Diageo tops F&B sector in FTSE4GOOD index

DIAGEO, the world's leading premium drinks business, has topped the food and beverage sector in the 2012 FTSE4GOOD ethical investment index.

The index, which is designed to objectively measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards, saw Diageo's score of 4.8 out of 5 beat a prestigious group of companies from the F&B sector including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Heineken and Nestle. Diageo, whose brands include Smirnoff vodka and Jose Cuervo tequila, also placed joint second globally behind Vivendi in the overall rankings.

For 2015, Diageo has committed to a set of ambitious environmental targets including improving water efficiency by 30%, reducing water wasted at water-stressed sites by 50%, reducing CO2 emissions by 50%, eliminating waste sent to landfill, reducing the polluting power of wastewater by 60%, and making all its packaging 100% recyclable.

To compile the FTSE4GOOD index, FTSE looks into a company's corporate responsibility performance. The analysis covers environmental indicators such as climate change and environmental management; social indicators such as human and labour rights and supply chain labour standards as well as governance (countering bribery, corporate governance).