Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck & Rare​

Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck & Rare Champagnes

Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne, part of the family-owned EPI Group, have just announced that all three wineries have earned 91.9 points in the B Corp certification, established in 2006 by the non-profit B Lab Verification network. With this certification, these three emblematic Champagne Houses reinforce their social and environmental commitments. This represents an important step in the overhaul of their practices to support virtuous business models motivated by objectives beyond the financial sphere.

B Corp certification is one of the most demanding, assessing the social and environmental impact of each brand through more than 200 questions defined by B Lab, covering governance, employees, community and the environment. B Corp certification involves obligations to all stakeholders, not just shareholders. It also involves transparency, allowing companies to compare information about their performance to the B Lab standards and is made public in the B Corp profile on the B Lab website. B Corp certification is more than just an evaluation of a product or service. It assesses the overall positive impact of the companies that support it and commits them to a process of continuous improvement.

Damien Lafaurie, Chairman and CEO of Champagne Piper-Heidseck, Charles Heidsieck & Rare and the EPI Group's Wine and Champagne division said: "We are proud to be part of this pioneering community that is leading the global business movement is having a positive social impact and driving the transformation of the global economy for the benefit of all individuals, communities and the planet We are proud to be the first B Corp certified Champagne producers and we fully share B Lab's vision of building an inclusive, equitable and sustainable The economic system, we hope to inspire the rest of the wine world to join the cause! He added: "Above all, I am proud of the tremendous work done by the teams at Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagnes to make the profound changes necessary for B Corp certification, and we will continue to improve. I hope that our responsible approach will lead to a collective initiative on social and environmental issues emerging in Champagne.

The specific steps a house takes to achieve B Corp certification include:

Writing the purpose into the company charter, becoming a "wellness company" that aims to have a specific positive impact on society and the environment

Reducing the carbon footprints of scopes 1 and 2 by 61% in absolute terms, and scope 3 by 46% in production intensity per bottle, by 2030 as required by the Paris Agreement, joining science-based targeting initiatives and achieving as early as 2050 achieving carbon neutrality by 2020

Initiate a plan to significantly reduce energy consumption (-40% by 2025), completely eliminate fossil fuels in production and use 100% renewable electricity - Move 100% of suppliers to Europe by 2030

Promote sustainable environmental practices in their vineyards. Maisons does not use herbicides, pesticides, chemicals to treat rot or CMR products. They also recommend the use of organic amendments, viticulture and all initiatives in favor of vineyard biodiversity.

Accompanying the VDC (Viticulture Durable en Champagne) transition for all viticulture employees by 2025 Introducing sustainability goals for each employee to accelerate the adoption of good practices in all departments and levels of the company

Continued commitment to gender equality at all levels of the organization - Promoting diversity within our teams, focusing on the inclusion and recruitment of young talent from diverse backgrounds, and supporting the contribution of "Our Community Has Talent".