Suntory Group will further its commitment to water stewardship by accelerating its 2030 water targets. At the heart of Suntory Group’s business is its “Mizu to Ikiru” promise, which translates to “living with water,” and guides its mission to create harmony with people and nature. The company set its own “Sustainable Water Philosophy” to address relevant water issues in each region of operation and concrete water targets for 2030 and vision toward 2050.
Suntory Holdings CEO, Tak Niinami said: “Water is one of nature’s greatest blessings. However, approximately 40% of the global population will suffer from water shortages in the year 2050 due to climate change and population growth. Unless we take action today, our not-so-distant future will be threatened. Suntory believes that we must not only reduce water consumption, but also take action to replenish more than we use in our operations. While we remain committed to responsibly sharing our products with our customers around the world, we must not forget that water is not only vital for our business, but also for all living things.”
Suntory Group’s new and strengthened water targets for 2030 include: Reduction of water used in direct operation, Water replenishment,
Sustainable water use in raw ingredients and Water education and access to safe water.
In December 2021, Suntory Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant in Japan achieved the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification for having met the global benchmark for responsible water stewardship, making it the company’s third plant to be certified against the AWS Standard. In 2018, Suntory Okudaisen Bunanomori Water Plant became the first Japanese facility to receive certification under the AWS Standard, followed by the second certification in 2019 for Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Plant.
As the only company with plants certified by the AWS in Japan, Suntory Group is promoting water stewardship in the country through a partnership with the AWS. The partnership will support awareness building campaigns as well as a Japanese-language version of the Standard, among other activities. This builds on the company’s established leadership in water stewardship, including Suntory Group’s inclusion as one of the three companies selected by the Science Based Targets Network to contribute to piloting the draft methodology for setting science-based targets for water.
In order to protect the planet’s most vital resources, Suntory Group will continue to promote sustainable management across its business and disclose progress against its targets each year.
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