Diageo North America Joins U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport(R) Partnership

NORWALK, Conn., March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo North America today announced that it joined the SmartWay Transport(R) Partnership, a voluntary collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Diageo NA will contribute to the Partnership's goal to reduce 33 to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012 by improving the environmental performance of Diageo NA freight operations. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog. By joining SmartWay Transport Partnership, Diageo NA demonstrates its strong environmental leadership and corporate responsibility.

Erik Snyder, VP Logistics at Diageo NA said, "We are focused on reducing our impact to the environment and joining SmartWay is a natural step forward in this direction. What is great about this program is that SmartWay is truly looking to partner with the industry. In February, SmartWay participated in our Annual Carrier Conference and helped educate Diageo and all our carriers on options that exist to reduce our carbon footprint in the transportation area. Diageo continues to focus on reducing emissions and in the past year we have reduced transportation emissions by 12%. As part of our awards to our carrier base we will be adding an environmental award in 2009, fittingly this will be called the Johnnie Walker Green award - after a famous member of our Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky family of brands."

Launched in February 2004, the SmartWay Transport Partnership aims to achieve fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of fuel per year. The Partnership brings together major freight shippers, trucking companies, railroads, and logistics companies to pursue mutually beneficial efficiencies that result in emissions reductions and other environmental improvements, as well as cost savings to the companies. The Partnership currently has over 250 Partners.

About Diageo:

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.

For information about the SmartWay Transport Partnership visit www.epa.gov/smartway.