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Pernod sets out 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility goals

French drinks group Pernod Ricard has revealed its 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility plan, which addresses environmental issues, social responsibility and combatting alcohol abuse.

Alexandre Ricard, CEO of French drinks group Pernod Ricard

Unveiled yesterday (3 April) at the Martell Cognac distillery in France, the targets aim to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The group’s eight new Sustainability and Responsibility commitments focus on four key areas: nurturing terroir, valuing people, circular making and responsible hosting. Each one endeavours to address issues such as climate change, human rights and waste.

Alexandre Ricard, chairman and chief executive officer, said: “We are 19,000 ‘créateurs de convivialité’ – passionate hosts but also respectful guests on our planet.

“Sharing our values, respecting our terroirs and promoting responsible consumption are all conditions for sustainable growth. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, we will continue to create for the long-term.”

In relation to ‘nurturing terroir’, the group has pledged that by 2030, 100% of its global affiliates will have a strategic biodiversity project.

Secondly, by 2025, Pernod Ricard will develop regenerative agriculture pilot projects within its own vineyards in eight wine regions from Argentina and California to Cognac and Spain. By 2030, the group will partner with more than 5,000 farmers to pass on what it has learned.

In terms of ‘valuing people’, Pernod Ricard has promised equal pay across its business by 2022, and gender balance in top management teams by 2030. By the end date, 100% of employees will have received future-fit training at least every three years to develop new skills.

Sustainability

Pernod has also said it will train 10,000 bartenders on how to host consumers in a more sustainable way, including educating them about being waste-free and plastic-free.

Packaging and waste are highly topical at the moment, and as part of its ‘circular making’ pledge, Pernod Ricard will ban all promotional items made from single-use plastic by 2025. Furthermore, 100% of its packaging will be recyclable, compostable, reusable or bio-based.

By 2030, the group will trial new circular ways of distributing wine and spirits to help increase recycling rates in its top 10 biggest markets with low recycling levels.

In addition to this, Pernod promises to address its water balance and carbon footprint by 2030, when it aims to be water balanced in all high-risk watersheds, such as India and Australia, replenishing 100% of water consumption from production sites.

When it comes to tackling alcohol misuse, by 2030 every affiliate of Pernod Ricard will have at least one programme to combat alcohol misuse.

Lastly, the group will expand its Responsible Party programme globally to reach at least one million people by 2030. The programme was established a decade ago in partnership with the Erasmus Student Network to raise students’ awareness about responsible consumption and has reached 400,000 students across Europe so far.

Vanessa Wright, VP sustainability and responsibility, said: “We know that our customers have now come to expect our brands to be responsible and respectful of the environment – values that have been at the very heart of our business since its inception.

“These 2030 commitments provide us with a focused framework across our business in helping to address some of the biggest sustainability issues, so consumers can enjoy our products in a convivial and sustainable way.”

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