Diageo unveils ambitious Water Blueprint

Cutting water use in half, replenishing water in water stressed areas and returning all waste water back to the environment safely are just some of the industry leading targets in a new water stewardship strategy announced by Diageo.

The Water Blueprint outlines how Diageo will protect and manage its water resources globally as the business expands in emerging markets. With a third of its volume located in water stressed areas, the strategy has been expanded to encompass the Company’s broader global supply chain which will enable better understanding and management of Diageo’s total impact on water.

Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive of Diageo said of the new strategy, “As Diageo’s footprint has expanded, particularly in emerging markets, I firmly believe that managing water responsibly will be core to supporting the future growth of our business… Looking to the future, we recognise that we have a responsibility to strengthen our commitment and enhance our programmes if we are to make an even more meaningful impact. Through our new Water Blueprint we will focus on our broader supply chain, drive greater innovation and adopt new ways of working with new partners. These steps forward will see us making a real difference to the environment, economy and communities in so many countries where we operate”.

Water Blueprint targets include equipping suppliers with tools to protect water resources

Diageo’s new Water Blueprint is based on four core areas where the company will increase its efforts – in its sourcing of raw materials, in its own operations, within the communities in which it operates and through local and global advocacy for best practice in water stewardship. Targets include:

• Reduce water use through a 50% improvement in water use efficiency
• Return 100% of waste water from operations to the environment safely
• Equipping suppliers with tools to protect water resources in water stressed areas

The updated strategy builds on the extensive work Diageo has already carried out to improve water efficiency in the manufacture of its products, and more recently in its broader supply chain. Since 2008, six billion litres of water has been removed from the production of Diageo brands globally, translating to an improvement of over 20% in water efficiency, mostly in water stressed regions.

The Water Blueprint is a critical supporting pillar of Diageo’s 2020 Sustainability and Responsibility targets published in December 2014, with targets aligned to the emerging United Nations Sustainable Development goals. In addition to the numerical targets within the Water Blueprint, Diageo will also continue to contribute to leading work with other organisations on water stewardship. The company is already demonstrating leadership as a key supporter of the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate and by driving the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable’s work on water.

For more information on Diageo’s Water Blueprint, please visit Diageo’s Water Blueprint: Our Strategic Approach to Water Stewardship.