Our responsibility includes conserving and protecting energy resources and reducing GHG emissions. Our commitment to act is based on our belief that a reduction in our direct or indirect use of fossil fuels – and resulting reduction in GHG emissions – will benefit the environment and us, as a business and as citizens, both now and in the future.
We understand that our use of these limited resources and the resultant GHG emissions must be minimized, not only to reduce our costs and improve our operational efficiency, but also to minimize any contribution to climate change that our operations and practices have, thereby ensuring availability of these vital resources for generations to come
We recognize the significance of climate change and believe that businesses must play a role in confronting it. We have developed a comprehensive response to the challenge of climate change and its expected impacts. The program includes:
Ensuring we consider climate change in the way we run our business and plan for growth
Engaging and partnering with others to find solutions – business partners, industry members, investors, and NGOs
Communicating transparently with our stakeholders about our progress in managing our greenhouse gas emissions
Supporting environmentally effective and economically sound public policies
Monitoring the effects of climate change on our business so that we can adapt.
We get our energy from five main sources: coal, waste wood, natural gas, fuel oil, and electricity. We have conducted a greenhouse gas inventory for the years 2005-2009. covering our worldwide facilities and operations, including business travel. This exercise identifies our major GHG emissions and their sources, enabling us to prioritize our actions and reduce energy consumption and emissions.
These are some of our initiatives to address climate change, while promoting cost efficiencies:
Improving energy efficiency across the company, by optimizing lighting, heating and cooling, and using various energy audit tools and programs to identify energy saving projects.
Installing a waste-to-energy process that fuels a boiler at our tequila plant in Mexico with biogas generated by an onsite wastewater treatment facility.
Promoting video and web-based meeting technologies, which reduce the need to travel.
Encouraging environmentally-responsible travel by including information within our online booking system that helps employees choose the best environmental option, including renting a hybrid car where available. This work won us the 2008 GetThere Travel Visionary Award.
Using an electronic “RideShare Board” which helps employees share a leased hybrid vehicle for joint business travel.
We were included in the 2010 Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) Leadership Index for our approach to climate change disclosure. We shared the highest score among beverage alcohol companies in the Consumer Staples sector
CDP is a not-for-profit organization that promotes corporate action and the reduction of financial risk from climate change. The Leadership Index highlights the constituent companies within the S&P 500 Index which have displayed the most professional approach to corporate governance in respect of climate change disclosure practices.
OUr annual responses to the Carbon Disclosure project, which details our climate change risks and opportunities, as well as additional details on our greenhouse gas emissions performance are available on the CDP’s website.
We also participate in The California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) where we report our greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Our involvement supports voluntary GHG reporting, and we benefit from the collaboration by learning about climate-change strategies and best practices in GHG accounting and verification.
In 2009, we joined The Climate Registry (TCR), and will begin voluntarily reporting our GHG emissions as of calendar year 2010 to TCR.
Carbon Disclosure Project: Included in Leadership Index 2008 and 2010
California Climate Action Registry: Awarded Climate Action Leader status for 2006, 2007, and 2008
2008 GetThere Travel Visionary Award
2008 Flex Your Power Award
2007 Environmental Protection Agency’s Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award
2008 California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA)
2009 Newsweek Green Ranking: #63 out of 500; 3rd in Food & Beverage categoty