Climate Talks
The Role of Retailers as drivers of Climate Action
Global wine consumption continues to grow, along with the risks associated to climate change and consequently the number of discerning drinkers looking for evidence of a sustainable approach from their favorite wines.
Retailers, distributors, and importers are a key stakeholder of the wine value chain. They can impact, even determine, the entire supply chain, from production to bottling choices, to logistics and transportation and therefore the climate impact of a wine.
But ultimately, the most effective pressure for change is likely to come from consumers, who are being bombarded with Climate Change reality and calls to action before reaching a supermarket shelf. This puts retailers in a unique position to educate and influence them in their so called FMOT (First Moment of Truth), that is, in the 3-5 seconds time spam in which they take their ultimate purchasing decision.
This virtual round table is about understanding how the retail industry is playing its role as part of the solution to mitigate the wine industry’s climate impact.
The topics
- Is the impact of climate change and associated risks being understood and integrated in the retail business strategy, regionally and globally?
- Is climate change impacting purchasing decisions already? How?
- From a producer standpoint, is the industry conducting concerted efforts to tackle this issue? How will these be reflected into global guidelines in terms of packaging, transportation, logistics, certifications for its (wine) suppliers?
- Have you experienced good initiatives from wine suppliers of yours that can be a benchmark to others?
- How are consumers manifesting their climate change concerns in their purchasing decisions and demands?
HOST
MARTA MENDONÇA / PORTUGAL
Manager at The Porto Protocol
Marta has built most of her career in Marketing & Sales, having worked with various brands, countries, industries and companies. In the past few years, before joining Porto Protocol, Marta was working with her own brand and consultancy project, Marta Pelo Mundo, through which she took sustainability and climate advocacy to schools, events and companies, promoting awareness and encouraging change.
Marta holds a dregree in International Relations, a Post-Graduation in Marketing and a Master in Corporate Social Responsibility.
GUEST
SCOT CASE / USA
Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at The National Retail Federation
Scot Case is vice president of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest trade association for retailers. Case has focused on the intersection of business, environmental and social concerns since the mid-1990s. With strategic leadership experience in the retail, quick-service restaurant, manufacturing and nonprofit sectors, he provides a system-wide perspective that helps NRF members thrive in a rapidly changing future.
GUEST
MARCUS IHRE / SWEDEN
Sustainability Manager at Systembolaget
Marcus Ihre has a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the early 1990´s, complemented by post studies in International Marketing and Trade. After university he has been working for various private and public organizations, with focus on sustainability from the start. Among other things he has been involved in research of substitutes to freons, ecolabelling, plastic collection and recycling, development of international sustainability standards like ISO 14001 and ISO 26000. At Systembolaget Marcus focuses on the environmental impact and performance in the supply chain, from the farm level to the shops.
GUEST
CARMEL KILCLINE MW / UK
Head of Food Technology BWS, Soft Drinks and Juice at Marks and Spencer
Carmel Kilcline joined Marks & Spencer as Head of Technology in 2021. She joined the wine industry in 1998 while working with the UK retailer Sainsburys in a technical capacity. During her time there, she completed her WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits, and worked a vintage in Australia and New Zealand to expand her knowledge. She has also worked for Diageo for over a decade, leaving them as Wine Development and Innovation Director in 2015. In recent years she has worked with Bibendum on their wine quality and sustainability agenda. Carmel’s first degree is in Biotechnology and she achieved her Master of Wine qualification in 2005. Carmel’s work has taken her to most wine regions of the world. Her interest in wine and the environment has been strong over the years, and she completed a dissertation on the topic of “ the Challenge of Water Resource Management for the South Australian wine Industry” for the MW qualification.
