Lawson’s Dry Hills is the only NZ wine producer to have independent certifications for ISO14001 – Environmental Sustainability and ISO14064 – Carbon Zero, in addition to being a Certified B Corporation and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

Starting their sustainability journey by joining Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand when it was launched in the nineties, Lawson’s Dry Hills went on to attain full, independent accreditation of the internationally recognised ISO14001 Environmental Management System in 2011. Since then, they have adopted ISO14064, measuring, reducing and offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions even further, resulting in becoming Toitū net carbonzero certified in 2020. In 2024 they also became a Certified B Corp, joining a movement of businesses committed to transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

Looking ahead, what are the company’s longer-term goals?

Lawson’s Dry Hills is always looking for ways to reduce their impact on the environment, whilst continually seeking to positively improve outcomes for all stakeholders. All programmes they adopt are of a holistic nature and embrace the philosophy of continuous improvement.

Current initiatives are many, including the ongoing reduction of underground water use through the capturing of rainwater from the winery roof, using light-weight bottles (New Zealand-sourced, 390g with 70% recycled content) and improving soil health and biodiversity by employing regenerative viticulture and planting native trees. To date the company has planted approximately 10,000 native trees and has its own nursery.