Sustainable development & CSR
The Foundation for wine culture and civilisations, which manages and develops the Cité du Vin, has set itself the goal of raising awareness among its visitors (the general public and professionals), through its cultural offering, of the links between Man and Nature and the issues involved in preserving the environment, and offering them sustainable and responsible activities.
To achieve this, it has developed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy based on three intrinsically linked pillars: sustainable development, employee well-being, and very high visitor and customer satisfaction.
This CSR policy, recognised by several labels and certifications (NF environment - Visitor sites in March 2021, renewed in April 2022 and June 2023; Sustainable Entertainment at experienced level since September 2022; Tourism & Handicap in April 2017, renewed in July 2022), is reflected in a continuous improvement approach: reducing its ecological footprint, optimising its energy resources, a waste management plan, a respectful purchasing policy, accessibility for all, and so on.
The CSR commitments made by the Foundation for wine culture and civilisations thus guide the design and development of our cultural offer and corporate events.
Accessible to all
- The Cité du Vin, a cultural venue attentive to the needs of all
The Cité du Vin is accessible to the widest possible audience and open to all, in all senses of the term. On 6 July 2022, the Cité du Vin obtained renewal of the Tourism & Handicap label, awarded by the State for 5 years, for the four categories of disability (auditory, mental, motor and visual).
- Use of soft mobility to get to the Cité du Vin
Located in the Bassins à Flot, a former industrial and port area now being transformed into an eco-district, the Cité du Vin is served by a wide range of public transport services (tram, bus, river shuttle, urban self-service bike network).
A bike storage area is also available for employees working at the Cité du Vin, to encourage soft mobility!
A building that serves the environment
Respect for the environment has been an integral part of the Cité du Vin project from the outset, being incorporated into the construction of the building itself, into the actions of the Foundation’s teams, and into the design of the content and activities offered to the public.
The building was designed by XTU-architects to have the lowest possible environmental impact. 70% of the Cité du Vin’s energy needs are covered by renewable and recovered energy sources managed by Energie des Bassins (an innovative and sustainable heating and cooling network which uses local resources - a district heating plant running on biomass, recovery of heat from grey water at the water treatment plant, geothermal energy combined with heat pumps).
With its high-performance bioclimatic design, the compact construction optimises the building’s ventilation. The low-level air inlets take advantage of the prevailing winds, while the patios and high points evacuate the heat, generating a draught which - on its own - makes it 5 degrees cooler in summer and reduces the need for air conditioning.
In operating the building, all energy consumption data is collected and coordinated using technical building management software in order to control and reduce consumption.
In the exhibition areas, laser projectors have replaced halogen projectors, reducing energy consumption and avoiding the use of polluting consumables. Video servers have been replaced by more energy-efficient equipment, and their number is gradually being reduced.
The paints and varnishes used all have an eco-label, as do over 80% of the detergents used. Surfaces are cleaned daily using natural products, and 17 waste sorting channels are in place.
The Cité du Vin is linked to the Garonne by a “wild garden”. Located in a Natura 2000 area, it respects the wetland environment specific to the river and thus helps to cool the building’s immediate surroundings. A rainwater harvesting tank has also been installed to water the gardens.
Committed and responsible activities
The CSR commitments made by the Foundation for wine culture and civilisations guide the design and development of our cultural offer and corporate events for the various audiences at the Cité du Vin.
- The Permanent exhibition
At the heart of our cultural offer, the aims of the Permanent exhibition include raising visitors’ awareness of the need to respect nature and the environment.
In January 2023, the Cité du Vin undertook the renewal of its Permanent Exhibition (staging, digital equipment and multimedia productions). Its scientific and cultural purpose is to put the Living World and People at the forefront, reinforcing the discussions around the intrinsic relationship between the world of wine and nature.
Through its expanded presentation of the vineyards, it makes visitors aware of human impact on the landscape, and the need to preserve it. It looks at organic and biodynamic viticulture and natural wines in a variety of ways, with winegrowers presenting their personal commitments in the “Terroirs of the world” module, a monumental vine to show how vines work with their environment in “The vine”, and a giant planisphere to understand the impact of climate on viticulture in “The world of wine”.
- Cultural programme
Sustainable development, ecology and biodiversity also feature prominently in the cultural programme: from 2017 to 2022-2023, no fewer than 2,631 events (conferences, meetings, debates, tastings, prize-giving ceremonies, etc.) addressed these themes. These events are also available for replay in our Wine Culture media library. In 2023, a new series of events entitled “Wine and the environment” was launched, specifically devoted to this subject.
The management of the events themselves strives to be as green as possible: reusable crockery and containers for all food and wine tastings, raising public awareness, no more plastic water bottles for speakers at conferences. All the HF microphones are fitted with rechargeable batteries.
The food and wine tasting workshops are organised in partnership with local, committed players, including Hasnaa organic chocolate with fair trade cocoa, and Sturia caviar, which farms, produces, selects and matures French caviar in Aquitaine. Since 2021, producers have been selected in collaboration with the Agence de l’Alimentation Nouvelle-Aquitaine (AANA).
In the Belvedere, organic or environmentally friendly wines are given pride of place among the wines on offer for tasting, and the fruit juices, which come from organic farming, are supplied by a Bordeaux producer (Maison Meneau). Cardboard, bottles, corks and capsules are sorted and recycled.
The new temporary exhibition, Via Sensoria, the Sensory tasting journey, launched in 2023, puts the spotlight on nature and the seasons in an original artistic offer and tasting.
- A committed concept store
For the Boutique, a concept store where visitors can find a wide range of wine-related products, particular care is taken in selecting suppliers: 90% of them are European, 75% are French, and 25% are from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The number of local suppliers is increasing.
The listing of products in the Boutique is subject to precise criteria: labels held, local or French production, recyclability, sustainable materials and the supplier’s CSR approach.
- Privatisation of the facilities
The efforts made for cultural events apply equally to professional events: use of water jugs, washable crockery, etc. Any waste produced by these events is sorted and recycled.
The food on offer is prepared by local caterers and service providers working to ISO 20121 standards (the benchmark for responsible event management). Food waste is recovered and given to various organisations (donations to charities, composting). Lastly, the staff for these private events either work for the Cité du Vin or are recruited locally.
Daily mobilisation
Given that no action is too small when it comes to sustainable development, the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations has also put in place a number of small daily actions to reduce its ecological footprint:
- Raising awareness of “accessibility and disability” and training on the Foundation’s CSR policy for new employees
- Distribution of the ethics and responsibility charter to employees
- Recycling bins are provided and everyone is given eco-cups and insulated water bottles
- Participation in various sorting and recycling initiatives
- Use of eco-labelled cleaning products
In terms of communication, paper is used sparingly: news of the cultural programme is communicated solely by digital means (website, social networks, newsletter), and poster campaigns, which are very
occasional and are limited to the Bordeaux urban area and a few nearby major transit hubs. The number of distribution points for tourist brochures has been reduced to the region’s must-visit locations. Our printers use only PEFC-certified paper and have the Imprim’Vert label.
In summer 2023, to pursue its approach and make sustainable and inclusive tourism an integral part of its strategy, the Cité du Vin joined CEC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a movement that places companies at the heart of the transition.
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