Policies and standards

Our policies and standards, along with our Code, provide practical guidance to ensure all our employees and everyone who comes into contact with our company lives the values and behaviours that underpin all our work.

Our policies

Global Employee Alcohol Policy

At Diageo, we are proud of what we do and that our much-loved brands are enjoyed by people all over the world. Responsible drinking is core to our business, and it starts with our employees. We want to ensure that those employees who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly as part of a balanced lifestyle. Moreover, as ambassadors for Diageo, our employees can help us achieve our ambition to become one of the most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world by promoting responsible attitudes to drinking, both inside and outside Diageo.

Read our Employee Alcohol Policy

 

Global Environment Policy

We are committed to preserving the natural resources on which we all depend, working in partnership to tackle climate change, water stress and biodiversity loss, and helping create a more sustainable world.

Our Society 2030 targets underpin our 10-year action plan to help nurture a more inclusive and sustainable world.

Our global environment policy forms part of Diageo’s Code of Business Conduct framework and sets out our obligations and expectations for managing impacts on and from the environment.

This Policy applies to all Diageo management and employees and all third-party organisations, including suppliers and contractors.

Read our Environment Policy

 

Global Human Rights Policy

In our workplaces and the communities in which we operate, we believe a serious commitment to respect human rights is fundamental to our way of business. We recognise that we are responsible for the impact of our operations on our employees, on workers in our supply chain, on consumers of our products and on the communities in which we operate.

As a demonstration of our commitment, we are a signatory to the UN Global Compact and the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and we will act in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our human rights policy is also guided by the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights to Work. In this way, we are dedicated to enriching the workplace.

We act with integrity, in compliance with local law, and respect the unique customs and cultures in the communities in which we operate. 

Read our Human Rights Policy

 

Global Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy

We are firmly committed to ensuring the occupational health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, contractors and visitors. Our goal is for all aspects of our businesses to be conducted in compliance with applicable health and safety laws and regulations, company policies, standards and best practices pertaining to workplace health and safety. All our businesses and employees are expected to adopt a proactive, co-operative attitude towards health and safety.

Read our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy

 

Global Marketing and Digital Marketing Policy

The Diageo Marketing Code is our minimum global standard that applies to all of our activities that communicate about and market our brands, regardless of media. Compliance with the code is mandatory for all our employees, our subsidiaries and joint ventures where Diageo has a controlling interest. It also applies to third-party agencies, contractors, third-party distributors and consultants.

In addition to the code, further guidance on specific marketing activities and compliance requirements are specified in the Diageo Digital Code, Responsible Research Standard, Consumer Information Standard and the Data Protection Global Policy. Visit DRINKiQ for more information on our commitment to responsible marketing and innovation and to download a copy of the Diageo Marketing Code.

Read our Marketing and Digital Marketing Policy

 

Global Quality Policy

Quality is fundamental to Diageo – our brand heritage, ingredients, facilities and, most importantly, the skills of our people past and present ensure we are best in class. We stand on the shoulders of giants and our long-term success depends on continuous improvement that delivers enhanced consumer experience and builds customer confidence. Our aim is to provide the highest standards of quality, service and value in our industry, and this policy sets out the commitments we have made to achieve this.

Read our Quality Policy

 

Global Tax Policy

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks company. With over 200 brands sold in more than 180 countries, our ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. In delivering this ambition, it is our responsibility to run the business in the long term interests of all our stakeholders. We work hard to ensure our global operations are competitive internationally and generate sustainable shareholder value, allowing us to grow the business; make significant investments behind our brands and in our production facilities; and, if appropriate, in the acquisition of new companies.

Our approach to tax seeks to enable and support our ambition and business strategy, as well as balance the various interests of our stakeholders including investors, governments, our people, customers, consumers, suppliers and the communities in which we operate.

Read our Tax Policy

As required under Polish tax law, you can read information regarding
the implementation of our tax strategy in Poland 2022 (PDF 209KB).
the implementation of our tax strategy in Poland 2021 (PDF 200KB).

 

Privacy Policy

Our Privacy & Cookie Notice can be found at the bottom of each page of this website.

 

 

Our standards

Our global standards detail the standards that must be adopted in relation to certain specialist activities. They have global application but are likely only to be relevant for individuals in particular roles that involve responsibilities in the specific areas they address.

Partnering with suppliers

We rely on suppliers in over 100 countries to work with us and match our commitment to creating top-quality products in a sustainable and ethical manner. Each stage of our supply chain, from farming and manufacturing through to distribution and merchandising, has impacts on the environment, local communities and our many other stakeholders. We are focused on integrating sound social and environmental standards at each stage.

The Diageo Partnering with Suppliers Standard sets out the minimum social and environmental standards we expect of our suppliers. Our key areas of engagement with suppliers include:

  • business integrity and ethical standards
  • human rights and labour standards
  • health and safety
  • environmental impact.

Read our Partnering with Suppliers Standard 

 

Sustainable Agriculture Guidelines

We are committed to promoting sustainable agricultural practices across our supply chain. Our Sustainable Agriculture Guidelines set out the Standards we expect in our agricultural supply chains, and should be applied in conjunction with our supplier code, ‘Partnering with Suppliers’. They also provides guidelines to help our suppliers meet these Standards. We expect our suppliers to understand our Standards and help drive the application of the Standards through their supply chain to the farms where our raw materials are grown.

Sustainable Agriculture Guidelines - English (PDF 1.95MB)

Sustainable Agriculture Guidelines - Spanish (PDF 10.5MB)

Sustainable Agriculture Guidelines - Portuguese (PDF 10.5MB)

 

Sustainable packaging

Our Sustainable Packaging Commitments define sustainable packaging as the packaging design with the lowest possible environmental footprint while ensuring the required functionality to protect, deliver and present our products and brands. They set out our strategy for improving the sustainability of our packaging through the use of state-of-the-art technologies and design techniques to minimise packaging materials and optimise the use of recyclable materials.

Read our Sustainable Packaging Commitments 

 

Breach management

We are committed to embedding a culture that encourages our people to raise concerns freely and without retaliation, where we listen to what they say and then act upon compliance issues.

Our Breach Management Standard gives clear direction on how we manage a response to an allegation of a breach of Our Code, global policies or global standards by a Diageo employee or representative acting on behalf of Diageo. Although this standard is globally applicable, local regulatory or legal requirements may take precedence.

Global Brand Promoter Standard

At Diageo, we believe that more diverse, more equal businesses are better businesses. Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to our purpose of "celebrating life every day everywhere". That's why we have launched a new Global Brand Promoter Standard which establishes the principles and guidelines for the deployment of Brand Promoters. It is based on our values and our commitment to respect and protect the rights of all our employees, and those who work with us. We recognise our responsibility to protect the rights of our Brand Promoters, and we expect our third-party suppliers, business partners, as well as the outlets that we partner with, to hold themselves to the same standard.

Global Brand Promoter Standard