Bourgogne Aims to Achieve Carbon Neutral in 2035

The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, a milestone that President Laurent Delaunay described as essential for preserving the region’s winemaking legacy in the face of climate change.

“We’re seeing the consequences of climate change and environmental destruction, which are causing increasing problems worldwide. Addressing climate change is something we must tackle collectively, and that’s where organizations like the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) play a critical role,” said Laurent Delaunay, President of the BIVB and owner of family estate Edouard Delaunay in Nuits saint Georges while hosting a masterclass in Hong Kong at AWSEC.

The BIVB represents approximately 4,000 wine producers across the Bourgogne region. Its mission includes promotion, marketing, and, most importantly, research and development in agriculture and winemaking. According to Delaunay, the board is currently overseeing around 70 research and development projects, many of which are driven by challenges reported by growers.

“Bourgogne, along with Champagne and Alsace, is one of the northernmost wine regions in France, which means we’ve always been on the climatic edge,” Delaunay explained. But over the last two decades, the region has seen increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

Based on historical data shared by Delaunay, vintage variation and production volume after 2005 has been drastic. Since 2005, vintages have become more volatile, marked by sharp peaks and troughs. Delaunay pointed to this as a clear sign of global climate change, noting that such instability creates significant challenges for winemakers who must now adopt new strategies to maintain consistency in quality and output.

One of the flagship research projects that BIVB is carrying out to combat the consequences of global change is rootstock research. “Traditionally, rootstocks were selected based on their resistance to phylloxera, but now we also need rootstocks that can withstand drought and develop deeper roots to access water further underground,” Delaunay said.

Additionally, the BIVB has found that maintaining grass cover in vineyards helps protect the soil from excessive sunburns, reducing soil temperatures by as much as 20 degrees Celsius. “This is crucial because excessive heat kills microorganisms essential for soil health and, by extension, the vines.”

In the winery, winemakers are also experimenting with techniques such as whole-bunch maceration, which has gained traction in the region. “This method was originally adopted pragmatically to address the higher ripeness levels we began seeing 20–30 years ago, which were early signs of global warming,” Delaunay noted.

“We were destemming always,” he recalled but “the growers, by themselves, in a very pragmatic way to compensate the ripeness which was getting higher and higher everywhere.”

While much of the research focuses on mitigating the consequences of climate change, the BIVB is also addressing its root cause: greenhouse gas emissions. “All the experiments, all the research are addressing the consequences. The cause, everybody knows, that’s mostly the emissions of greenhouse gases,” he says.

 “We made a highly committed decision two years ago to aim for carbon neutrality by 2035. This involves reducing emissions across all areas of our operations,” Delaunay said.

The BIVB’s research shows that 34% of its carbon footprint comes from packaging, particularly the weight of wine bottles. To combat this, the board is advocating for lighter bottles, even for high-quality wines. “The weight of the bottle has nothing to do with the quality of the wine inside,” he emphasized.

Other contributors to the carbon footprint include shipping and distribution of wines (13%), emissions related to travel (26%).

“Our goal is to reduce our emissions by 60% by 2035 while maintaining a sustainable economic model. The remaining emissions will be offset through partnerships with local farmers and reforestation projects,” Delaunay outlined.

For wineries looking for cooler sites, Delaunay believes the Bourgogne Hautes could be new frontier, particularly Hautes-Côtes de Nuits and Hautes-Côtes de Beaune located to the West of the esteemed Cotes de Nuites and Cotes de Beaune. These higher-elevation sites are becoming increasingly important as winemakers seek cooler climates to mitigate the effects of global warming.

“The higher altitude in these areas offers a natural advantage, allowing us to preserve freshness and balance in our wines despite rising temperatures,” Delaunay explained. While these regions have traditionally played a secondary role to the famous Côte d’Or, they are now gaining renewed attention as climate change reshapes the viticultural map.

Delaunay for his part has produced a few wines from the Hautes-Cotes de Nuits including Le Mont, Les Lares and Les Dames Huguettes, which are available in Hong Kong through Altaya Wines.