A business imperative for Suntory: Accelerating water sustainability this World Water Week and beyond

Every year, World Water Week is a valuable reminder of how far we have come in our efforts to address water-related challenges globally, and how far we still have to go in order to achieve a sustainable future. This year’s theme of “Building Resilience Faster” is especially pertinent – it speaks to the urgent need for collaboration by all stakeholders to advance global environmental protection efforts, including the conservation and protection of water resources.

As CEO of Suntory Holdings, a global beverage company, I believe we have a responsibility to be a leader in advancing water sustainability. Water is one of nature’s greatest blessings, and without it, our business would not be possible. The diverse portfolio of products our customers know and love, including Suntory’s award winning Japanese Whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu, iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, and non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade and Ribena – are all carefully crafted using clean, quality water as an essential ingredient. While we remain committed to responsibly sharing these products with our customers around the world, we must not forget that water is also vital for all living things. Becoming good stewards of this precious resource will enable communities, societies, and our planet to succeed and thrive.

And in today’s world, accelerating water sustainability is no longer an option, but a must.

Water can be taken for granted in many countries. However, it is said that approximately 40% of the global population will suffer from water shortage in the year 2050 due to climate change and population growth. Unless we take action today, our not-so-distant future will be threatened.

At the heart of Suntory’s business is our “Mizu To Ikiru” promise, which translates to “living with water,” and guides our mission to create harmony with people and nature. For this reason, we have set our own “Sustainable Water Philosophy” to address relevant water issues in each region of our operation and an ambitious target of net-positive water usage by 2050.

Each day, I, along with our 40,000 global employees, are encouraged to reflect on the importance of water in our daily lives. In March, Suntory hosted its second annual “Suntory Group Global Action for Water” event as a way to take part in water-related initiatives and reflect on the importance of water in their daily lives, such as  through water-related volunteer activities.

While individual action can have a profound impact, achieving water sustainability requires cohesive efforts by businesses, governments, and civil society – working together to reach this common goal. As a company, Suntory has not only worked to reduce water usage, but has also implemented various sustainability initiatives across our business to pass on this precious resource to the next generation. Since 2003, we’ve established 23 Natural Water Sanctuaries near our production sites in Japan and the United States to cultivate clean water resources in forests in partnership with the local communities and experts. In 2004, we launched Suntory’s first Mizuiku Education Program for Nature and Water in Japan, and have since expanded this program to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Our hope is to share more about the importance of water and nature with students globally, inspiring them to consider what they can do to ensure the sustainability of water in their communities and for their future.

Similarly, we’re inspired by the work of others who are leading the way in protecting our planet and its water resources. To support these efforts, Suntory is contributing our expertise and taking a leadership role to promote water stewardship in Japan in partnership with Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). And more recently, we announced a partnership agreement with the Ocean Conservancy to join their International Coastal Cleanup, a global movement aimed at protecting oceans, beaches, and our communities. I’m incredibly proud to work alongside these organizations and initiatives, as well as our invaluable Suntorians around the world.

But I believe we must do more – and faster, as this year’s World Water Week theme urges.

Businesses and business leaders must commit to concrete solutions that will address the most pressing water-related challenges. For Suntory, it is imperative that we step change our actions to effectively tackle the climate crisis and its implications on the sustainability of water resources.

So, we’ve challenged ourselves by setting more ambitious targets to further decarbonize our business:

• We’re aiming to halve GHG emissions by 2030 in our direct operations – to ultimately achieve net zero GHG emissions across Suntory’s entire value chain by 2050.
• We’re working to implement 100% renewable electricity in all 63 directly owned manufacturing sites and R&D facilities in Japan, the Americas, and Europe by 2022 for our beverage business.
• We’ve signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, a campaign led by the Science Based Targets initiative in partnership with the UN Global Compact and the We Mean Business coalition.

I look forward to sharing more about Suntory’s continual efforts to promote sustainable management across our business in order to protect our planet’s most vital resources.