The Growth Drivers

The Growth Drivers is an innovation, strategy and co-design consultancy that helps industry, government and research organisations address complex challenges through stakeholder engagement, systems thinking and adoption-focused innovation. In partnership with Wine Australia, The Growth Drivers has supported strategic decision-making on emerging issues affecting the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the Australian grape and wine sector.

A recent collaboration with Wine Australia focused on the role of carbon insetting in Australian vineyards and its potential contribution to the sector's emissions reduction goals. Working alongside CO2 Australia, The Growth Drivers undertook industry consultation, technology assessments, market analysis and investment planning to identify opportunities, barriers and practical pathways for vineyards to adopt carbon insetting practices. The project explored carbon sequestration approaches including revegetation, cover crops, soil carbon and biochar, and assessed how these could contribute to vineyard sustainability, resilience and future market access requirements.

The research found that carbon insetting offers significant environmental, operational and market benefits but that adoption is currently constrained by limited carbon literacy, uncertainty around return on investment, measurement and verification costs, and the complexity of navigating carbon markets and certification schemes. The work identified a need for coordinated industry action, education, financial modelling, pilot projects and practical decision-support tools to help growers assess opportunities and implement carbon insetting with confidence.

Through this work, The Growth Drivers helped establish a roadmap for how Wine Australia and the sector can build capability, reduce barriers to adoption and prepare for evolving sustainability expectations in domestic and international markets. By combining industry engagement, systems analysis and strategic planning, The Growth Drivers contributes to the development of practical, industry-led solutions that support the long-term sustainability and resilience of Australia's grape and wine sector.