FIVS & THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

In 2015, all 193 UN Member States unanimously adopted 17 SDGs pledging to end poverty, protect the planet, and secure peace and prosperity for everyone around the world by 2030. The achievement of the 17 goals, and the 169 associated targets, relies on close collaboration between the private and public sectors to advance towards global environmental, social and economic sustainability. The SDGs also provide a universal language for all actors to discuss their sustainable practices and monitor their achievements. On this page we present some of the activities and outputs of FIVS over the last 15-20 years and show how we have been seeking to encourage environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the industry over that period. Although the whole structure and emphasis of our work is sustainability-oriented, it seemed appropriate at this time to present it through the lens of the UN SDGs to make the magnitude and scope of our commitment clearer and more accessible to a wider audience. More information regarding the interaction of FIVS with the UN SDGs can be found in our brochure FIVS & the UN SDGs: Walking the Talk.

You can explore how FIVS interacts with the UN SDGs below, or jump to a list of FIVS projects associated with the UN SDGs.

« Bearing in mind that the membership of FIVS encompasses approximately 75% of the wine traded globally, this amounts to a resounding commitment from the majority of wine producers around the world. »

Greg Hodson, Former President

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

In 2007, FIVS created FIVS-Assure which is a publicly available online database that gathers resources on social aspects programmes in the wine, spirits, and beer sectors. The FIVS-Assure database was relaunched in 2021, with the enhanced site offering an intuitive design with additional features that enable users to locate a wider range of initiatives more easily. In 2018, FIVS partnered with the organisation Wine in Moderation (WiM) with the shared objective of increasing awareness of the significance of social responsibility in the alcohol beverage area.

Associated Projects: FIVS-Assure; WiM

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The FIVS GWPESP have been promoting water use efficiency and reuse for more than 15 years by encouraging wineries to perform environmental risk assessments for water use efficiency and wastewater management and through the implementation of environmentally sustainable activities. Furthermore, the FSSPET encourages access to safe drinking water, safe and clean eating and resting areas in working environments, as well as healthy working and living conditions for workers and local communities and responses to potential threats to these.

Associated Projects: FSSPET; FIVS GWPESP; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

FIVS has developed two sets of Principles to Enhance Regulatory Coherence and to Facilitate Trade in Wine and has developed supporting technical papers to help promote appropriate regulation of wine in the light of its unique product characteristics. FIVS-APACE, which was designed by FIVS as a comprehensive online information source for additives and processing aids that are approved for use in winemaking around the world.

Associated Projects: Regulatory Principles to Enhance Coherence and Facilitate Trade in Wine; FIVS-APACE; FIVS Good Fining Practices

SDG 13: Climate Action

In 2007 FIVS members produced the first International Wine Carbon Calculator and made it available within FIVS to help wineries assess and improve their carbon footprint. An updated Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocol was adopted by FIVS in 2016 to support a consistent quantification approach across the international wine industry when corporate carbon footprinting activities are undertaken. The FIVS GWPESP also provides a framework for a coordinated, efficient, and results-driven approach to environmental sustainability and mitigation of climate change.

Associated Projects: FIVS International Wine Greenhouse Gas Protocol; FIVS GWPESP; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award

SDG 4: Quality Education

FIVS circulates weekly news bulletins focused on economic, environmental, and social sustainability, and organises twice-yearly conferences centred on the sustainable development of the global alcohol industry, and has published the FIVS Global Wine Producers’ Environmental Sustainability Principles (GWPESP), the FIVS Guiding Principles for Advertising and Marketing and the FIVS Social Sustainability Principles for Ethical Trading (FSSPET). FIVS also created the Jean-Jacques Bouffard scholarship in 2017, which gives a young professional the opportunity to attend a course on international wine law at the University of Reims every year.

Associated Projects: FIVS GWPESP; FIVS Guiding Principles for Advertising and Marketing; FSSPET; Jean-Jacques Bouffard Scholarship

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

FIVS encourages businesses to use renewable and clean energy through the FIVS GWPESP, which recommend performing environmental risk assessments for energy use, carbon accounting, transportation, and fossil fuels, amongst others. The FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award also rewards vineyards with strong agricultural and winemaking protocols for energy savings.

Associated Projects: FIVS GWPESP; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The FSSPET set the foundation for actions undertaken by participants to incorporate social responsibility into the core of their business. This includes promoting social inclusion for all regardless of any status or condition that could give rise to discrimination and prohibiting unethical behaviour such as bonded or child labour.

Associated Project: FSSPET

SDG 14: Life Below Water

FIVS encourages the implementation of adequate measures to prevent or minimise all environmental degradation, and in particular water ecosystems, through the FSSPET. The same is expected from those who subscribe to the FIVS GWPESP on the basis of environmental risk assessments for water use efficiency and wastewater management.

Associated Projects: FSSPET; FIVS GWPESP; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

FIVS is an active observer at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). FIVS also actively collaborates with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Wine Regulatory Forum, the International Wine Technical Summit and the World Wine Trade Group and produces a wide variety of papers to promote appropriate and harmonised wine regulation around the world. FIVS has established memoranda of understanding with Oenoppia, a trade association of producers focusing on oenological products, and Wine in Moderation, and works closely in partnership with the University of Reims on academic programmes in wine law.

Associated Projects: FIVS Partnerships; FIVS International Cooperation; FIVS CODEX Task Force; Université de Reims Wine & Law Program

SDG 5: Gender Equality

FIVS supports gender equality in working environments and advocates for it via the FSSPET. Over the past seven years, FIVS has made good progress in increasing the representation of women in leadership roles at all levels of the organisation, including working groups, Presidential Council and Secretariat.

Associated Project: FSSPET

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

FIVS works to remove trade barriers around the world and to facilitate global trade via the promotion of the harmonization and/or mutual acceptance of regulations in areas such as beverage production methods and labelling, and through its Regulatory Principles to Enhance Coherence and to Facilitate Trade in Wine. Studies on the contribution of the alcohol beverage industry to various economies such as the United States, the European Union, and Canada are regularly conducted by FIVS members and collated on the FIVS website for further dissemination. In addition, FIVS encourages fair employment policies, such as fair remuneration and compliance with wage legislation or industry standards, as well as robust mechanisms to be established against child and bonded labour via the FSSPET which was unanimously adopted by FIVS members in 2017.

Associated Projects: Regulatory Principles to Enhance Coherence and Facilitate Trade in Wine; FIVS Scientific and Technical Committee; FSSPET

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The FIVS GWPESP highlights the importance of conducting risk assessments for various by-products including wastewater and solid wastes. Participants and business partners of the FSSPET are expected to keep accurate information regarding their activities, structure, and performance, and to disclose these in accordance with applicable regulations and industry benchmark practices. The FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award also rewards businesses that have packaging protocols for waste reduction, innovative approaches to management and valorisation of by-products, close the loop programmes, and that show leadership in communication of sustainable best practices.

Associated Projects: FIVS GWPESP; FSSPET; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award

SDG 15: Life on Land

As far back as 2006, the FIVS GWPESP recognised that the wine industry is entirely dependent on natural resources, solar energy, suitable climate, clean water, and healthy soils, and must successfully integrate these elements in an ecologically sound manner. The FIVS GWPESP offer strategies to guide those in the industry in implementing sustainability principles, including performing environmental risk assessments for soil condition, biodiversity, neighbouring land area, and agrochemical use to ensure the preservation of terrestrial ecosystems.

Associated Projects: FIVS GWPESP; FSSPET; FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing Award