In Conversation With... Rodrigo Berner, Viña Concha y Toro

As one of Latin America's largest wine producers, Viña Concha y Toro sits at the intersection of tradition and transformation. Centuries of winemaking are meeting the urgent realities of a changing climate.

We sat down with Rodrigo Berner, Head of Corporate Sustainability at this IWCA Gold Member winery, to talk about how the winery's approach to climate action and how they are navigating shifting winds of regulatory, stakeholder, and consumer expectations.

What does climate action and sustainability look like at Viña Concha y Toro?

We have been working on sustainability in a very practical way, integrating it into our day-to-day operations and decision-making.

For example, at the vineyard level, we are implementing regenerative farming practices, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and water efficiency. These practices are helping us reduce our Scope 1 emissions, but they are also improving vineyard resilience and grape quality, which in turn protects long-term productivity and reduces costs linked to inputs.

Looking at Scope 2 emissions, we have invested heavily in renewable energy, installing more than 30 photovoltaic plants across our operations and complementing this with renewable energy certificates.

Some of the hardest areas for us to address are related to Scope 3 emissions, which represent the majority of our footprint. In particular, maritime transport and glass bottles remain very challenging. But, we're making progress. We have reduced bottle weights, increased the share of recycled content, and launched pilot projects in upcycling by-products from winemaking. We've also shifted from road to rail transport for moving wine to port in Chile and use route optimization software to cut fuel consumption.

Cost concerns often deter wineries from pursuing climate action. What would you say to that?

It is true that some initiatives require upfront investment, but we see them as a way to future-proof our business. 

For one, taking a more sustainable approach is not only about protecting the environment, it also makes good business sense. Many of the actions we are implementing directly translate into efficiency gains and cost savings. That might be our regenerative farming practices, reducing the weight of our packaging, increasing the share of recycled materials, or developing upcycling initiatives for winery by-products. 

At the same time, these actions help us reduce our carbon footprint, reduce regulatory risk, and meet the expectations of our stakeholders. That's why I don't believe that sustainability should not be seen as an extra cost, but as an opportunity to stay resilient and relevant in a challenging industry context.

You mentioned two critical factors: regulation and stakeholder expectations. What's that pressure looking like for wineries right now?

Commercially, the landscape is changing quickly. Some of the major distributors and retailers we work with are now prioritizing sustainable products to comply with their own targets.

Likewise, regulations in countries that are leading on sustainability issues are becoming stricter and are evolving quickly. A few years ago, it was enough to report at the corporate level, but now we see growing requests for product-level carbon footprints. This requires far greater data granularity and more robust analysis. In particular, legislation in the European Union and Nordic countries is setting a high bar that is reshaping expectations across the global industry.

So in short, measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions has become a clear commercial necessity in order to keep access to key markets and customers.

What about consumer opinion and demand for sustainability? Are you seeing any shifts?

Definitely, we're seeing increasing demand for organic and sustainably produced wines, as well as attributes such as renewable energy use or regenerative farming practices. 

However, to be fully transparent, we've also seen that consumers are not always willing to pay a premium for these attributes. That means we must absorb much of the effort internally to remain competitive. 

At the same time, there is growing concern about “greenwashing,” and new generations are changing consumption patterns by looking for sweeter wines, mixable options, and alternative formats. This shift requires us to adapt not only in terms of sustainability, but also in how we shape our product offering.

With so much complexity and so many moving pieces, it must be tough to know where to focus. What are your top priorities heading into the next few months?

Our main priority right now is the development of our new corporate sustainability strategy, which will guide our work for the next stage. A key element of this process is the integration of our different production subsidiaries in Chile, Argentina, and the United States under a centralized approach. That will ensure consistency and alignment across all origins.

Another critical milestone will be the definition of a Science Based Target (SBTi) at the holding level, involving all subsidiaries. This will strengthen our climate commitments, provide a clear long-term roadmap, and ensure credibility with our stakeholders.

This strategic work is really critical to align our teams and ensure we're taking on large, long-term changes. At the same time, we are fully focused on delivering on our operational goals too: continuing to lower the average weight of our wine bottles, expanding renewable energy generation, and optimizing water use.