Familia Torres presented this week the Torres & Earth Awards, which recognize every year the commitment of suppliers, territories and communicators in the face of the climate emergency. The event, held in Barcelona, was chaired by Miguel A. Torres, president of Familia Torres, and presented by the environmental communicator José Luis Gallego.
Named in reference to the environmental program that Familia Torres launched in 2008 to adapt to global warming and mitigate its effects, the awards were born seven years ago to distinguish and encourage the winery's suppliers to reduce their CO2 emissions, as they represent 90% of Familia Torres' carbon footprint. Two years later, two other categories were added to reward, on the one hand, territories that promote initiatives in favour of the environment and, on the other, communicators who help raise awareness about the seriousness of climate change.
The award-winning suppliers of the VII Torres & Earth Awards belong to the entire value chain of the winery: the grape supplier Eusebio Caballero, a winegrower from Terra Alta, for improving irrigation management in his organic vineyards thanks to the construction of a rainwater pond; the brandy supplier Alvinesa Natural Ingredients, represented by its CEO Jon Fernández, for being an example of circular economy and transforming 100% of raw materials into consumer products; and glass bottle manufacturer Vidrala, represented by Sustainability Director Fiacre O'Donnell, for its solid strategy to reduce CO2 emissions, which includes increasing the percentage of reused glass, using alternative fuels and improving the energy efficiency of its furnaces, among others.
Familia Torres has also distinguished its logistics service provider, A. Plazas, a family business in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia chaired by Ángel Plazas, which is committed to low-consumption new-generation vehicles and energy self-consumption.
The Torres & Earth award for sustainable territory has been conferred to the Swedish capital Stockholm, one of the most sustainable cities in the world distinguished here for being the first European city to ban petrol and diesel cars in the city center, a measure that will come into force in 2025. The award was collected by Staffan Ingvarsson, CEO of City of Stockholm´s company Stockholm Business Region, accompanied by Sofia Geli-Stenhammar, Honorary Consul General of Sweden in Barcelona.
Finally, the renowned British wine critic and Master of Wine, Jancis Robinson, has been recognized with the Torres & Earth Award for dissemination and awareness of the climate emergency, for her environmental sensitivity, her belligerence against heavy bottles and for her numerous articles in the Financial Times and jancisrobinson.com related to sustainability in the wine sector.
The president of Familia Torres thanked the winners for their efforts and initiatives against climate change. "To stop the climate emergency, it is necessary to change the habits of people and organizations and take action. There are many things we can do, such as using renewable energies to stop our dependence on fossil fuels, cutting down on meat in our diet and reducing the use of plastics," said Miguel A. Torres.
