Work

Eco-innovation minimizes the carbon footprint of wine production

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Wine industry faces significant sustainability challenges in the wake of climate change. Life cycle assessments for carbon footprint in wineries suggest that the conventional farming exhibits higher values of 0.06–3.0 kg CO2-eq bottle–1 of 750 mL wine as compared to mixed and organic farming. Life cycle assessment findings highlight that most studies often overlooked the resources in farming practices, biogenic emissions, and wastewaters in the overall reduction of winery carbon footprint. We demonstrate that the adoption of eco-innovations such as constructed wetlands and Phycosol utilize the overlooked resource loop and significantly reduce the winery carbon footprint. Empirical data analysis suggests that the use of these eco-innovative models results in 25‒30% reduction of CO2 emissions bottle–1 of 750 mL wine besides embracing Sustainable Development Goal 9, and effectively synergizing with Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 12, thus emphasizing their critical role in ensuring the sustainability of wine production. Constructed wetlands and Phycosol systems that integrate solar technologies with microalgae reduce the winery’s greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Sustainable Development Goals, according to an analysis of data on wastewater generation, biogenic fermentation, and biomass utilization.

Source: Communications Earth & Environment

DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01766-0

Authors: Sudharsanam Abinandan, Kuppan Praveen, Kadiyala Venkateswarlu, Mallavarapu Megharaj

Institutions: University of Newcastle Australia, Sri Krishnadevaraya University

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,290