FRANCE. Diageo Global Travel hosted a sustainability roundtable with Gebr. Heinemann, L’Oréal and Tony’s Chocolonely during the 40th TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes.
Gebr. Heinemann executives in attendance included Director Legal, Compliance & Sustainability Saskia Möller; Head of Corporate Responsibility Joël-Florian Beck; Head of Buying Spirits Bastian-Philipp Müller; Head of Supplier Order Management Oliver Scharnweber; Head of Buying Perfume & Cosmetics Jeanne Scholz; and Head of Strategic Buying Moritz Kühn.
Tony’s Chocolonely was represented by Export & Duty Free Travel Retail Manager Rijk de Bie. L’Oréal executives in attendance included Area Manager Travel Retail Valentine Florin; Chief Sustainability Officer for Global Travel Retail Laurence Pardieu-Duthil; Chief Commercial Officer Guido Tappeser; and General Manager Travel Retail EMEAI – Lancôme Cédric Remeur.
The companies came together to highlight shared ambition and action to date in driving sustainability in the channel.
Diageo has been working to implement its 2030 sustainability and inclusion plan, Spirit of Progress, within its Global Travel business.
The travel retail sector presents challenges such as complex carbon impacts, increased gifting and global logistics.
Over the past year, Diageo has collaborated with Gebr. Heinemann to develop a joint green business plan.
Similarly, Gebr. Heinemann has partnered with L’Oréal on sustainability efforts. Tony’s Chocolonely, like Diageo’s Baileys brand, is a B Corp-certified company committed to ethical business practices.
The group convened to create a forum focused on discussing and taking action on sustainable practices in travel retail.
The initial focus will be on three key areas: reducing carbon emissions in the supply chain, improving sustainability communication with consumers, and driving innovation in both retail spaces and products.
The group will meet quarterly to discuss challenges, best practices, new materials, projects and consumer outreach efforts.
Their goal is to drive greater action in a sector where waste, weight and carbon footprint significantly impact travellers, airports, retailers and brand owners.
Diageo Global Travel Supply Director Graeme Black said: “There is so much to tackle in reducing our carbon footprint in travel retail that it can seem overwhelming. We have workstreams focused on energy, supply, distribution, packaging, weight and more.
“But we recognise that if we at Diageo do it alone, not only is it insufficient – we also cannot solve our sustainability challenges, nor those of travel retail, alone.
“We need the support of our retailers to help us reach consumers and to buy into new products. We also need inspiration and best practices from our peers where we have gaps.
“We were delighted to formally kick off what we hope will be a sustainability forum for our interested peers and customers in travel retail. Being together at Cannes was the perfect moment.”
Möller added: “Once again, collaboration is key. Bringing sustainable leaders together at one table is a huge leverage towards a more sustainable global travel retail industry.
“As a retailer we must close the gap between producers and consumers to zero distance by promoting responsible choices, as well as encourage consumer empowerment and education at the point-of-sale.
“It is a giant task that can only be accomplished by joining forces.”
The group will meet virtually in the coming months to share best practices on sustainable materials and discuss digital and supply solutions, such as using QR codes for information and electric vehicle deliveries. ✈
