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Top four findings from the latest IWCA report

20 November 2025 By Sarah Neish

As of 2025, International Wines for Climate Action (IWCA) members represent 3.5% of global wine production. And the last 12 months have seen the number of Gold members double. Sarah Neish reports.

International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) is a group of wineries taking a science-based approach to reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry. It offers global leadership, tools and expertise and knowledge sharing to help mitigate climate change impacts in vineyard and winery operations with the view decarbonising the global wine industry.

Here’s everything you need to know from its latest annual report.

1.Gold members have doubled in the past year

Over the past 12 months, IWCA has increased its Gold member count from nine to 18, underscoring a growing commitment to renewable energy and carbon reduction in the wine sector. What this means in practical terms is that Gold members, which include the likes of Symington Family Estates (Portugal) and Henschke (Australia), all produce 50% or more of their own energy needs, reducing reliance on their national grids. You can read db’s ‘big interview’ with Stephen Henschke here.

2.Being sustainable gives companies a competitive edge

In this year’s report, IWCA president and Jackson Family Wines owner Katie Jackson stressed that there is a real commercial incentive for wine producers going green. “Carbon reduction isn’t just about compliance —it’s about competitiveness,” she said. “By aligning profitability with purpose, we are redefining what it means to be a successful wine producer in the 21st century.”

3.Latin America embraces “transparency” through new GHG calculator

Calling it “a landmark achievement made possible by the collaborative spirit of members in Argentina and Chile”, IWCA launched its greenhouse gas (GHG) calculator in Latin America in January 2025. Created in collaboration with leading Argentinean and Chilean wineries Domaine Bousquet, Grupo Peñaflor, Miguel Torres Chile and VSPT, IWCA called the project “a major step forward in helping wineries in South American nations calculate their GHG emissions.”

Completely free to use via IWCA’s website, the tool helps producers to measure their carbon footprint across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, and compare their results with those of other wineries in the region. According to IWCA, the calculator promotes “more transparent and competitive management in terms of sustainability” in Latin America.

4.Germany and South Africa join for first time

German producer Bötzinger and South Africa’s Mullineux and Leeu Passant (with wineries in Swartland and Franschoek) both became IWCA members this year, marking not only the first time that these producers have aligned with the organisation but also the first time their respective countries have been represented.

Cooperative Botzinger comprises more than 300 winegrowers working 360 hectares of vineyards in Germany’s Kaiserstuhl region, making it one of the largest co-ops in the country. Nestled between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains, this small mountain range opens to the south, forming “the gateway to Burgundy”, and leading to a Burgundy grape focus for the region’s growers.

Mullineux in South Africa’s Swartland is known for its fine Syrah and Chenin Blanc, while Leeu Passant is deeply involved with South Africa’s Old Vine Project, which certifies the plant date of vineyards that are 35 years and older.

No winery too small

Last year, db broke the news that IWCA had extended its membership to smaller wineries via an “affiliation” option created to “incentivise them to join the movement.”

“Often such wineries find it difficult to comply with the demanding IWCA protocols due to limited manpower and resources,” Josep Ribas, founding board member of IWCA and sustainability manager for Familia Torres, said at the time.

Although affiliation members aren’t considered full members, microwineries (defined as those producing less than 135,000 litres per year) will “benefit from taking part in all IWCA initiatives and knowledge sharing as part of our membership programme,” Ribas added.

Microwineries wishing to be involved must commit to repeating the carbon measuring process “at least every other year” and must sign up to achieve Net Zero emissions before 2050.

According to IWCA: “The microwinery protocol is going well. We have had a lot of interest since launch, and are hoping to welcome new members in 2026.”