Chile’s VSPT Wine Group enters Dow Jones Sustainability Index

The VSPT Wine Group has been listed on Chile’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) – which measures the annual performance of over 2,000 companies listed on the most important stock exchanges around the world – for the first time.

VSPT at the launch of its Biogas Plant in Maule, Chile

The list is controlled by the Santiago Stock Exchange, S&P Dow Jones Indexes (S&P DJI), and RobecoSAM – an investment specialist focused exclusively on investment in sustainability – and only extends invitations to the “best in class” in terms of economic, environmental and social development.

“To be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index is a great pride for everyone in our organisation, which encourages us to continue working with confidence that development must go hand in hand with sustainable management and in harmony with our environment,” said Bárbara Wolff, chief of corporate affairs of VSPT Wine Group.

“We are tremendously happy with this milestone. This is a positive step for VSPT Wine Group, to its constant search for excellence and of course to the development of our country.”

Last year VSPT was awarded the Drinks Business Green Company of the Year award in recognition of its approach to ethical, environment and sustainable viticulture and business management.

Sustainability is woven into the ethos of Chilean giant VSPT and the company’s comprehensive approach to reducing its impact on the environment. Among the group’s most important achievements are the 360 sustainable initiatives implemented in 2015, including projects on biodiversity conservation, water management and efforts to reduce the corporate carbon footprint and the impact on climate change.

In 2015 the company opened a Biogas Plant that runs using waste from its own harvest – the first winery to do so – with the winery now generating electricity and natural fertiliser from its own vineyard’s waste material.

The new Viña San Pedro biogas plant at Molina in the Maule Region will supply around 60% of the energy of one of its biggest facilities in Molina, using two biodigesters to convert organic harvest waste to methane gas. Waste that passes through the biodigester will also be transforms into nitrogen-rich organic matter, which will be used to improve soils in the vineyard.