Sustainability and responsibility

Alcohol in society

Enjoying alcohol is part of life in many societies. It is an established part of how people socialize, whether that’s at the biggest celebrations in life, at family gatherings, when experiencing music, sport and culture, or just as part of catching up with friends. We are proud of our commitment, over many decades, to encourage people to enjoy alcohol safely and to target specific issues, such as drunk driving or excessive drinking, with programs that try to change behavior and reduce harm.

Virtual reality

In 2016, Diageo North America introduced a virtual reality (VR) experience called “Decisions,” which puts viewers in the middle of a fatal drunk driving crash.

The purpose of the VR experience is to show the aftermath that can result from getting behind the wheel after a night of excessive drinking. The film follows the journeys of three vehicles and their passengers. The stories of each individual group – all unrelated at the outset – unfold as the viewer discovers the different motivations that led to each group’s night out. All three stories ultimately converge with horrific results that the viewer can see, hear and feel.

Our results so far

75% of respondents will prevent drinking and driving by planning ahead with a designated driver, while 73% said they will STOP other people from drinking and driving.
67% of respondents said that the 360 degree virtual reality format of the ad was effective, and 58% would share it with friends and family.
64% of respondents said that the topic of drinking and driving is more important to them now.

Reducing our environmental impact

Diageo North America supports the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact in line with the emerging United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are also dedicated to supporting and enhancing the wider communities where our consumers, employees and suppliers live and work.

We’ve established a range of sustainability goals across our supply chain, from waste and packaging to water and carbon. Below we focus on our progress within water.

Improving water use efficiency

In 2008, Diageo set an ambitious target of a 50% improvement in water-use efficiency by 2020, using a 2007 baseline. In alignment with the company’s global strategy, the “Diageo Water Blueprint,” Supply North America has made tremendous strides in the past several years to improve Diageo’s supply chain sustainability.

Our results so far

Through F18, North America’s water efficiency has improved 38% against the F07 baseline, based on the amount of water used (in litres) to distill or package 1 litre of product.
As of F18, our George Dickel distillery in Tennessee now saves more than 30 million litres of water annually. This was accomplished by implementing changes to equipment and processes.
At our Crown Royal and Seagram’s distillery in Manitoba, Canada, we are now saving 10 million litres of water per year, achieved by making changes to our de-alkaliser and demineraliser processes in F18.

Giving back to our communities

At Diageo we are proud to be a member of many local communities. We are committed to equip people within these communities with the skills and resources to build a better future for themselves.

Providing learning skills for life

Learning Skills for Life (LSFL) is a 6-week program that provides free learning and career opportunities within the hospitality industry to people who would not otherwise have access to proper training. We currently work with local businesses across three US locations to ensure work placement opportunities for trainees after they graduate. The program has also become a resource for private bartender requests from employers and community partners for job placements after graduation.

Our results so far

93% program retention rate
488 graduates as of August 2018
76% placement rate in internships or full-time jobs

Innovation: an information revolution

We believe in providing people with the information they need to make informed choices. That’s why we are proud to be the first leading drinks company to implement a comprehensive labelling system, the Diageo Consumer Information Standard (DCIS). Based on feedback from more than 1,500 consumers around the world, DCIS provides alcohol content and nutritional information, including calories, per serve on all of our products. Diageo North America’s Crown Royal was the first alcohol beverage brand to include a serving-facts panel on its packaging. The new labels are designed to help people understand what’s in their glass and underline our commitment to providing people with the information they need to make decisions about drinking as part of a balanced lifestyle.

Diageo North America