The AWS Standard is the international standard for responsible water use and encompasses social, cultural and environmental criteria, including engagement with local communities. The Standard recognises continual improvement and commitment to ongoing action in response to the ever-changing nature of water and climate-related threats.

To gain the certification, a team from across our business engaged with local communities and stakeholders to initiate projects across the River Spey, designed to care for water use and improve water efficiency, as well protect against climate-related impacts by improving water balance sustainability. This included engagement with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Spey Catchment Initiative, Spey Fishery Board, Scottish Canoe Association, Spirit of the Spey, and others during the certification process.

Work with RSPB to restore peatland at Abernethy Nature Reserve, in the Cairngorm National Park, is just one recent example of our efforts, where water retention within the catchment was identified as a key issue for improvement for both biodiversity and business continuity. In Summer 2018, some Speyside distilleries were forced to halt whisky production, after a heatwave caused them to run out of water.

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Diageo plc published this content on 25 October 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 October 2021 15:23:08 UTC.