Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water for Suntory

At Suntory, we show our appreciation for the blessings of water every day, but during World Water Week, we celebrate the importance of water with the world. The 2022 World Water Week theme, Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water, brings attention to the essential role water plays in aquifers and the soil, as well as the water crisis that often goes unseen.

While there appears to be an abundance of water on our planet, some sources say that only 0.76% of the world’s water supply is the freshwater we need to sustain life. A 2021 UN report estimates that more than two billion people currently live in water-stressed countries and by 2050, we’re looking at about half of the global population suffering from water shortages.

As a global food and beverage company, water is the most vital resource for our business, and we believe it is our responsibility to create harmony with people and nature. Our “Sustainable Water Philosophy” seeks to address relevant water issues in each region of our operation, and we aim to become net water positive in our operations globally by 2050 with concrete water targets set for 2030, including:

1. To reduce the water intensity of production at our owned plants by 35% globally.
2. To replenish more than 100% of the water used in at least 50% of our owned plants globally, including all those in highly water-stressed areas.
3. To collaborate with suppliers to improve water-use efficiency in the production of water-intensive key ingredients in highly water stressed areas
4. To expand Suntory’s water education programs and initiatives to provide safe water access for more than 1 million people.

Similarly, our water sustainability initiatives strive to address each of the three pillars of this year’s World Water Week theme: the financial and economic value of water; the value of water for people and development; and the value of water for nature and climate.

The financial and economic value of water: The lifeline of our business

Every company has a carbon footprint, and likewise, businesses must also account for a water footprint. No matter the industry or product, water plays an essential role in every business and economy. For Suntory, the value of water for our products is especially tangible.

Since high-quality beverages depend on high-quality ingredients, water is at the core of our craftsmanship.

We recognize that water sustainability is a business imperative for Suntory, and our water sustainability initiatives work to replenish more water than we use in our plants and provide the high-quality water that we need for our products.

Suntory has a very diverse portfolio of products, many of which are developed using the natural water cultivated in forests, plains and wetlands. Clear groundwater that is slowly purified over 20 years in forests is a key “ingredient” in our Suntory Tennensui, No. 1 mineral water brand in Japan. Our respect for the value of water in our whiskies led to the development of our Hakushu Distillery, also known as the “Mountain Forest Distillery.” The Minami Alps were chosen as the site for this distillery as one of the most famous sources of natural mineral water in Japan. These are just a few examples that demonstrate the value high-quality water brings to our business.

The value of water for people and development: Mizuiku - Education Program for Nature and Water

Although all human life depends on water, many people do not know how to conserve and protect it. At Suntory, we believe that in order to preserve our planet for the future, we must teach the next generation about the importance of protecting nature.

Suntory’s Mizuiku Education Program was designed to help students understand the importance of environmental protection and water conservation throughout Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, China, France and Spain. Each regional Mizuiku program partners with local NGOs to provide schoolteachers and students with knowledge on clean water usage and saving water resources. The program provides in-class learning experience as well as an interactive, hands-on opportunity to experience nature. This enables students to become changemakers within their own communities and ecosystems.

For example, one Mizuiku teacher as part of our recently established program in Spain shared about the impact water education has had in their student’s lives and local communities: “Nowadays, we are trying to instill in our pupils the importance of taking care of the environment and above all, the repercussions we may face by not respecting our planet. I believe that as a result of Mizuiku lessons in the classroom and in the field, these students are learning to truly value the nearby Guajaraz reservoir in Toledo, Spain, as well as its surroundings as something precious and important.”

Started in 2014 in Japan, more than 320,000 students and teachers have participated in our global Mizuiku education program as of 2021.

The value of water for nature and climate: Natural Water Sanctuary Initiative

We also understand the interconnected nature of climate and water, which is why Suntory prioritizes a multifaceted approach to truly promote a sustainable society. We know that water is essential to thriving ecosystems, and likewise, a healthy environment is vital in managing clean water to share more equitably. As this year’s World Water Week theme mentions, groundwater is right under our feet, beneath forests and even dry areas. It’s the fresh water we use daily and when managed correctly, serves as an important renewable resource that supports drinking water supplies and sanitation systems or farming and agricultural industries. This understanding is what drives Suntory’s Natural Water Sanctuary initiative, started 20 years ago in Japan.

Our 21 Natural Water Sanctuaries located near our plants in Japan work to improve the function of healthy forests, nurturing the groundwater and cultivating their rich biodiversity. This also helps maintain strong CO2 absorption capabilities, as well as mitigate the risk of flooding and landslides. These sanctuaries provide a lasting solution to recharge and replenish the valuable water supply that often goes unseen while also protecting the many other resources the forests provide. To manage this initiative, we also established our very own Suntory Institute for Water Science, allowing us to deepen our understanding of the water we use by partnering with over 40 experts in forestry, hydrology, and other environmental sciences to conduct continuous ecosystem and watershed monitoring.

Through this initiative, we have already recharged double the amount of water we use in our plants in Japan. Following the success in Japan, we have expanded our water source conversation activity to the US at our Maker’s Mark Distillery grounds and near our Jim Beam Distillery as well as near our plants in France, Mexico, India, Spain and Scotland. We plan to expand this to all our plants worldwide to become net water positive in our production globally by 2050.

Ultimately, tackling water sustainability cannot be done alone and must be addressed with customized, local solutions. Our urgency in addressing the water crisis cannot end with World Water Week.

This week and beyond, we must all do our part to protect the world’s most precious resource and commit to tangible actions that ensure equal access to high-quality water across the globe.