Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd.) announced its second annual ESG Reporting Index 2023, highlighting the progress in line with “Society 2030: Spirit of Progress” ESG action plan. The Reporting Index shares impact across the three key objectives outlined in Diageo’s Society 2030 plan, including pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability, promoting positive drinking and championing inclusion and diversity.
The Reporting Index is developed in accordance with the ‘Comprehensive’ level of the globally acclaimed GRI Standards (2021) and maps Diageo India’s performance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Principles and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) standards for the alcoholic beverage industry which recommends disclosures on material issues.
Commenting on the ESG Reporting Index, Hina Nagarajan, Managing Director and CEO, of Diageo India said, “Our sustained efforts have continued to yield positive results across water stewardship, waste management, circularity, safety, and corporate governance. The industry recognitions we have been receiving are a testament to our continued progress. The successive edition of this Index is yet another step in transparent reporting on our ESG progress, while we continue to manage ESG risks, seize opportunities and promote sustainable development within our business and in the communities.”
Key highlights of Diageo India’s ESG Reporting Index 2023 include its grain-to-glass sustainability initiatives. The company’s efforts cover three key areas – preserve water for life, accelerate to a low-carbon world and become sustainable by design. The company created replenishment capacity of 4,79,047 Cu.M of water annually under the community water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program that contributes to local infrastructure as well as improving people’s quality of life. It has increased its water use efficiency by 44 percent in distilleries and 30 percent in packaging, against the 2030 goal of 40 percent. The Alwar distillery in Rajasthan is the first spirit distillery in Asia to receive the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification (Core). The Alwar Distillery, home to Godawan artisanal single malt, is also leveraging innovative technology to capture drinking water from the air to conserve groundwater.
The company continued to make progress in reducing total packaging, increasing recycled content and recyclability across formats. During the year, over 99 percent of materials used were widely recyclable, and the company is poised to achieve its target of 100 percent by 2030. Notably, 57 percent of the packaging material purchased was made of recycled content.
Curbing underage consumption: In FY23, over 1,14,543 youth participated in the Act Smart India programme, which uses powerful storytelling to create awareness about the dangers of underage drinking. Anti Drink Drive: 2,34,807 consumers participated in an anti-drink driving learning experience. The company also established partnerships with 25 regional transport offices across states in India and set up tab labs to create awareness around anti-drink driving through the “Wrong Side of the Road” programme. The programme makes use of real-life scenarios to sensitise participants on the effects of drink driving. Moderation: Messages of moderation were taken to 52,642 consumers on the DRINKiQ platform.
Championing inclusion and diversity – The company has made significant improvements in gender representation with 50 percent of the Executive Committee being women. As part of its Society 2030 target, Diageo India is working to increase the representation of women, from 26.4 percent currently to 33 percent within the organisation.