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Owner of Guinness and Smirnoff launches 25-point action plan

By 2030, Diageo wants to reach more than one billion people with messages of moderate drinking. Photo: Getty Images
By 2030, it wants to reach more than one billion people with messages of moderate drinking. Photo: Getty Images

Diageo (DGE.L), one of the world's largest alcohol companies and maker of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, announced 25 goals as part of a ten-year sustainability plan, which will help it work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The company is 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%.

Its Scottish distilleries of Oban and Royal Lochnagar are set to become carbon neutral by the end of 2020 and Diageo will aim to achieve net zero in India by 2025.

Among its aims is to ensure that by 2030 the business is using 100% recycled content in plastic packaging and that 100% of its packaging will be widely recyclable.

Diageo launched Sustainable Solutions, a global platform that will provide non-equity funding to start-up and technology companies in order to help Diageo continue to embed sustainability in its supply chain and brands.

Ewan Andrew, chief sustainability officer and president, Diageo supply and procurement, said: “It is vital that we act now if we want to maintain the wonderful world we all live in. I’m proud that we have already halved our own carbon footprint and that we are going to push ourselves further by becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”

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Diageo’s plans also include promoting positive drinking and championing inclusion and diversity.

By 2030, it wants to reach more than one billion people with messages of moderate drinking from its brands. It is working towards “changing the attitudes” of five million drivers towards drink driving, and aims to educate 10 million people on the dangers of underage drinking through its alcohol education awareness programme.

Diageo intends to “set 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.”

CEO Ivan Menezes said that “by setting both gender and ethnicity goals for the business to achieve by 2030, I believe we can truly break down barriers and help shape a more diverse and successful long-term business and society.”

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals meant to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. They were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.

Back in September, Menezes said the company made a good start to the 2021 fiscal year.

“I am pleased with the resilient performance of our business in the current challenging operating environment and encouraged by our progress,” Menezes said.

“While the pace of recovery is uncertain, I am confident in our strategy, the long-term fundamentals of our business and Diageo's ability to emerge stronger,” he added.

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