainable, biological or even biodynamic methods fermented using natural yeasts and produced with no acidification or additives.
Responsible Soil Farming Practices
The family champagne estates and artisans that handcraft their champagnes are deeply committed to sustainable farming and winemaking practices through increased protection & regeneration of their soils. Pesticides and herbicides are only used in exceptional situations and rather replaced by a better balance and harmony between the vine and other plants through biodiversity.
Wine Making
Each grapevine is pruned individually by hand and individually harvested by hand. The grape bunches are then sorted by hand before pressing, which gives a pristine fruit to work with, allowing for minimal intervention in the winery. Our champagne makers are then able to use wild yeast ferments when appropriate, and very low rates of cultured yeast which allows the natural yeast on the grapes to play its part.
During harvest – the highest energy-consuming season – grapes are kept away from sun heat to protect them and to keep temperatures low. VATs are pre-cooled to allow for faster cooling and lower energy usage. Grape wastes and water are fully recycled.
Energy and Glass
Transport and winery electricity use. Transport and packaging together roughly represent 70% of the average carbon life cycle, with grape growing at 13% and winemaking at 17%. In fact production of the bottle accounts for around 50% of the average winery’s greenhouse gas emissions. Advances in glass production have resulted in a new innovation: light-weight glass of 853 grams (compared to 1.2 kilos) to reduce the gas emission footprint. Glass packaging accounting for the highest energy usage worldwide due to the large amount of energy required operate the high melting furnaces of glass materials.
Water
The Champagne region – unlike other wine growing regions in France – cannot water its vineyards in the summer months, so water usage is legally regulated.
SUSTAINABILITY TAKE AWAYS
We closely track carbon dioxide (CO2), other greenhouse gas emission and our activity generates using myclimate and Carbon Neutral. Our carbon footprint mainly comes from transportation, which represents 15% of the global GHG emission. We offset this footprint by investing in local projects in Champagne such as hedge plantations in 2020 and a beehive installation in 2021. We are also assessing local and global projects, notably through Carbon Fund.
We select the closest port to reduce land transportation fuel emission, regrouping goods. Our shipment partner has a goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per container by 45% (from 2008 levels). More than half of that goal has already been reached.
We work with shipment partners who have adopted the Clean Cargo standards tracking.
We are taking steps to decarbonize our operations in order to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
To counterbalance our CO2 emission, we have partnered with some of our wine growers to plant a tree. By planting the appropriate tree type approved by our knowledgeable wine growers and local agronomer, we aim to increase the amount of carbon stored within trees.
We import lighter champagne glass bottles, glass being the highest source of CO2 emission, right before transportation.
We use Champagne packaging box with minimal ink and use referrals from the SPC (Sustainability Packaging Coalition) and Packaging Europe for new applicable norms and innovations. Here is an innovation example.
We support the change of industrial production processes that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (e.g. early tank cooling, self-sufficient energy production).
We support local projects to recycle or upcycle material investments and to innovate by creating new services (lending material, other social or environmental benefits provided by the offset project like selling energy surplus, water quality improvement, increased biodiversity knowledge).
A carbon offset is a scientifically quantified reduction in greenhouse gas emissions created when one metric ton of greenhouse gas is captured, avoided, or destroyed in order to compensate for an equivalent emission made elsewhere.
Greenhouse gases are one of several gases, especially carbon dioxide, that prevents heat from the earth escaping into space, causing the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse effect is an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, that is the main cause of gradual warming of the surface of the earth.
Clean Cargo standards tracks CO2, Sulphur oxides emission mainly due to the presence and burning of sulphur compound in the fuel (SOx), nitrogen oxides produced during combustion emissions (NOx), waste management, water effluents, chemical use, Environmental Management System, transparency.