Diageo has launched its 10-year action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world. 'Society 2030: Spirit in Progress' focuses on three core areas: championing inclusion and diversity; promoting positive drinking; and pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability, carefully selected to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“As a global business, we are committed to playing our part to protect the future of our planet and to leading the way for others to follow. I am immensely proud of Diageo's sustainability and responsibility achievements to date, and this new, ambitious action plan will challenge us even further to deliver more over the critical decade to 2030," says Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive of Diageo.
Championing diversity and inclusion
Diageo is building 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 plans 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%.
As the first step in its net zero ambition, Diageo’s prestigious Scottish distilleries of Oban and Royal Lochnagar will both become carbon neutral by the end of 2020 and Diageo will aim to achieve net zero in India by 2025.
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. It will also deliver over 150 community water projects across the world, including providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene while supporting over 150,000 smallholder farmers with farming techniques to regenerate the land and build biodiversity.
Finally, by 2030 Diageo will ensure that the business is using 100% recycled content in plastic packaging and that 100% of Diageo's packaging will be widely recyclable.
Promoting positive drinking
By 2030, Diageo will reach more than one billion people with messages of moderation from its brands. It will also 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’ [pictured above], Diageo’s award-winning alcohol education awareness programme, now operating in every continent.
Supporting small companies and entrepreneurs
The company has also launched its Diageo’s 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.
Designed to support small companies and entrepreneurs develop and commercialise their innovations, Diageo will share global resources and experience to unlock future potential for both partners.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.