Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate
• Environment
• People
• Sourcing
• Action

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 footprint by 49% by moving to a 100% renewable energy provider, saving around 240 tCO2e per year
• Reduced average bottle weight of Society own-label wines from 434g to 413g, removing 38 tonnes of glass and saving 33 tCO2e a year
• Launched six own-label wines in bag-in-box (BiB), potentially saving up to 90% carbon emissions compared to glass bottles
• Send zero waste to landfill
• Set a target that by 2028, 95% of waste will be recycled or reused

Social Achievements

• Created a new approach to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) with a plan of action for the year ahead
• Launched a range of Low & No alcohol drinks
• Added calorie and alcohol unit information to product pages of own-label wines
• Introduced employee benefits such as a healthcare app, savings vouchers, and a cycle-to-work scheme
• Provided free fresh fruit and plants in the office to enhance wellbeing

Governance Achievements

• Developed a Responsible Sourcing programme with a new Social and Environmental Supplier Code of Conduct
• Published a Human Rights Policy
• Developed a more rigorous approach to food sourcing with responsible sourcing questions for prospective suppliers
• Implemented a third-party whistleblowing line

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increasing the amount of renewable energy generated by installing solar panels was not possible due to inflationary costs
• Achieving 100% lightweight glass bottles (420g or below) by 2027 for still wines faces challenges with appellation rules and bottle availability
• Reducing cardboard packaging by 50% faces challenges due to diverse supplier practices
• EDI implementation has been slower than expected due to complexity
• Reducing Scope 3 emissions to zero by 2040 relies on other industries also reducing their emissions

Mitigation Strategies

• Inclusion of solar panel installation in plans for the coming financial year
• Working with suppliers and industry bodies to address challenges related to lightweight glass bottles
• Developing and rolling out packaging standards for suppliers and revising specifications for own boxes
• Developing a detailed plan of action for EDI based on four foundations
• Investing in a carbon removal programme to balance out some emissions while working towards reduction

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Social and Environmental Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Bag-in-box wines
• Low & No alcohol drinks

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change
• Human Rights
• Biodiversity
• Supply Chain Sustainability
• Employee Wellbeing
• Community Engagement

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 39% compared to 2022 (779 tCO2e down to 475 tCO2e)
• Increased solar energy output to more than 50% of total power needed, avoiding around 200 tCO2e per year
• Launched Climate and Nature Programme investing £60,000 annually in nature-based projects in growers' vineyards
• 40% of still wine range in bottles below 420g, working towards 60% by end of 2025
• Trialled six core wine lines in Bag-in-Box, selling over 18,000 units
• Trialled four wines in rPET bottles, all 4,800 bottles selling out
• Reworked Christmas gift box design, removing plastic film and reducing card usage by 50%
• Removed plastic capsules from 17 own-label wines, removing around 5,900kg of plastic and metal

Social Achievements

• Launched Community Wine Programme, providing training and job opportunities to local people
• Improved employee benefits including maternity pay, holiday allowance, and long-service awards
• Introduced a quarterly Pulse Survey to understand employee needs and improve working conditions
• Introduced an independent whistleblowing service (Safecall)
• Agreed an annual budget of £12,000 for charitable donations

Governance Achievements

• Carbon reduction targets approved by SBTi
• Implemented a Human Rights Policy
• Rolled out a Social and Environmental Code of Conduct to all suppliers
• Developed a Supplier Screening and Prioritisation Tool
• Conducted anti-modern slavery training with senior managers

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Switching van fleet to electric is proving more complex than anticipated due to technology limitations and charging infrastructure
• Implementing a compliance program to ensure fair treatment of all workers in the supply chain is complex and sensitive
• Reducing cardboard in boxes is challenging due to ongoing contracts
• Gathering complete nutritional information from all producers for website is difficult

Mitigation Strategies

• Testing electric vans for shorter routes
• Investing more time and effort to co-design effective approach with suppliers for fair labor practices
• Planning to address cardboard reduction in 2025
• Postponing full nutritional information rollout until data is more readily available

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Social and Environmental Code of Conduct
• Supplier Screening and Prioritisation Tool
• Fair pricing practices

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events impacting vineyards

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes related to packaging and emissions

Opportunities

• Development of more sustainable packaging and practices

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SBTi

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Bag-in-Box wines
• rPET bottles

Awards & Recognition

• Green Retailer of the Year
• Green Company of the Year (The Drinks Business Green Awards)
• Runner-up in Decanter’s Green Champion Awards
• Finalist in UK Green Business Awards Retailer of the Year