A commitment to reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 are two of the goals outlined by Beam Suntory in its $1 billion global sustainability strategy, Proof Positive.
The spirit producer has set targets for 2030 and 2040, with commitments to the environment, consumers and society aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Beam Suntory President & CEO Albert Baladi said Proof Positive represented a step-change in the company's sustainability ambitions.
“Our products start with nature, and we’re determined to give back to nature more than we use. We’re fundamentally committed to reducing harmful drinking, and we’ll increase investment to support consumers in making responsible choices.
We’ll use our platform to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, and leave a lasting legacy for our teams, community and our industry.”
The three arms of its strategy are nature, consumer, and community.
Nature goals:
- reduce GHG by 50 per cent by 2030, aim to surpass net-zero GHG by 2040;
- initiated an evaluation to transition to renewable fuels across distilleries globally;
- reduce water unit for every unit of production by 50 per cent by 2030;
- achieve 100 per cent water replenishment by 2040;
- plant more trees than those harvested to make whiskey barrels by planting 500,000 trees every year by 2030;
- working only with suppliers that use sustainable practices by 2040; and
- using 100 per cent recyclable packaging and 40 per cent recycled materials by weight across the packaging portfolio by 2030.
Consumer goals:
- invest $500 million to promote responsible drinking, elevating the Drink Smart platform and supporting evidence-based partner programs.
- engage more than 300 million consumers with messages and tools promoting responsible drinking and reducing harmful drinking by 2030;
- offering expanded choices by developing low- no-alcohol products in key categories including whiskey, tequila, gin, vodka, and ready-to-drink by 2030; and
- nutrition and alcohol content information on packaging or online for 100 per cent of products by 2030.
Community goals:
- reaching 50 per cent women in leadership globally, and 45 per cent racially and ethnically diverse representation in the US by 2030;
- contributing 1 million cumulative volunteer hours globally by 2030.
Beam Suntory was created in 2014 and is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Ltd of Japan.
