De 12e editie van de Green Awards van het Britse tijdschrift The Drinks Business, een van de toonaangevende platforms voor professionals in de drankenindustrie, riep Bodega Torres tot winnaar uit. Familia Torres ontving de prestigieuze Green Company of the Year Award, voor zijn ‘zeer oprechte inzet voor duurzaamheid als fundamenteel onderdeel van het bedrijf’, aldus de jury. En voegde eraan toe ‘Dat Torres ondanks het feit dat het de afgelopen 10 jaar 16 miljoen euro heeft uitgegeven aan het verbeteren van zijn groene karakter, niet op zijn lauweren rust gezien het unieke ballonopvangsysteem dat dit jaar is ingesteld om 20 ton koolstofdioxide van het fermentatieproces op te vangen en opnieuw te gebruiken.‘
Het Engelstalige pb:
Familia Torres’ environmental work was recognized at the 12th edition of the Green Awards, presented by the British magazine The Drinks Business, one of the leading publications for beverage industry professionals worldwide. Specifically, the winery received the prestigious ‘Green Company of the Year’ Award, for its “very genuine commitment to the cause, having ploughed the furrow consistently and made sustainability a fundamental part of its business”, as highlighted by the jury. And added: “That despite having spent 16 million euros on improving environmental practices over the last 10 years or so, Torres is not content to simply rest on its laurels, as proven by the implementation of its unique balloon capture system this year, which is set to capture and re-use 20 tons of Carbon Dioxide created by the wine fermentation process.”
In addition, the jury also valued “the sheer amount of time and resources that Familia Torres has dedicated to green issues”, describing Torres “as the godfather of sustainability” and seeing the company as having “a real leadership role to play in the green movement”. Furthermore, the jury also applauded “the company’s generosity in sharing its findings with other wineries around the world, not least through co-founding The International Wineries for Climate Action.”
Familia Torres also received, together with the Californian winery Jackson Family Wines, the Award for the ‘Best Green Initiative’ for the scope of International Wineries for Climate Action; IWCA was co-founded by the two wineries in 2019 and already brings together 22 wineries around the world, with another 30 in the process to join.
Miguel A. Torres, President of Familia Torres and part of the family’s fourth generation stated: “It is of course a great honour to be awarded for our sustainability efforts of our Torres & Earth program, but I am even more happy for the shared ‘Best Green Initiative’ Award, as I am convinced that the key word is working together. It is clear now that no one can afford a “stand by and watch” attitude towards climate change anymore and that action is needed on all levels, in all sectors, in all parts of the world. IWCA now has 22 members, but we need many more wineries that take action to collectively decarbonize the global wine sector.”
The Torres & Earth program started in 2008 covering projects like renewable energies, biomass, electric cars, energy efficiency, adaptation to climate change, reforestation and research. Since then, almost 16 million € were invested in the program, reducing Torres’ carbon footprint by 34% per bottle between 2008 and 2020, exceeding the target initially set. For 2030, Familia Torres’ goal is now to achieve a minimum of 60% reduction with the intention of reaching even 70%, becoming a winery with zero net emissions before 2040.
Over the years, Familia Torres has received other distinctions at the The Drinks Business Green Awards: in 2010 Green Company of the Year and in 2013 the Amorim Environmental Award. Miguel A. Torres also received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2011.
The 2021 awards, with prizes in 13 different categories, were presented in London on Monday, 29th of November and sponsored by Amorim and Pol Roger Portfolio. Now in its 12th year, the Green Awards by The Drinks Business is the only initiative to reward those operators in the drinks sector taking an eco-minded and sustainable approach to their business. The jury is made up of leading figures from across the drinks industry and is chaired by Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-chief at The Drinks Business.
