Taking real measures at Astrolabe

Starting with a stocktake of carbon emissions in their 2020 financial year, the Marlborough-based company have ascertained their base level, with audit results due in late July.

Co-owner and founder Jane Forrest Waghorn says doing the stocktake retrospectively was quite challenging, involving elements like recording every single case of wine trucked out.

“It gave us a good feel for which parts of the business are producing the biggest emissions."

Now they wi l l star t offsetting their carbon footprint, says Jane, noting that being Toitu certified is the next step in their commitment to sustainability. “As a business, and a family, it is very important for us; we have a very real concern for climate change,” says Jane. “We rely upon grapes growing in this region, and we felt we needed to step up and face reality. We are a second generation family business, so we have to have a forward-looking approach about sustainability for our family, for the region and for the planet.”

Now they will start offsetting their carbon footprint, says Jane, noting that being Toitu certified is the next step in their commitment to sustainability. “As a business, and a family, it is very important for us; we have a very real concern for climate change,” says Jane. “We rely upon grapes growing in this region, and we felt we needed to step up and face reality. We are a second generation family business, so we have to have a forward-looking approach about sustainability for our family, for the region and for the planet.”

She says the carbon accounting adds another layer of complexity, “but we are okay with that because we need to do it and for it to be sound. The customers need to know that we are taking very real measures.”

Jane often wonders why grape vines don’t have a measurement of carbon they sequester.

“Some of our grapes have trunks like trees, 25 years-plus old. I’m not a scientist so I can’t do this kind of thing, but that’s what Toitū helps us with.”