Sustainability
As important as our history is, what we care most about is the idea of sustainability. Our focus is on developing processes that are sustainable for the long term while also being a collaborative effort with the environment around us. Soil regeneration, biodiversity, and water conservation are some of the most important areas of focus for the team here at the winery.
For our crops, we’ve made the switch from synthetic fertilizers to organic, which is not only better for the soil long term, but it produces higher-quality fruit. For pest control, the majority of our pesticides are approved for organic farming, but we are still limited in some instances and may have to use chemical pesticides at certain times. The use of these chemical pesticides is as limited as possible for the health of our farm team, pollinators and other wildlife, and the end consumers. To keep the soil fertile, we use compost, mulch, and cover crops between the rows. Plants grown in rich, nutrient-dense soil are healthier and better able to protect themselves from pests and disease, which limits the need for pesticides and heavy fertilizers. As our Director of Operations Noemie always says, “Feed the soil, not the plant”.
Many may not think of Prince George as a very biologically diverse area, but they’d be surprised at the crops we’ve been able to grow. Our current crops are gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, Saskatoons berries, apples, rhubarb, and hopefully soon, kiwis. These crops provide natural nesting areas for wildlife as well as food for native pollinators.
A lot of crops means a lot of water usage right? Not for us! We use a drip tape irrigation system that’s controlled by a panel. This underground watering system reduces runoff while eliminating the issue of evaporation that happens with traditional sprinkler systems.
Being located along the powerful Nechako River, we feel it’s our responsibility to keep the riverbank beautiful and limit stream bank erosion. Together with a local biologist, we’ve created an exhaustive Riparian Restoration Plan to keep riverbank erosion at a minimum.
Why our Wines are Vegan
Not only is sustainability important to us, but we’ve also ensured our wines are 100% vegan. During the fining process many wineries choose various animal byproducts to remove impurities from their wines. Most often these fining agents are egg whites, gelatin, casein, or isinglass. Instead of these traditional fining agents, we choose to use bentonite clay. This ensures our wines have the clarity we strive for while eliminating any need for animal byproducts.
Our love and respect for the land is put into each and every bottle of wine we produce here at Northern Lights.
Carbon Neutrality
We are incredibly proud to be a carbon-neutral winery. We reached this milestone by purchasing offsets through Ostrom Climate (Formerly Offsetters) which counteract the carbon emissions generated through our daily operations.
To measure our annual carbon emissions, we partner with Dr. Sinead Earley and a research student from the University of Northern British Columbia. They divide our operations into three sections in terms of carbon emissions: Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3. The first section, Scope 1, looks at our use of natural gas, propane, and diesel, Scope 2 analyzes electricity usage, and Scope 3 covers travel and distribution emissions. To be considered carbon neutral, businesses need to offset Scope 1 and 2 while Scope 3 is an optional analysis to provide insights into limiting future carbon emissions.
Scope 1
Natural Gas
Like most who live in the North, we rely on natural gas to heat our main building. In 2023, this equated to 11.837 tones of carbon emission equivalents (tCO2e), a decrease from 13.96 tCO2e in 2022. Efforts to reduce natural gas usage continue, including double-pane windows, a high-efficiency furnace, and a programmable thermostat to reduce heat usage when the building is unoccupied.
Gasoline and Diesel
Gasoline is primarily used for our on-site equipment, including farming equipment, tractors, and our delivery vehicle. In 2023, we used 1,900 L of gasoline and 365 L of diesel fuel, contributing a total of 5.4883 tCO2e.
Gasoline emissions: 4.4846 tCO2e (decreased from 5.92 tCO2e in 2022).
Diesel emissions: 1.0037 tCO2e (slight increase from 0.8250 tCO2e in 2022).
Propane
In 2023, propane emissions dropped significantly to 0.3715 tCO2e due to the elimination of a propane heating system in our offices, replacing it with a heat pump and electric heating system. The remaining propane use is for mobile patio heaters.
Scope 2
Electricity
Like most businesses, we rely on electricity to keep things running. Our electricity is sourced from BC Hydro. In 2023, our electricity usage resulted in 1.2548 tCO2e.
Scope 3
Shipping - Materials and Supplies
In 2023, the transportation of wine bottles, cans, fruit, and materials contributed 50.454 tCO2e. Wine bottle shipments accounted for 48.193 tCO2e, We had five shipments from Shanghai, China, compared to two in 2022. Fruit shipments totaled 1.5205 tCO2e, a decrease from 2.1666 tCO2e in 2022. The reduction is attributed to lower shipment weights, with 40,700 lbs transported in 2023, compared to 57,000 lbs in 2022. Materials and packaging shipments emitted 0.6173 tCO2e, up from 0.7405 tCO2e in 2022. This increase resulted from additional international shipments, including materials from Shanghai.
Shipping - Finished Goods
In 2023, our downstream distribution of wine and food emitted 1.3256 tCO2e, a significant reduction from 5.0559 tCO2e in 2022. Canada Post introduced carbon-neutral shipping, meaning emissions from direct-to-consumer shipments are now counted as 0 tCO2e. Additionally, we discontinued food delivery services through third-party providers like SkipTheDishes and DoorDash, further reducing emissions.
Employee Commuting
In 2023, employee commuting emissions increased to 56.398 tCO2e, a 19.5% rise from 47.188 tCO2e in 2022. This increase reflects higher staff numbers or longer commuting distances. Encouraging carpooling or alternative transportation options could help mitigate these emissions in the future.
Business Travel
Business travel emissions dropped significantly in 2023, totaling 0.8946 tCO2e, down 72.9% from 3.2987 tCO2e in 2022. This reduction is due to fewer flights and less vehicle travel. In 2023, we made five business trips by car to locations including Fort St. John, Prince Rupert, and Kelowna. Only two flights to Vancouver were taken, and one rental car was used for 150 km. The decrease in travel-related emissions aligns with our efforts to limit non-essential trips.
