Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, cut water and energy usage, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, raised the percentage of energy from renewable sources, and engaged 250,000 consumers in a responsible drinking campaign – some of the highlighted accomplishments noted in its second Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, titled “At Bacardi our Values are: Trust, Caring, Passion, Excellence.” To access the Bacardi Limited 2009 CR Report in its entirety, visit http://bacardilimited.com/resp_corp.html.
“Bacardi has a long history in operating as an industry leader and a known heritage of caring, and by embedding corporate responsibility into every aspect of our business, we are working to exceed the expectations of our consumers, employees and business partners,” said Séamus McBride, Bacardi Limited chief executive officer. “People and brands are both at the core of our business, and each area brings specific responsibilities that we must uphold. Across our business, we are always driven by ‘doing the right thing’ for all stakeholders.”
The CR Report showcases the Bacardi record in its five strategic Corporate Responsibility program focus areas: Marketplace; Environment, Health & Safety; Responsible Sourcing; People; and Philanthropy & Community Involvement. The report is a comprehensive look at how Bacardi strives to act responsibly to benefit consumers, employees, customers, suppliers and communities where it operates and sells product.
Bacardi Limited has established goals for each of its five strategic CR focus areas:
- Marketplace: Bacardi is committed to marketing its products only to people of legal drinking age and encouraging consumers to drink responsibly.
- Environment, Health & Safety: In operating its distilleries and bottling plants, Bacardi ensures the safety of its employees and the use of resources to maximize the reduction of carbon footprint and waste.
- Responsible Sourcing: Bacardi works to ensure that its suppliers provide safe and fair working conditions and address environmental issues within their operations.
- People: As it has done for the past 148 years, Bacardi constantly strives to give its employees the opportunity to grow and develop within the global family of brands and corporate entities.
- Philanthropy & Community Involvement: Local companies, brands and employees are encouraged to support various community projects in education, environment, health and social services, arts and culture, and disaster relief assistance.
“By caring about our business and the world around us, we excel in creating brands consumers can trust. We aim to strengthen these bonds of trust by acting responsibly in everything we do,” said Robert Furniss-Roe, vice president of Bacardi Limited and lead for the company’s corporate responsibility initiatives. “Our commitment to corporate responsibility plays an increasingly important role in helping us to capture operational efficiencies and eliminate waste.”
Highlights from the 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report include:
- At the time of printing its CR Report, Bacardi Limited was on track to be certified to the leading global standards for quality, environment, and health and safety – ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 – for all its production facilities globally. In December 2009, Bacardi achieved these certifications becoming the only major spirits company to meet these globally accepted standards. This “Triple Crown” of certification goes to the heart of Bacardi’s commitment to its consumers, employees and trade partners to deliver the finest quality brands available, the safest working conditions and reduce its impact on the environment.
- Became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact; committed to aligning with principles in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environment and anti-corruption.
- Incorporated review of carbon footprint implications as part of the standard packaging development process.
- Decreased total water use by 4 percent, with a three-year reduction of more than 19 percent; enough to fill 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Reduced total energy use by more than 6 percent.
- Reached goal of more than 12 percent of direct energy requirements from renewable sources, a 20 percent improvement over the last three years.
- Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 9 percent, with a three-year reduction of 14.5 percent.
- In Canada, switched the entire product line of BACARDI BREEZER to PET bottles, reducing the weight of a filled case by 33 percent; saving 1,232 tonnes of GHG emissions per year.
- Elected to the Management Committee of the Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI), a multi-stakeholder group working toward more responsible sourcing of sugarcane.
- Reduced lost time accident rate by 28 percent, with a three-year improvement record of 49 percent.
- Launched http://www.enjoyourbrandsresponsibly.comto provide consumers with ingredient and nutritional information about our products, information on production, and responsible drinking guidelines.
- Activated “Champions Drink Responsibly,” an international social responsibility campaign featuring Formula One 7-time champion Michael Schumacher, in 34 countries; 250,000 visitors to the website; campaign won two corporate social responsibility awards.
- Expanded the International Bartenders Association (IBA) responsible serving training course to Asia and seven new countries in Europe; goal for 2010 is to train 20,000 members.
- Contributed more than US$3.9 million to philanthropic and community involvement programs.
- Committed US$120,000 to aid storm victims in Cuba through Pan American Development Foundation (PADF).
Bacardi Limited also remains an active participant in leading industry bodies with a focus on corporate responsibility, including Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER), Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex), AIM-Progress (European Brands Association), and Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI).
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets a variety of internationally recognized spirits. The Bacardi brand portfolio consists of more than 200 brands and labels, including: BACARDI rum, the world’s favorite and best-selling premium rum, as well as the world’s most awarded rum; GREY GOOSE vodka, the world-leader in super-premium vodka; DEWAR’S Scotch whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, the top-valued premium gin in the world; CAZADORES blue agave tequila, the top-selling premium tequila worldwide; MARTINI vermouth, the world-leader in vermouth; and other leading brands.
Celebrating its 148th anniversary, it was founded in Santiago de Cuba, February 4, 1862. Currently, Bacardi employs more than 6,000 people, manufactures products at 27 facilities in 16 countries on four continents, and sells products in more than 100 markets globally.
