Drinks giant Diageo targets net zero carbon by 2030

Drinks giant Diageo has unveiled a suite of environmental goals as part of its new 10-year sustainability plan today, including targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its business and cut its water use by almost a third over the next decade.

The British firm, which counts global alcohol brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, and Guinness within its stable, has announced 25 targets within its new sustainability plan, in a bid to align its business with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It is also launching a new global platform to provide non-equity funding to start-up and technology companies in order to support the drinks giant's sustainability efforts across its brands and supply chain.

"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," said Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes.

To drive down emissions, the company is aiming to power its business with 100 per cent renewable energy by the end of the decade, while also working with suppliers to reduce its indirect carbon emissions by 50 per cent.

In India, Diageo aims to achieve net zero even sooner - by 2025 - while its Scottish distilleries for whisky brands Oban and Royal Lochnagar are set to become "carbon neutral" by the end of this year.

By 2030 the company said every drink it produces would require 30 per cent less water to make than it does today, and that it would have a net positive water impact in key water stressed areas and communities.

It also plans to deliver over 150 community water projects worldwide to boost access to clean water and sanitation, in addition to supporting over 150,000 smallholder farmers with farming techniques to regenerate the land and improve biodiversity.

And, within a decade, Diageo said it would aim to ensure all the plastic packaging it uses is made from 100 per cent recycled content, and that 100 per cent of its packaging is widely recyclable.

Ewan Andrew, chief sustainability officer and president for supply and procurement at Diageo, said it was "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," he added. "It feels fitting that we are leading the way with Oban and Royal Lochnagar distilleries, which will both be carbon neutral by the end of the year."