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 Ron Barceló
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Partner content
‘Partner Content’ is used to describe brand content that is paid for and controlled by the advertiser rather than the Euronews editorial team. This content is produced by commercial departments and does not involve Euronews editorial staff or news journalists. The funding partner has control of the topics, content and final approval in collaboration with Euronews’ commercial production department.
Ron Barceló

Ron Barceló introduces its RB360 Sustainability code

Ron Barceló
Ron Barceló   -  Copyright  euronews

As the world's first certified carbon neutral rum and the first organic rum produced in the Dominican Republic, Ron Barceló, as a producer, is committed to a business model that respects the environment and that is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ron Barceló is focused on sustainability across its business. This was demonstrated by becoming the first rum company to offset not only the emissions of its organization, but of the entire life cycle of all its products, including the manufacture and transportation of packaging materials, including bottles, as well as the transportation of its products to more than 95 countries. To formalise its commitment, from 2019 Ron Barceló introduced its sustainability code, called “RB360”, which brings together the brand’s policies and processes, ensuring that their business activities promote a sustainable approach to the environment and its resources. The ambitious programme focuses on a 360 degree approach to sustainability and monitors progress through 4 key indicators.

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“In our company’s vision, RB360 was a natural step towards the fulfilment of today’s world’s needs. As a brand, we wanted to be aware of the actual impact of our activities, with the goal of reducing our footprint and compensating for it, as part of a sustainable economy that cares about the planet”, said Chiara Pennacchio, Global Marketing Director for Ron Barceló. She also referred to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals which have inspired much of the RB360 programme . These goals are broad and include goals such as eliminating poverty, education and equality for women as well as protection of the environment and the fight against climate change.

The four pillars at the heart of the RB360 programme cut across all areas of Ron Barceló’s business activities. The first pillar is the Field indicator, which addresses the management of agronomical processes and its impact on the soil, its erosion, and its fertility, which has led them to become the first Dominican rum company to cultivate organic sugarcane fields. Second is the Water indicator, which evaluates the effect on water resources, both during cultivation in the field and while producing the rum. The third pillar is the Territory indicator, which limits the footprint in the company’s area of operations, addressing environmental as well as the social and economic impact on the landscape and local communities. Finally, the Air indicator looks at how polluting gas emissions are managed mainly greenhouse gases that result from any aspect of the organization’s activities in order to reduce and neutralize them.

Carbon Neutral Product
Carbon Neutral ProductCertified by SGS

Ron Barceló measures its carbon emissions and reduces them by using biomass and photovoltaic cells to produce clean energy (which represents 90% of the energy used in its rum making process), as well as CO2 recovered during the fermentation phase.

This CO2 is then used to create bubbles in soft drinks. By products from the distillation of cane juice, such as vinasse, are also used as a natural fertilizer. To offset emissions that it cannot reduce, the firm finances green projects in different countries and certified under the CDM, VCS or Gold Standard and contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change.

For the company, carbon neutrality means measuring, reducing, and offsetting the emission of greenhouse gases produced throughout the life cycle of the products, from the production of packaging material (including glass bottles) to distribution and final disposal. Processes are adapted and monitored to ensure that 90% of the energy used is supplied by sustainable sources such as biomass or photovoltaic cells.

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“Getting to carbon neutrality was an important step for our company, but our vision is completed with the creation and implementation of our RB360 sustainability code, in which we bring together all the principles that we have decided to embrace from our own initiative, in order to manage our operations”, said Pennacchio

The goal of this code is to monitor and regulate the impact of the brand’s activities using a circular approach, encompassing environmental, human and territorial aspects. With the implementation of its RB360 sustainability code, Ron Barceló reaffirms its desire to operate as a socially responsible company, aligned with the UN’s development goals as the very first distilled brand in the world to join the United Nations Carbon Neutral Now initiative.