Diageo India's initiatives to protect environment

Diageo India’s proactive approach to driving sustainability reflects in its ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ ESG action plan. This plan not only aims to address the urgent environmental challenges but also embodies its commitment to grain-to-glass sustainability. It can foster inclusive growth, and advocates for responsible alcobev consumption.

Diageo India's water stewardship initiatives have yielded impressive results, achieving a 25 percent over-achievement by June 2023, with 10 lakh cubic meters of water replenished well before its 2026 target.

Its Alwar distillery became the first in Asia to secure AWS certification. This certification is a testament to Diageo India’s dedication to understanding shared catchment water challenges including water risks and opportunities, enabling good water stewardship initiatives.

In addition, Diageo India’s water replenishment projects include reforestation, construction of rainwater harvesting structures, borewell rejuvenation, desilting of ponds, wetland restoration and more. Within Diageo India’s own operating units, the company has improved its water-use efficiency by 48 percent in distilleries and by 31 percent in packaging (vs FY20) against the target of 40 percent by 2030.

Diageo India's commitment to a greener future is evidenced by an 84 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions. It has achieved zero coal status in its distillery operations and achieved 98.6 percent renewable energy usage across its own operating units.The company has increased its solar energy generation capacity from 1.3 MW to 2.6 MW and has planted of over 300,000 trees to facilitate in climate change mitigation.

Beyond environmental impact, Diageo India's initiatives significantly enhance community well-being. The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Program contributes to local infrastructure and improving quality of life in more than 30 villages. Moreover, through Diageo India’s regenerative agriculture programme, 5,000 farmers in Punjab and Haryana are being empowered with the skills to support sustainable agricultural practices, thus strengthening local food systems, and supporting biodiversity.

As part of its micro-enterprise initiative, Diageo India is empowering 100 small-holder women farmers in Nashik with training, financial support, and equipment.

Diageo India continues to make significant strides in packaging sustainability with over 99 percent of the organisation’s packaging material being widely recyclable, and more than 50 percent of its purchased packaging material made from recycled content.

Diageo India's commitment to biodiversity preservation is robust, highlighted by its conservation efforts for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) in Rajasthan. Its projects have restored six key water bodies and created nesting habitats, significantly contributing to the species' recovery efforts. Diageo India's Indian single malt whisky named  Godawan not only brings together the community of local craftsmen to curate flavourful liquid made from locally sourced barley but also part of its proceeds helps in the conservation of the near-extinct Godawan bird.