Herita Marzotto Wine Estates is the first company of Italian wine to reach Carbon Neutrality

It is the first Italian winery to achieve a historic milestone in sustainability: Herita Marzotto Wine Estates, one of the leading players in the Italian and international wine industry, has achieved Carbon Neutrality for the 2024 financial year. This achievement has been certified in accordance with the international Pas 2060 standard, following the certification of the Organizational Carbon Footprint under ISO 14064-1 for all production units of the group, including those in the United States. The announcement coincides with the release of the third edition of the Sustainability Report, a document that provides a clear and transparent overview of the company’s impacts, risks, opportunities, policies, actions, goals, and metrics related to sustainability. The company began this journey 12 years ago, initially measuring and offsetting emissions associated with Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio sold in the Canadian market, and has now reached full compensation of all emissions included in its organizational carbon footprint.
The commitment of Herita - a group which brings together some of the most important estates in Italian wine (from Santa Margherita in Veneto to Kettmeir in South Tyrol, from Ca’ del Bosco in Franciacorta to Lamole di Lamole and Vistarenni in Chianti Classico, from Cà Maiol in Lugana to Torresella in Eastern Veneto, from Sassoregale in Maremma to Cantine Mesa in Sardinia, passing through Roco Winery in Oregon, ed), with a turnover of over 248 million euros, and more than 25 million bottles sold in 2024 across over 90 countries - in order to fight climate change, a dual strategy is realized: prioritizing carbon emission reduction and investing significantly in offsetting to achieve a net-zero climate impact. “We are proud to present the third edition of Herita Marzotto Wine Estates Sustainability Report”, declared Gaetano Marzotto, president of Herita. “It’s not just a reporting document, but a declaration of intent, a manifesto of our commitment to a business model which creates value, redefines paradigms, and leaves a positive mark on the planet and its people. This year, we chose to adopt European Sustainability Reporting Standards Esrs, not just as a regulatory requirement, but as an opportunity to make the impacts of our decisions even more tangible and measurable. We want sustainability to be something concrete, beyond words, translated into actions capable of driving change”.
Achieving carbon neutrality is the result of a strategic path that includes targeted investments in winemaking technologies, logistics, and energy efficiency, which reduced the group’s total emissions from approximately 39,000 tons of CO2 in 2023 to around 32,000 tons of CO2 in 2024. Additionally, Herita supports the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an initiative aiming at protecting 248,946 hectares of tropical forest, fighting deforestation, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The project, developed by Era-Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc. and Wildlife Works Carbon Llc, is certified by the Verified Carbon Standard (Vcs) for CO2 reduction and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (Ccb) standard for socio-economic benefits to local communities.
Herita Marzotto Wine Estates also manages 40 hectares of productive land overseas and nearly 800 hectares of vineyards across Italy, the majority of which are organically farmed or Sqnpi-certified, following a production model which prioritizes biodiversity, energy savings, and freshwater conservation. The company favors renewable energy sources, preferably self-produced, and has embarked on a path to reduce bottle weight and use Fsc or Pefc-certified paper and cardboard packaging. Looking ahead, Herita reaffirms its determination to pursue carbon emission reduction as a priority, alongside ongoing offsetting efforts to maintain a net-zero climate impact.