The Role of Transportation on the GHG Emissions of Wine

Abstract

This paper follows on earlier studies demonstrating the importance of transportation to the total greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of wine and discusses the variability of transportation emissions depending on the specific type of transportation utilized. Variations in freight transportation emissions by truck, ship, train, and airplane are discussed along with how these values affect the life-cycle wine GHG emissions of wine. Ultimately, this work represents the opportunity for the wine industry to reduce their GHG emissions by influencing the GHG efficiency of their distribution networks, reducing packaging weights, and selecting the appropriate freight mode. It is also demonstrated that emissions tradeoffs may exist between transportation and regional GHG vineyard emissions.

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the industrial affiliates of the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability (LMAS) and Climate Earth. Thank you to the reviewers for their excellent comments and insights.