Pernod Ricard Outlines ESG Goals, Aims to Reach Them by 2030

   By Maitane Sardon 
 

Pernod Ricard SA (RI.FR), the French beverage company, on Wednesday outlined new sustainable targets as part of its effort to be more socially and environmentally responsible.

The company aims to hit the targets, which support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, by 2030, it said.

The strategy comes as alcohol makers face increasing pressure from investors using environmental, social and governance criteria in their decisions.

Alcoholic drinks require large amounts of raw materials to produce and can have a negative impact on consumers' health.

Some of the Pernod's environmental commitments are aimed at minimizing the impact of how it produces, uses and transports its products. These measures include a ban on all its single-use promotional items, such as bar mats or ice buckets, in the 86 countries where it operates, and an aim to make all of its packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.

The company said it aims to halve the intensity of its carbon emissions by 2030, and to be water-balanced by replenishing 100% of water consumption from its production sites.

Pernod's social goals are mainly built around gender diversity and responsible drinking. The group said it will ensure equal pay across the business by 2022 and aims to have gender-balanced top management teams by 2030. Regarding responsible drinking, Pernod said each of its affiliates globally would have at least one program to fight alcohol misuse by 2030. Elsewhere, the company will work to raise student awareness about responsible consumption, it said.

Write to Maitane Sardon at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 03, 2019 11:24 ET (15:24 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.