Project 2: Wine Forward Climate Resilience Program: Building Climate Resilience Through Advanced Climate Risk Assessment & Carbon Reporting

Wine Forward – EOIs for Phase 1 closed. EOIs for Phase 2 opening again in May 2026.
WoWA in partnership with ClimAdapt (ARCA Sustain) and regional associations is implementing the Wine Forward Climate Resilience Program as part of WAWSAP’s Project 2b: Climate Resilience and Adaptation Project .

Climate-related risks including longer droughts, erratic rainfall, extended fire seasons, and shifting growing conditions are creating operational challenges and strategic uncertainties for WA wine businesses. Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment confirms primary industries face high climate risk today, escalating to very high risk within two decades. Beyond the vineyard, businesses face supply chain volatility, rising costs, evolving carbon regulations, and increasing market expectations for climate action. Yet consumer demand for climate-responsible wines is growing, and financial institutions are integrating climate adaptation into their assessments.

The Wine Forward Program provides wine businesses with science-based tools to understand climate vulnerabilities, quantify their carbon footprint, and develop practical adaptation strategies. Aligned with the WA Wine Industry Sustainability Strategy 2025-2029 and Wine Australia’s Emissions Reduction Roadmap, the program positions participating businesses for long-term resilience, market competitiveness, and access to climate-informed financing and insurance.

During January, ClimAdapt will be available for one-to-one or group discussions about the Wine Forward Climate Resilience Program with wine producers who have submitted an Expression of Interest. These sessions will provide a brief upskilling on climate adaptation for viticulture, walk you through the Wine Forward project and its benefits, and give us the opportunity to understand your specific pain points and needs. Sessions can be arranged individually or as group discussions with other wine producers in the region.

Purpose
The Wine Forward Program equips Western Australian wine businesses with comprehensive climate resilience systems that integrate climate risk assessment, carbon footprint measurement, and adaptation planning. Using advanced climate models, AI-driven analytics, and high-resolution vineyard data, the program transforms complex climate science into practical business intelligence for strategic decision-making.

The program operates through two phases designed to progressively scale climate resilience capability across the industry:

Phase 1: In-Depth Climate Resilience Consulting (2026)
Intensive one-on-one consulting for 4 wine producers (vineyard and winemaking operations) to establish best-practice methodologies and create demonstration cases for the WA wine industry. These early adopters will serve as innovation champions, testing and refining climate resilience approaches tailored to WA wine sector realities.

Phase 2: Technology-Enabled Climate Resilience Roll-Out (2027)
Scaled deployment for 15-20 wine enterprises using a hybrid model combining ClimAdapt’s digital platform with consulting support. This phase leverages technology to reduce implementation costs by approximately 40% compared to traditional consulting models while maintaining quality and rigour.

What Participants Receive
Climate Risk & Opportunity Assessment:

• Understand what’s coming – 40-year climate projections for your specific vineyard location to guide planting, investment, and succession decisions with confidence
• Identify your vulnerable blocks – Detailed land mapping using spectrometry shows which areas need protection and which are your strongest performers
• Protect your whole operation – Analysis across vineyard, winery, and logistics to pinpoint where climate will hit hardest and where you’re already resilient
• Future-proof your varieties – Understand how your vines and varieties will perform through critical growth stages as conditions shift

Carbon Footprint Assessment:

• Comprehensive carbon footprint calculation (Scopes 1, 2 & 3)
• Analysis across cultivation, production, packaging, and logistics
• Alignment with Global Carbon Footprint Standards
• Identification of carbon emissions hot spots and key decarbonisation opportunities specific to our business

Climate Adaptation Roadmap:

• Tailored adaptation strategies developed with local agronomists and drought-resilience specialists
• Prioritised interventions based on cost-effectiveness and business continuity
• Evidence-based strategies for building operational resilience

Compliant Climate Reporting:

• Comprehensive climate resilience reports aligned with Australia’s Climate Reporting Bill
• Summary marketing-format reports for stakeholder communication
• Real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities

• Current financial member of Wines of Western Australia (APC Fee For Service)
• Wine business operating vineyard and winemaking operations in WA wine regions
• Ability to meet required participant contributions (cash and in-kind)
• Commitment to provide operational data required for assessments
• Willingness to participate in assessment processes and consultation sessions
• Commitment to contribute to program evaluation and knowledge sharing activities