DIAGEO LAUNCHES NEW TEN-YEAR SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN

Today, Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, has announced a range of 25 bold and ambitious goals in its ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ plan, designed to make a positive impact on the world by 2030, in  the ‘Decade of Action’ to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals .

Building on a long track-record of ESG progress globally, Diageo will focus its action over the next ten years in three core areas, carefully selected to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): promoting positive drinking; championing inclusion and diversity; and pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability.

Anand Kripalu, Managing Director and CEO, Diageo India said: “We are committed to playing our part to protect the environment and leading the way for the industry. Diageo India has achieved great strides in sustainability - both at our manufacturing sites as well as the communities in which we operate. Our ambitious goals for the next critical decade is our commitment to the future.”

Highlights from the global ‘SOCIETY 2030: SPIRIT OF PROGRESS’ plan include:

Promoting positive drinking

• By 2030, Diageo will reach more than one billion people with messages of moderation from its brands;
• Will change the attitudes of five million drivers towards drink driving; and
• Will educate over 10 million people on the dangers of drinking underage through ‘SMASHED’, Diageo’s award-winning alcohol education awareness programme, now operating in every continent.

Championing inclusion and diversity

• Diageo will build on its strong track record of inclusion and diversity by setting an industry-leading ambition to have 45% representation of leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds by 2030 as well as 50% of all leaders being women; and
• Diageo will also provide skills and training to over 1.7m people to help create an inclusive and thriving hospitality sector.

Pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability

• Diageo has committed to working towards a low-carbon future, harnessing 100% renewable energy to achieve net zero carbon emissions across direct operations and working with suppliers to reduce indirect carbon emissions by 50%; and
• By 2030 Diageo will ensure that every drink it produces will take 30% less water to make than it does today and will achieve a net positive water impact in our key water stressed basins and communities; and
• It will also deliver over 150 community water projects across the world, including providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene; and
• Diageo will support over 150,000 smallholder farmers with farming techniques to regenerate the land and build biodiversity; and
• By 2030 ensure that the business is using 100% recycled content in plastic packaging and that 100% of Diageo’s packaging will be widely recyclable.