Since its launch in April, the Drinks Association’s new Sustainability Council has been making notable progress. The Council has now appointed 13 members representing various Category One companies within the Drinks Association.
The newly appointed members are:
- Rebecca Loch - Lion Pty Ltd (Council Chair)
- Nevil Shah - Australian Liquor Marketers (ALM)
- Penelope Goodsall - Australian Vintage
- Belinda Keeffe - Asahi
- Alex Kahl - Pernod-Ricard
- Louisa Rose - Hill-Smith Family Estates
- Michael Parks - Treasury Wine Estates (TWE)
- Paul Schnell - Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)
- Katie Cooper - Campari
- Jorge Jimenez - Brown-Forman
- Joey Sergi - Casella Family Brands
- Lisa Maynard - Diageo
- Ian Goldschmidt - Suntory Oceania
In July, the Sustainability Council conducted a survey among its members to gather insights on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics most important to their organisations. The aim of the survey was to determine how the newly established Council could best drive progress on sustainability issues across the drinks industry.
Following an analysis of the survey results, the Council reached a consensus to prioritise its initiatives under two key focus areas:
- Climate/Carbon Emissions
- Circular Economy/Packaging
The survey findings were followed up with a workshop held on August 9, facilitated by Nick Palousis, CEO of sustainability specialist company 2XE. The workshop aimed to identify and scope initiatives related to the two focus areas over the next 12-24 months.
This led to the creation of three distinct workstreams:
- Knowledge Hub/Toolkit: Developing educational tools and templates to support members on their sustainability journey.
- Technology and Innovation Roadmap: Collaborating with customers to identify and target technology and innovation opportunities that support carbon emission reduction and promote circular packaging.
- Communication and Engagement: Addressing a range of climate and circular economy-related topics through workshops, webinars, and events.
Rebecca Loch, Chair of the Sustainability Council and Lion’s Sustainability Lead, expressed her enthusiasm: “It’s so exciting to see the Council come together and agree on the key areas of focus we’d like to work on to make a positive impact on the wider industry. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and start working on some key initiatives that are going to make a difference.”
Image: Sustainability Council members - Penelope Goodsall (Australian Vintage); Rebecca Loch (Lion); Nevil Shah (ALM).
The Sustainability Council presented its strategy at the Drinks Association Board Meeting in October 2024.