Diageo India, the country’s leading beverage alcohol company, recently announced a first-of-a-kind water stewardship initiative in partnership with Source Global, PBC. The company’s Source hydro-panels, a ground-breaking technology that uses the sun to draw pure, constantly replenished water vapour out of the sky, will produce premium water for Godawan, Diageo India’s artisanal single malt whiskey.
As the technology partner, Source Global will build a 200-panel water farm in Alwar (Rajasthan), which will initially generate 9,000 litres of water within the first six months, and will further scale up to produce around 27,000 litres of water per month after a year.
Because Source is drawn from the pure and constantly replenished water in the sky, the project will save groundwater. Due to Source water being locally made, it reflects the unique terroir of the region.
Source hydro-panels also operate off-grid and without electricity or traditional piped water infrastructure, reducing the carbon emissions associated with treating and transporting potable water.
Hina Nagarajan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Diageo India said, “Last year, we set a vision and commitment to build our ‘Society 2030’ programme, aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This is a step forward in our journey to be part of the solution in water-stressed geographies.”
As the first company to use renewable water in an alcohol brand, Diageo India is serving the growing demand for premium, sustainable products in an incredibly unique and powerful way, said Neil Grimmer, Brand President of Source Global, PBC.
“The world, especially in already water-stressed regions like Rajasthan, is now facing the harsh realities of climate change, and Diageo is leading the way toward a more secure and sustainable future. We are proud to partner with them,” he added.
Diageo India is working to replenish more water than it uses in the water-stressed sites across its operating locations in India through reforestation, wetland restoration, de-silting ponds and rainwater harvesting.
Diageo India has also initiated the phased removal of mono-cartons in packaging, starting with its premium Scotch brands: VAT 69, Black & White and Black Dog. The initiative, launched through #BeAPlanetHero, will be rolled out across all its brands over a period of time.
The phased removal will result in saving 10,000 tonnes of paper and reducing 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Globally, Diageo has announced the removal of mono-cartons from its premium Scotch portfolio including Johnnie Walker, Buchanan’s and Bell’s whiskies. In addition, Diageo India has introduced a bio-degradable hipster pack for its Black & White Scotch.
Late last year Diageo teamed up with glass manufacturer Encirc to create the first net-zero glass bottles at scale. By 2030, the ultra-low-carbon, hydrogen-powered furnace will aim to produce up to 200 million bottles by the year 2027.
Diageo India also sells and distributes Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan.
