Bacardi: Spirit of Corporate Responsibility
Bermuda-based Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, improved its global environmental efficiencies, increased engagement with responsible suppliers, expanded its award-winning “Champions Drink Responsibly” programme and played an active role in enhancing local communities with employee volunteer programmes.
These accomplishments and more are highlighted in its third Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report issued today [Feb.1], titled “Spirit for Life,” which reinforces the Company’s purpose and values.
“Spirit for Life” [pictured] also demonstrates the Bacardi commitment to the environment where its products come from, the communities where they are created and to the consumers who enjoy them. This CR Report focuses on what Bacardi Limited has done to manage social and environmental impacts of its business in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 and builds upon its first two annual CR Reports.
“We are on an exciting journey in transforming Bacardi to meet future growth opportunities in a sustainable way. Climate change, environmental impacts, sustainability of resources and social responsibility are some of the biggest issues facing companies today,” said Bacardi Limited CEO Séamus McBride, who works out of the firm’s global headquarters on Pitts Bay Road.
“Bacardi builds upon its long tradition of respect for people and the environment and continues to be a leader in corporate responsibility in the spirits industry. By living our four core values of trust, caring, passion and excellence we commit to build a more sustainable future for all.”
Recently Bacardi made a contribution to the Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse’s free Friday night taxi service as part of its ongoing Bermuda efforts to encourage responsible drinking.
Social responsibility has always been a foundation of Bacardi. Company founder and Bacardi rum creator Don Facundo Bacardí Massó began this commitment when he volunteered to be the chief organiser of disaster relief in his hometown of Santiago de Cuba after a devastating earthquake.
For 149 years, the Bacardi family and company has built on his commitment by giving back to communities around the world through volunteerism and financial donations.
“Our CR Report is a comprehensive look at how Bacardi strives to act responsibly to benefit consumers, employees, customers, suppliers and communities where we operate and sell our brands,” said Robert Furniss-Roe, newly appointed Bacardi Latin America regional president.
Mr. Furniss-Roe [pictured] oversaw the firm’s 2010 for corporate responsibility initiatives in his capacity as Bacardi’s chief of staff and vice president of global sales and corporate communications.
“Our determined focus on using less energy and generating less waste led to an impressive year-over-year 8.6 percent improvement in water use and 5.9 percent improvement in energy efficiency totaling 16.6 percent over the past four years,” he said.
Key achievements from the Bacardi Limited 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report include:
Marketplace
- Expanded activation of “Champions Drink Responsibly,” an international social responsibility campaign featuring Formula One seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, in 38 countries reaching more than 37 million legal drinking age and above consumers. The firm wil be announcing a new Bacardi Limited Global Social Responsibility Ambassador soon.
- Exceeded target of training 20,000 bartenders in responsible selling techniques;
- Held leadership role in global alcohol initiatives;
- Achieved compliance with European Spirits Organisation (CEPS) European Compliance Charter;
Environment, Health & Safety
- The only major spirits company certified to be operating in accordance with world’s most recognised standards for quality, environment and health and safety at all production facilities;
- Built largest wind turbine installation in Puerto Rico to harness natural wind energy to help power Bacardi’s top global distillery near San Juan; expected to generate approximately 1,000,000 kWh of electricity per year accounting for up to seven percent of the site’s power use, roughly equivalent to the consumption of tourism-related activities at the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center on the facility campus (or to the consumption of 100 average households);
- 900 tons of CO2 saved by using wind turbines in Puerto Rico instead of fossil fuels;
- Italian operations achieved zero CO2 emissions due to renewable hydro-electric power (compared to 4,000 tons per year);
- Distillery in Mexico installed heat recovery system increasing energy efficiency by 16 percent;
- Total renewable energy currently being used by manufacturing facilities is 30 percent more than in fiscal 2009; 70 percent higher than in fiscal 2006;
- 11.3 percent reduction in total energy used over previous year and by 19.9 percent over the past four years;
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 18.9 percent from last year; four year reduction of 30.6 percent;
- 8.6 percent improvement in water use efficiency over last year, resulting in 17.4 percent over the past four years; exceeded five year target of 15 percent;
- 27.3 percent reduction in water consumption over last year and by 41.4 percent over past four years; water saved in last four years is more than 1.35 billion liters;
- Planted 82,000 trees and shrubs, created grasslands and wildflower zones attracting protected species of birds at new warehouse facility in Scotland;
- 16 percent improvement over last year in lost time accident rate.
Responsible Sourcing
- Increased number of supplier sites linked to Bacardi on Sedex, the database for sharing ethical audit data, to 175; exceed target of 100;
- 394 point-of-sale suppliers included in Responsible Sourcing risk assessment in EMEA;
- 38 agriculture-based suppliers engaged in global Responsible Sourcing programme.
People
- Cascaded the Bacardi values of “Trust, Caring, Passion and Excellence” to 6,000 employees globally;
- Conducted 15 High-Performing Team workshops with 260 senior level participants;
- Launched ONE Bacardi, the Company’s first global intranet platform, uniting all employees.
Philanthropy & Community Involvement
- Contributed $4.0 million to philanthropic and community involvement programmes;
- Employees reported 2,021 hours of volunteer time;
- 10,000 reusable shopping bags made from promotional banners recycling initiative in Puerto Rico; helped save 10 jobs at local sewing co-op;
- Continuing with its long history of assisting in times of catastrophic natural disasters, Bacardi Limited committed $50,000 in basic relief supplies to aid earthquake victims in Haiti through the Pan American Development Foundation, as well as donated $50,000 to local relief organisations to assist victims of the Chile earthquake.
Thanking employees for their dedication to corporate responsibility and philanthropic activities, Bacardi Limited today kicks-off its first global initiative to demonstrate its commitment to supporting employees in their dedication to their local communities.
As part of CR Week, the initiative called “Spirit for Life – Caring Together” gives employees from across the world the opportunity to take a day off from work to volunteer for a local cause. CR Week is about Bacardi employees giving back to local communities through locally organized activities. The week finishes on Founders Day, February 4 – the 149th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1862 in Santiago de Cuba.
Bacardi Limited remains an active participant in leading industry bodies with a focus on corporate responsibility, including the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) to advance sustainable practices in the industry, and the Better Sugarcane Initiative (now known as Bonsucro), a global multi-stakeholder non-profit initiative dedicated to reducing the environmental and social impacts of sugar cane production.
The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio consists of more than 200 brands and labels, including some of the world’s favorite and best-known products including Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka and Dewar’s Scotch whisky. Bacardi was founded in Santiago de Cuba, February 4, 1862, and currently employs more than 6,000 people, manufactures its brands at 27 facilities in 16 countries on four continents, and sells in more than 100 markets globally.
