News Release

Suntory signs cooperation agreement with “Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)” to take a leadership role in advocating water stewardship in Japan

February 8, 2021 (TOKYO)— Suntory Holdings Ltd., a global leader in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages industries, today announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with “Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)” to take a leadership role in promoting water stewardship in Japan, and also became a member of the AWS.

AWS is an international organization established jointly by NGOs, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and government actors, in order to promote water sustainability around the world. Certification against the AWS Standard demonstrates that a company has met the AWS definition of good water management practices within a business site and effective collaboration with non-business stakeholders that the site shares a catchment with.

Through the new partnership, Suntory and AWS will collaborate to help business leaders in Japan better understand the importance of water. Suntory will support various AWS activities in Japan, including awareness-building campaigns, the creation of a Japanese-language version of the AWS Standard, as well as AWS training and capacity building programs. Both parties share the same hope that more companies will soon follow Suntory’s lead in certifying their sites to the AWS Standard and contribute to greater water awareness and sustainability in Japan.

“As a company that raises Mizu to Ikiru, or living with water, as its corporate promise, we are delighted to take a leadership role for water stewardship and become the first Japanese company to join the AWS membership. To date, only two facilities in Japan are certified by AWS and both belong to Suntory, we look forward to penetrating the important roles of AWS in the country,” said Tak Niinami, CEO of Suntory Holdings. “We are fully aligned with the ambition of AWS to achieve a fully water-sustainable world through business leadership and opportunity.”

The Suntory Group carries out various water-related activities, driven by its corporate mission “To Create Harmony with People and Nature”. Suntory will continue to not only use water sustainably and return it cleanly to nature, but also contribute to the healthy water circulation by protecting the forests that nurture groundwater.

<Suntory Group’s Water Initiatives>
Since 2003, Suntory began working on Natural Water Sanctuaries, starting with Suntory Natural Water Sanctuary Aso, to cultivate forests that nurture groundwater. This activity has now expanded to 21 locations across 15 prefectures in Japan and spreads over roughly 12,000ha of land. In June 2019, Suntory achieved the goal of cultivating water equal to more than twice the amount of groundwater drawn by the Group’s plants in Japan. The Suntory Group has expanded the Natural Water Sanctuaries to the US in 2016 on the Maker’s Mark distillery grounds in Kentucky, and in 2018, it established a Natural Water Sanctuary alliance in the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, which contains the water source for the Jim Beam distillery.
Since 2004, Suntory has been conducting Mizuiku-Education Program for Nature and Water in Japan to help train the next generation to use water sustainably. The company has also been implementing Mizuiku-Education Program for Nature and Water in Vietnam from 2015 as well as in Indonesia and Thailand from 2019, which are highly evaluated by local governments and communities.

About Suntory Group

As a global leader in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products from premium spirits, beer and wine to brewed teas, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds in Japan and the Asian market with our Premium Malt's beer and also owns the exceptional Japanese wine Tomi and the world famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $21.0 billion in 2019. Suntory is driven by Yatte Minahare - the spirit of bold ambition - and its 40,210 employees worldwide draw upon its unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a company that delivers blessings of water and nature to its customers, Suntory is committed to its mission to create harmony with people and nature. Always aspiring to grow for good, Suntory is devoted to giving back to society through protecting water resources, nurturing its communities and fostering the arts.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.