Urgent Action for Environmental Sustainability the Sole Path Forward, Warns Industry Leader
Addressing the audience at the Cape Wine 2022 showcase in Cape Town, António Amorim, the president of Amorim, a prominent Portuguese cork company and the largest supplier of cork stoppers to the global wine industry, stressed that time is running out and there is no alternative plan to address the escalating pressure on the world’s resources. Amorim highlighted the imminent challenge of a world population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, indicating that there is no room for prolonged deliberation in the pursuit of a sustainable planet. He urged individuals to take decisive action.
Amorim, a keynote speaker at the opening of Cape Wine 2022, drew attention to the significance of sustainable practices in the context of the event’s theme, Sustainability 360. He emphasized the crucial need for selective consumption, advocating for conscientious habits that encourage suppliers to offer products and services with a lower carbon footprint. Additionally, he stressed the importance of investing in a carbon sink to achieve Carbon Net Zero globally by 2050.
The uniqueness of the wine industry lies in its distinct branding as an agricultural product that underscores the origin of each wine and ensures traceability throughout the supply chain. Amorim praised South Africa’s exemplary commitment to sustainability through initiatives like the partnership between Cape wine farms and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), as well as the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) system. These efforts position South African producers at the forefront of sustainable practices in the global wine world.
Amorim highlighted the findings of the Porto Protocol in 2019, which identified four significant areas contributing to carbon emissions: vineyard management (34%), winery operations (15%), packaging (38%), and transport (13%). Notably, packaging emerged as the largest carbon emitter. Amorim presented innovative research on cork’s carbon-capturing capabilities, revealing that each ton of harvested cork retains 73 tons of CO₂. This has led to the revelation that cork stoppers can offset carbon emissions generated by glass bottle production.
Amorim announced a commitment to plant 1.5 million cork oak trees over the next five years on 4,000 hectares of their land, aiming to revive Mediterranean regions facing desertification. He emphasized that cork not only serves as a high-quality closure for wines but also adds to the product’s premium image while offering a negative carbon footprint.
In his closing remarks, Amorim acknowledged the shared values within the global wine industry, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in the supply chain. He commended South Africa’s potential to lead on this front and urged the country to demonstrate leadership in unified sustainability efforts, setting an example for the rest of the world.
